Five Games To Watch This Week 12/8 - 12/14

Thursday's game between the Cavaliers and Thunder will be the
first matchup between Kevin Durant and Lebron James this season.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Tuesday December 9, 2014 8:00pm NBATV
FedEx Forum, Memphis, TN

This is the first of four meetings between the two Southwest Division teams. Remember, these two were battling the last game of the season to avoid playing the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. It wouldn't have been much better, as the Oklahoma City Thunder were the #2 seed in the Western Conference. At the end, it turned out great as the Mavericks took the Spurs to seven games in the first round, and the Grizzlies did the same to the Thunder. Despite the Mavericks having a 16-6 record, they are seventh in the Western Conference. It's a loaded conference so these wins will be important to whoever gets them.

Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors
Wednesday December 10, 2014 10:30pm
Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA

These two teams have the two best records in the NBA, so it should be a fun one to watch. The Warriors handed the Rockets their first loss of the season, and that was in Houston. The Warriors have not lost a game since losing to the Spurs at home on November 11th. That would be almost a whole month since losing a game, as new head coach Steve Kerr has had the offense looking more fluid. The Warriors have been improving over the years and now it appears as if they can contend for a championship. We'll see.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Thursday December 11, 2014 8:00pm TNT
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are back, so a matchup between Durant and Lebron James is always must-see television. The Thunder are currently six games under .500 due to the absence of both Durant and Westbrook, so they'll have to make up ground just to make the playoffs. It appears the other seven teams that represented the Western Conference in the postseason last year will be back in the postseason this year. The Kings and Suns are two teams who will look to break into the playoffs as well. It will not be easy. A win here for the Thunder will be big for their confidence.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Washington Wizards
Friday December 12, 2014 7:00pm
Verizon Center, Washington, DC

Whenever you can get a game where two great point guards go up against one another, it's a must-watch. In this one, Chris Paul, regarded as the best point guard in the game by many, will go up against John Wall in the nation's capital. For the Clippers, this is the second game of a three game East Coast trip, so it isn't quite the long road trip they'll have coming up when the Grammy's come to the Staples Center later this season. One game separates both teams, but they are in different conferences, so it doesn't matter. Still, both teams would love to get a win here.

Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks
Saturday December 13, 2014 2:00pm
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

So in back to back games, the Warriors will play the Rockets and the Mavericks. Their game against the Rockets will be at home, so that's a little easier than this one despite the fact the Rockets are a better team than the Mavericks. However, this will start a three-game Midwest stretch for the Warriors where they'll play these Mavericks, Pelicans and Grizzlies. If the Warriors come out of that stretch at 3-0, I will be a believer in their championship contention aspirations. Losses to the Mavericks and Grizzlies will leave me thinking they are the same team of years past.

Five Games To Watch This Week 12/1 - 12/7

Tom Thibodeau will have to figure out how to stop
Dirk Nowitzki this Tuesday.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Chicago Bulls
Tuesday December 2, 2014 8:00pm
United Center, Chicago, IL

It's a surprise this game was voted as NBA TV's game to show. This is the game of the night and it's a game that features great matchups across the board. It's always interesting to see who will face Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki stretches the floor, so there are times when opposing coaches defend him with guards. Joakim Noah, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is very versatile as a defender, so he'll most likely get the assignment. Either way, this should be a close one. If the Mavericks can get a win in Chicago, it'll be good for their confidence.

Zach Randolph and the Grizzlies had their way in their first
matchup against the Rockets a couple of weeks ago.

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Houston Rockets
Wednesday December 3, 2014 8:00pm
Toyota Center, Houston, TX

Both teams are currently at least nine games over .500, and both teams are the top two teams in the Southwest Division right now. The Grizzlies beat the Rockets by 26 points in their first meeting in Memphis roughly two weeks ago, so the Rockets will naturally be looking for revenge. Dwight Howard is still having knee issues, so the Rockets are hoping he can return for this game. The Rockets didn't look good at home against another Western Conference contender in the Clippers without Howard. They'll get a true sense of where they stand against a team like the Grizzlies when they have a healthy Howard on the floor.

Lou Williams had 36 points off the bench for
the Raptors' victory over the Cavs in their first meeting.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors
Friday December 5, 2014 7:30pm
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON

The Cavaliers were embarrassed in both team's first meeting that occurred in Cleveland. The Cavaliers had a double-digit lead, but let that slip away and were eventually beaten by 17 points. This time, it'll be in Canada, but the Raptors will be without leading scorer DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan tore a tendon in his groin recently, and it will sideline him for probably a month. It'll be hard to envision the Raptors beating the Cavaliers without their leading scorer, but it'll be a huge confidence booster if they can pull it off. It'll be even more of a disappointment for the Cavaliers if they can't win this one.

Kawhi Leonard is just as important in the Spurs' success as Tim
Duncan and Tony Parker are.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Friday December 5, 2014 8:00pm
FedEx Forum, Memphis, TN

The Spurs are the defending champions, and they are sitting at 12-4 right now. However, they are currently sitting in third place in their own division thanks to great starts from these Grizzlies and the Rockets. This is the first of four meetings between these two teams, so these games could possibly matter if their records are close at the end of the season. The Spurs are still without two key components in Patty Mills and Tiago Splitter, and the Spurs never take these early season games that seriously anyway. The Spurs do have a game the following night, so this could possibly be a game where they rest people. However, they usually rest guys on the second night of back-to-backs, not the first.

Stephen Curry will look to have a big game offensively against
the defensive-minded Bulls.

Golden State Warriors vs. Chicago Bulls
Saturday December 6, 2014 8:00pm
United Center, Chicago, IL

If Derrick Rose is healthy and available for this one, the Warriors will most likely put Klay Thompson on him instead of having Stephen Curry on him. They also start Kirk Hinrich alongside Rose so Curry will be placed on him. This is important because Curry can fill it up. Curry is averaging just over 24 points a game so far, and they'll need his scoring against a solid defensive unit. The Warriors are normally in Chicago during a East Coast trip, but they'll just be in the Midwest for this game and a game two days later in Minneapolis. The Warriors have the second-best record in the NBA, so a win here will just continue to prove they can be a legitimate contender.