What to Watch, You NBA Sicko: Jan. 26 - Feb. 1
The best viewing experiences the NBA has to offer...this week
Monday - January 26
Early Slot: Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Hornets (3:00 PM)
At 24-20, the Sixers are four games above .500, while the Hornets are 10 games below at 18-28, but don’t let the standings fool you. The Sixers have a net rating of +1.2, ranking just one spot ahead of the Hornets at +0.5. The only thing keeping the Hornets from respectability is that they’ve been one of the worst clutch teams in the NBA this season. They’ve gone 5-13 in games that have entered the clutch, with a net rating of -7.0. Meanwhile, the Sixers have gone 14-13 in clutch games but own a net rating of +9.9. What does this all mean? Well, it means the Hornets have been apt to let a game slip away from them, while the Sixers love a late charge.
Late Slot: Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers (7:00 PM)
The Magic and Cavaliers have both had disappointing seasons. Both were hot picks to be the Eastern Conference’s Finals representative, and now, both look like first-round exits. Still, the talent that made them trendy preseason picks is still there, if only sporadically. The Magic and Cavs are better than their records and ratings; they just need to show it.
Tuesday - January 27
Early Slot: Portland Trail Blazers at Washington Wizards (7:00 PM)
What makes the Trail Blazers’ journey to Washington so exciting? Nothing, it’s just the early slate of games is relatively uninteresting, and the best game of the night starts at 9:00, so I needed to pick a game that starts at 7:00. I guess it’s a Deni Avdija revenge game?
Late Slot: Detroit Pistons at Denver Nuggets (9:00 PM)
Okay, if you can only carve out time for one game on Tuesday, this is the game. The Pistons continue to stack wins, while the Nuggets have fought valiantly in Nikola Jokic’s absence. Outside of Cameron Johnson, all of the Nuggets’ banged-up brigade are nearing a return to full fitness, and this could legitimately be a Finals preview. I wouldn’t bank on the Nuggets having Jokic back, but who knows? And even if he plays, Jamal Murray is perfectly capable of carrying an offense through tough shotmaking, while the Nuggets zone up and dare the Pistons to miss threes.
Wednesday - January 28
Early Slot: New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors (7:30 PM)
The Raptors, due to being marooned in the backwaters of the fourth-largest city in North America, are rightfully an NBA afterthought, while the New York Knicks, courtesy of being from the second-largest city on the continent, always, and forever, demand our full attention. So, while you were probably aware that the Knicks have endured a January malaise, you might not have noticed that the Raptors just passed them in the standings. Depending on how things play out earlier in the week, either team could be in second or fifth in the conference at the time of tip-off. Spots two through five are so condensed right now that a single head-to-head victory could swing the standings.
Late Slot: San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets (9:30 PM) ESPN
The Rockets and Spurs haven’t been playing up to the levels they established through December, but they’re still comfortably fifth and fourth in the league in net rating. I’m a big fan of not overthinking things, and this is one of those times. Two elite teams. Big stars. And their most recent contest featured a come-from-behind victory. Yeah, this game will have a playoff atmosphere.
Thursday - January 29
Early Slot: Sacramento Kings at Philadelphia 76ers (7:00 PM)
Thursday suffers from a similar problem to Tuesday. The best game, by far, starts at 9:30, which means I kind of need to pick a 7:00 game. The Kings are awful, but at least Domantas Sabonis is back from injury, and the Sixers are fun. As a side quest, Joel Embiid has strung together consecutive vintage performances for the first time in maybe two years. Seeing if he can keep this level of performance up could shift the balance of power in the Eastern Conference.
Late Slot: Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves (9:30 PM) Prime
Thunder. Wolves. Nuff. Said.
Friday - January 30
Early Slot: Portland Toronto Raptors at Orlando Magic (7:30 PM) ESPN
The Raptors, from a conference standings standpoint, have had the season the Magic thought they were going to have. Due largely to injury, that hasn’t materialized for Orlando, but they’re finally, maybe, fully healthy. The Magic’s core-quartet of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Desmond Bane have only played 125 minutes together, but produced a net rating of +14.1. Could this be a juggernaut hiding in plain sight? We’ll have to find out, but beating the Raptors would be a great proof of concept.
Late Slot: Brooklyn Nets at Utah Jazz (9:30 PM)
No game has more potential to be turned into a drinking game than Nets-Jazz. The Nets only control their draft pick this season before having to send it to the Rockets, while the Jazz’s is top-eight protected. A win here is doubly painful as it moves you further away from your goal, while sliding another team closer to theirs. As such, we might see some all time diabolic ball. Anytime someone ariballs a shot, take a drink. If the announcer mentions tanking or their draft pick situation, take a drink. If Day’Ron Sharpe or Elijah Harkless hits a three, take a shot.
Saturday - January 31
Early Slot: San Antonio Spurs at Charlotte Hornets (3:00 PM)
Saturday has a dearth of interesting options. The Spurs are an excellent team, and the Hornets, if underlying metrics are to be believed, are a mediocre team. That makes this a decent matinee showing.
Late Slot: Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat (8:00 PM)
The Heat are two games up in the win column on the Bulls, but they’re tied in the loss column, which makes this a pretty important game. While the Heat are the far superior team, the Bulls are organizationally incapable of straying too far from .500. Stylistically, the Heat and Bulls are two of the fastest teams in the league, which almost always improves the watchability.
Sunday - February 1
Early Slot: Los Angeles Lakers at New York Knicks (7:00 PM) NBC/Peacock/Telemundo
This will be the first NFL-less Sunday of the season, and the NBA scheduled some bangers. The Lakers and Knicks aren’t incredibly good, but they’re both good enough to be worth watching. With how up in the air LeBron James’ future feels, this could be the final time he plays in Madison Square Garden. If that’s not enough to get you to watch, then I don’t know what to tell you. Sometimes, it’s fun to watch big brands battle, even if they’re not the best brands.
Late Slot: Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets (9:30 PM) NBC/Peacock/Telemundo
A lot of people would argue that these are the two best teams in the league, and if that weren’t enough, there is a real chance that Nikola Jokic will be back. For my money, these are the teams with the best championship odds, and as such, if they meet in the playoffs, I’m calling that the real NBA Finals. I don’t care that neither team will be at full strength; this is the best matchup of the season.
For any inquiries about work, discussion, and the like, you can email me at nevin.l.brown@gmail.com.