What to Watch, You NBA Sicko: Dec. 29 - Jan. 4
The best viewing experiences the NBA has to offer
Monday - December 29
Early Slot: Golden State Warriors at Brooklyn Nets (7:00 PM)
The Brooklyn Nets are having a Lexus December to remember. Since the calendar flipped to its final month, the Nets are 7-3 with a net rating of +9.4. Largely powered by a 104.7 defensive rating and some fortunate opponent 3-point shooting (33.1%), the Nets have orchestrated one of the most perplexing mid-season turnarounds I’ve ever seen. Before December, the Nets had a 122.5 defensive rating. This all deserves more than a little blurb, but right now, the Nets are worth watching. Let’s see how they do against the perpetually .500 Golden State Warriors.
Late Slot: Dallas Mavericks at Portland Trail Blazers (10:30 PM) NBC/Peacock
Monday’s slate of games offers ten games that allegedly tip off between 7:00 and 8:00, but just one in the late slot. As such, that game gets the nod here. Now, the Mavericks and Trail Blazers are separated by one in the win column and two in the loss column, which makes this a dazzlingly important contest in the sad sack battle for the Western Conference ten seed. Still, Cooper Flagg’s development is worth watching, and Deni Avdija is the best player that no one realizes is an All-Star.
Tuesday - December 30
Early Slot: Philadelphia 76ers at Memphis Grizzlies (8:00 PM) NBC/Peacock
The Sixers have a net rating of +0.0, while the Grizzlies are just behind at -0.6. These are two mediocre teams, but they both have a bit more upside than your run-of-the-mill also-rans. The Sixers have yet to get a consistent run of games with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George, and while that may never happen, the potential of it still leaves me intrigued. The Grizzlies have also been undone by absences, but Ja Morant just had his best game since October. This might not seem like a good game, but there’s a good chance it comes down to the wire, and both sides’ arrows may be pointing up.
Late Slot: Detroit Pistons at Los Angeles Lakers (10:30 PM) NBC/Peacock
The Pistons have continued to hold onto first place in the East, while the Lakers were literally in crisis mode a few days ago. The Pistons are clearly a step above the Lakers, but I’m very curious to see how they deal with Luka Doncic defensively. This game has the potential to get ugly with how poor the Lakers’ defense has been as of late, but it also has the potential for excellent late-game drama.
Wednesday - December 31
Early Slot: Phoenix Suns at Cleveland Cavaliers (3:30 PM) NBATV
As Darius Garland has started to show the form that made him an All-Star last season, the Cavaliers have looked more like the team they were last season. Now, they still can’t beat good teams, which is a problem because they will play San Antonio before this one. If the Cavaliers fall to the Spurs, they’ll be .500 and on a three-game losing streak, which makes this a must-win in my book. The Suns, meanwhile, are on a three-game winning streak and get to face the Wizards before this.
Late Slot: New York Knicks at San Antonio Spurs (7:00 PM)
The Spurs and the Knicks are the two hottest teams in the league. They’re both 8-2 in their past ten games, and this is a rematch of the NBA Cup Final. Sometimes, this exercise isn’t complicated. These are two of the best teams in the league. They’re both playing tremendous ball. And they have some recent history. Just make plans to arrive at your New Year’s party after 10:00 PM.
Thursday - January 1
Early Slot: Miami Heat at Detroit Pistons (7:00 PM)
The Heat and Pistons are ranked second and third in defensive efficiency this season, but due to the Heat’s go-go pace, their games are still full of points. The Pistons aren’t a particularly efficient first-shot offense, but their ability to crash the offensive glass has kept them in the top ten for offensive rating. What I’m saying is this should be a defensive showdown that’s full of points.
Late Slot: Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 PM)
Don’t look now, but the Clippers are showing some signs of life. They’re 5-5 over their last 10, and riding a four-game win streak. Should they take care of business against the Kings, they’ll push it to five (so, they’ll probably lose). The Jazz continue to be a bad team that’s worth watching, which is a lot better than what my Wizards can muster. If the Clippers are going to make a run for the play-in, they need to win games like this. Despite the Jazz’s better record, all the underlying metrics suggest the Clippers are the better team. However, games aren’t decided by underlying metrics, which should make this a thoroughly enjoyable bottom-of-the-league clash.
