What to Watch, You NBA Sicko: Nov. 10 - Nov. 16
The best viewing experiences the NBA has to offer
Grab your sharpie or phone (it’s the 21st century— get with the times) and whip out that calendar because it’s time to schedule your television viewing experience. These are the best games the NBA has to offer over the week of November 10th through 16th. The early slate will be games between 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM, and the late slate will be any game starting after 9:00 PM.
Monday - November 10
Early Slot: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Miami Heat (7:30 PM)
The Cavaliers feel like they’ve had a rocky start to the season, but they’re 7-3 with a net rating of +5.0. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat have become must-watch television, and despite a 6-4 record, own a +5.8 net rating. Right now, these are two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and they both play an aesthetically pleasing brand of basketball.
Late Slot: Atlanta Hawks @ Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 PM) NBATV
The Atlanta Hawks have righted the ship since Trae Young went down, thanks to a much-improved defense, while the Clippers have been the biggest disappointment in the league. Much like Aspiration, following a bunch of media attention and hype, the Clippers have crashed and burned like faulty carbon offsets. They’re bad on offense, and somehow, worse on defense. They have the talent to turn it around, which is what gives this game some high-level viewing potential.
Tuesday - November 11
Early Slot: Golden State Warriors @ Oklahoma City Thunder (8:00 PM)
The Warriors have been mediocre, but when they reach back for their fastball, they still pack a punch. The Thunder have quietly been the best team in the league. I expect the Warriors will be up for this game, which means we’re in for a whole lot of fun.
Late Slot: Denver Nuggets @ Sacramento Kings (11:00 PM) NBC/Peacock
Like the man who learned to stop worrying and ride the bomb, sometimes, you’re relying on Slim Pickens. Between Nuggets at Kings and Pacers at Jazz, I’m taking the Nugget King all day. If for nothing else, it’s always worth it to watch Nikola Jokic continue his assault on the NBA’s top five player citadel.
Wednesday - November 12
Early Slot: Chicago Bulls @ Detroit Pistons (7:00 PM)
The Bulls have come back down to Earth, while the Pistons have ridden a strong defense to the top of the Eastern Conference. This matchup features a clash of strengths and has a surprisingly juicy battle of young point guards in Cade Cunningham and Josh Giddey.
Late Slot: Los Angeles Lakers @ Oklahoma City Thunder (9:30 PM) ESPN
The Lakers are doing that thing again, where their underlying metrics look pedestrian, but they just keep on winning. While that’s usually a cause for concern, considering their overall lack of health, it’s likely to be less representative of their true strength. Regardless, if Luka Doncic is playing against the Thunder, it is a must-watch. They have the horses to rein him in (which doesn’t make ranching sense), but so have many teams left shattered and ruined. Then there is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who might be the most anonymous scoring champ-MVP-Finals MVP in league history.
Thursday - November 13
Early Slot: Toronto Raptors @ Cleveland Cavaliers (7:00 PM) NBATV
Thursday offers us one game in the early slot. This is it. I’m not going to sell you on a tire if it means walking home.
Late Slot: Atlanta Hawks @ Utah Jazz (9:00 PM)
Not to pick on the Pacers, but not only are they awful, they’re depressing to watch, which is why their contest against the Suns gets the boot. The Jazz are a solidly bad team, while the Hawks have started to take flight. Salt Lake City isn’t an easy place to play, so this game has the potential to be a close affair.
Friday - November 14
Early Slot: Miami Heat @ New York Knicks (7:00 PM) Prime
The New York Knicks and Miami Heat are first and second in the Eastern Conference in net rating; ergo, this is a good game. The Knicks, after dropping three straight to fall to 2-3, have won four in a row against middling to poor sides. The good news is they’ve beaten the brakes off the sadsacks of the world, which is a very encouraging sign.
Late Slot: Golden State Warriors @ San Antonio Spurs (9:30 PM) Prime
If there is one player who can neutralize Victor Wembanyama’s world-conquering rim protection, it’s the man who at one point broke basketball from 30 feet away. Steph Curry is the best long-range sniper ever, and Wembanyama will probably go down as the best interior defender. On top of that, teams have found some success placing a wing-sized defender on Wembanyama and letting them get physical on the perimeter. What the Warriors lack in size, they make up for in wings. Needless to say, I’m very curious to see how this plays out.
Saturday - November 15
Early Slot: Memphis Grizzlies @ Cleveland Cavaliers (5:00 PM) NBATV
I find the Ja Morant saga uninteresting, mainly because Ja Morant is no longer an interesting player. Is he permanently cooked? I have no idea, but if he can’t turn it around, he won’t be able to sulk his way out of another head coach. The Grizzlies should be much better, and even worse, they should be a ton of fun. I’m praying for a come-to-Jesus moment for this side, because if it ever happens, games like this would be box office.
Late Slot: Denver Nuggets @ Minnesota Timberwolves (8:00 PM)
The Nuggets are great, and so are the Timberwolves. They had an epic seven-game playoff series not too long ago, and most of the cast is still around. Jokic and Anthony Edwards are joys to watch in very different ways. This game should have something for every NBA fan, and that’s why we want them to bludgeon each other in the playoffs again.
Sunday - November 16
Early Slot: Brooklyn Nets @ Washington Wizards (6:00 PM)
Here’s the deal: no one in their right mind wants to watch the Nets or Wizards. But if you were going to watch them, wouldn’t it be best to kill two tanks with one stone? As an added bonus, when two awful teams match up, they’re actually on a level playing field. Both teams are 1-9, and it’s too early to worry about lottery odds. I think both teams will be motivated to get a win because they’re few and far between.
Late Slot: Atlanta Hawks @ Phoenix Suns (8:00 PM)
The Suns, for all the jokes, have at least been aggressively mediocre. They’re 5-5 with a net rating of -0.3. Meanwhile, the Hawks are also 5-5 with a net rating of +0.2. I’m not saying this will be the best game of basketball ever played, but it should at least be a highly competitive slap fight.
For any inquiries about work, discussion, and the like, you can email me at nevin.l.brown@gmail.com.