What to Watch, You NBA Sicko: Jan. 12 - Jan 18
The best viewing experiences the NBA has to offer...this week
Monday - January 12
Early Slot: Philadelphia 76ers at Toronto Raptors (7:30 PM)
The Sixers and Raptors are exceedingly well-matched. They both have 16 losses, they just played an overtime game on Sunday, and the Sixers have a net rating of +1.6, while the Raptors’ is +1.9. Joel Embiid and Paul George are questionable for the game, but with how close these two are in the standings, I’d hope they’d play if healthy. This isn’t a powerhouse matchup, but it’s a clash between two teams who would meet in the play-in if they were in the Western Conference.
Late Slot: Charlotte Hornets at Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 PM)
The Clippers are technically the hottest team in the league. Over their past ten games, they’ve gone 8-2, the best current ten-game run of any team in the league. The Hornets aren’t the hottest team in the league, but they’ve established themselves as a thoroughly mediocre team and have looked far better when fully healthy. I have a feeling this will be a fun game as Kawhi Leonard and James Harden attempt to grind out possessions, a stark contrast to the chaotic brand of offense LaMelo Ball instills.
Tuesday - January 13
Early Slot: San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (8:00 PM) NBC/Peacock
Spurs-Thunder has quickly become the must-watch game of the season. The Thunder are the defending champs and, despite recent wobbles, still the far and away best team in the league. The Spurs aren’t the second-best team in the league for my money, but they’ve gotten the better of the Thunder thus far, and are an excellent side in their own right. The atmosphere in Oklahoma City should be raucous, which only amplifies in the viewing experience.
Late Slot: Atlanta Hawks at Los Angeles Lakers (10:30 PM)
The Lakers continue to defy net rating, but they can’t trick me. Their 23-13 record stands in stark contrast to their -0.4 net rating, which is the same as the 14-25 Hornets. The Hawks, meanwhile, are 20-21 with a 0.0 net rating. These are two middling teams who get there in very different ways. The Hawks are all limbs and athleticism, while the Lakers are all Luka, LeBron, and has-beens.
Wednesday - January 14
Early Slot: Utah Jazz at Chicago Bulls (8:00 PM)
The Jazz and Bulls are not good basketball teams, but they do play a fun brand of basketball. They’re third and fourth in the league in pace, are 17th and 21st in offensive rating, and 25th and 30th in defensive rating. Points will be aplenty, which should obscure their relative shortcomings and make for compelling theater.
Late Slot: Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks (9:30 PM) ESPN
The late slot doesn’t offer much, but the Nuggets without Jokic and the Mavericks without Anthony Davis is still probably the best game. The Nuggets have been surprisingly competent without Jokic, and the Mavericks have been solid enough without Davis. Honestly, this is just a good chance to catch Cooper Flagg and Jamal Murray. What Flagg is doing at his age is absurd, and Murray is having by far the finest season of his career.
Thursday - January 15
MLK Day Triple-Header
Early Slot: Memphis Grizzlies at Orlando Magic (2:00 PM) Prime
This is the only game that actually matters all week. The Magic have alternated wins and losses for 14 consecutive games. The record, according to my one source, is 15 games. They just beat the Pelicans, which means we need an MLK miracle from the Memphis Grizzlies. This is the only game that matters in the history of basketball. This is my NBA Championship.
Late Slot: Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets (7:00 PM) Prime
The Thunder and Rockets have been wobbling as of late, but they still own the two best net ratings in the league. Their first matchup, on opening night, was a double-OT thriller, which basically put to bed the game of the season debate before 75% of the league had even played a game. So, yeah, this should be a good one.
Bonus Slot: New York Knicks at Golden State Warriors (10:00 PM) Prime
The Knicks, following their NBA Cup triumph, have been sliding down the standings, while the Warriors have continued to tread water around .500. This isn’t a particularly good matchup, but these are two big brands with elite players and excellent coaches, and they’ll both be desperate to win. If you want to stay up past your bedtime, this game is worth it.
Friday - January 16
Early Slot: Cleveland Cavaliers at Philadelphia 76ers (7:00 PM) ESPN
The Cavaliers and Sixers are having relatively similar seasons, but the vibes could not be any different. Expectations are the thief of joy, and the Cavaliers entered the season with Great Expectations, while the Sixers were thought to be headed toward Hard Times. Instead, they’ve both been a little bit better than mediocre, which has led to jubilation in Philadelphia and despair in Cleveland. It’s the same story, but a Tale of Two Cities.
Late Slot: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets (9:30 PM) ESPN
Alright, alright, alright. The Rockets, despite their net rating, have slid all the way to seventh in the West, and their loss has been the Timberwolves’ gain. The Wolves are now firmly in fourth, which means this game carries serious stakes. Neither team is in danger of missing the playoffs, but both are still in danger of the play-in. While I expect the Suns to slide into seventh when it’s all said and done, they actually have to play the games for it be all said and done.
Saturday - January 17
Early Slot: Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks (7:30 PM)
Saturday has four worthy games competing for one television screen. If Celtics and Hawks isn’t your thing, could I tempt you with Suns and Knicks? Or Thunder-Heat? What about Wolves and Spurs? If I’m being honest, Celtics and Hawks might be the weakest of the four, but I felt like the Celtics deserve their own slot, and most of these sides have already been featured.
Late Slot: Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers (10:00 PM) NBATV
The Lakers and Blazers benefit from playing in the Pacific timezone. That being said, the Blazers are 7-3 in their last ten and just got Jrue Holiday back. He’ll probably still be on a minutes restriction, but I’m curious to see how Luka Doncic handles the wave of defenders the Blazers can throw at him. On the other side, if I were a Lakers fan, I would be absolutely mortified about what Deni Avdija is going to do to the Lakers’ perimeter defense.
Sunday - January 18
Early Slot: Orlando Magic at Memphis Grizzlies (12:00 PM) Prime
Okay, this game might not be all that interesting, but if the Grizzlies beat the Magic on Thursday, then this could be the game that sets the all-time alternating win-loss streak at 16. As I mentioned earlier, I am obsessed with this trivial trivia. It’ll take a Magic win, but I believe in them to win and then lose, and then win, and then lose until the end of time. Or at least, until Franz Wagner comes back.
Late Slot: Toronto Raptors at Los Angeles Lakers (9:30 PM)
I swear I don’t secretly love the Lakers, but they’re in this weird sweetspot. They play on the West Coast, which has fewer games, and because they’re so mediocre, but their record is somehow good, they can credibly occupy a massive swath of team talent. The Lakers building the perfect team to be viewed on television sounds like something they’d actually do, as opposed to building a championship-caliber team. Regardless, the Lakers and Raptors are both averagish teams, which means we should see a competitive game.
For any inquiries about work, discussion, and the like, you can email me at nevin.l.brown@gmail.com.