Friday - January 2
Early Slot: Denver Nuggets at Cleveland Cavaliers (7:30 PM) Prime Video
The Nuggets, despite being down three starters, continue to chug along. Every night it seems, Nikola Jokic proves why he’s the best player in the world and one of the ten greatest players ever, while Jamal Murray is enjoying a career year. When you have a dynamic duo that’s this good, it’s much easier to weather injuries to support players. The Cavaliers could enter this game in crisis, or they could be enjoying a resurgence. Regardless of the mood in Cleveland, they’ll be desperate for the win. However, the real reason to watch this game is for the potential supernova scoring duel between Donovan Mitchell and one of Jokic or Murray.
Late Slot: Oklahoma City at Golden State Warriors (10:00 PM) Prime Video
The Thunder lost four games in a seven-game span, and suddenly they’re as vulnerable as mid-flight Humpty Dumpty. While their chances at the best regular season ever took a hit, this is still the best team in the league by a wide margin. The Warriors continue to bounce around .500, but with games against the Nets and Hornets before the Thunder, they have a chance to start creating some separation. I don’t expect any game against the Thunder to be close unless they’re playing one of the Rockets, Spurs, Nuggets, or Knicks, but the Warriors’ fastball, while far less frequent, still packs a punch.
Saturday - January 3
Early Slot: Minnesota Timberwolves at Miami Heat (5:00 PM) NBATV
I’m not trying to force you to watch Heat games; they just happen to have a tough stretch of schedule, which means a bunch of good games for you, the viewer. The Timberwolves are weird. They’re 20-12 with a +4.1 net rating, but no one thinks they’re actually all that dangerous. Interestingly, their reputation for struggling against weaker teams is pure fabrication. They’re 14-2 against teams currently out of the playoff and play-in picture. Considering they’re 20-12 on the season, it’s more apt to say that they struggle against good teams. The Heat are a good team, but not overwhelming, which should make this a close game down the stretch.
Late Slot: Atlanta Hawks at Toronto Raptors (7:30 PM) NBATV
The Atlanta Hawks are 0-11 against teams in the top ten of net rating, which makes it a good thing that the Raptors sit in 14th at +1.4. On the other hand, the Raptors have basically been a bad team, outside of a 13-1 stretch from the end of October through November. Now, removing any team’s best run of play will make them look worse, but similar to the Hawks, they’ve struggled mightily against better teams. They are 4-6 against teams with a top ten net rating, but all four of those wins came against the Cavaliers and Heat, who are ninth and tenth in net rating. This game isn’t a must-win in any real sense, but considering how bad they’ve been against good teams, how they play against the mediocre ones will define their season.
Sunday - January 4
Early Slot: Indiana Pacers at Orlando Magic (3:00 PM)
What makes this game so special? Well, neither the Magic nor the Pacers have come up, and only a true basketball degenerate would watch a 3:00 PM game on our Lord and Savior’s NFL Sunday. The Pacers have been abjectly awful all year, and while no one is saying it, it proves just how good Tyrese Haliburton is. The Magic, after a rough start, have righted the ship, but they still can’t get everyone healthy. I suppose Paolo Banchero and Pascal Siakam trading mid-range jumpers is entertaining enough.
Late Slot: Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers (9:30 PM)
The Lakers are 20-10, and the Grizzlies are 15-17, but the net rating says these two teams are very close. The Lakers’ net rating of +0.3 is just marginally better than the Grizzlies’ -0.6. Another interesting wrinkle will be the Lakers’ perimeter defense against Ja Morant. Even if Morant isn’t quite the athlete he used to be, the Lakers’ perimeter defense is about as lively as the cavalcade of statues outside of their arena. Outside of watching two elite teams square off, there is nothing more fun than watching two flawed teams try to kick each other in the nuts.
For any inquiries about work, discussion, and the like, you can email me at nevin.l.brown@gmail.com.