Five Games To Watch This Week 11/30 - 12/6

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook look to have a great game on the
road against the Hawks tonight.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Atlanta Hawks
Monday November 30, 2015 8:00pm
Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA

Kevin Durant's return from injury has sparked the Thunder to a decent streak, and this is just a reminder of how talented the Thunder are when they have Westbrook and Durant healthy. This should be an entertaining game, but the Hawks haven't been as sharp as what they looked like last year. It's still early in the season, and it took some time for the Hawks to start rolling last year. The Hawks would like to rebound from the blowout they took at the hands of the Spurs as well. Look for them to be much better in this one at home than they were on Saturday.

If the Spurs are to win this game, Kawhi Leonard's fingerprints
will need to be all over.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Chicago Bulls
Monday November 30, 2015 8:00pm NBATV
United Center, Chicago, IL

It has been quite interesting to see Joakim Noah removed from the starting lineup in favor of Nikola Mirotic. Noah hasn't quite complained publicly, but he may very well be frustrated. The Bulls shut the Spurs down last year at home, running away in the second half and winning comfortably. The Bulls would like to do that again, but you just never know with these Spurs. I don't think the Spurs even remember last year's matchup in Chicago, so that will not be a motivating factor at all. If Kawhi Leonard can be a dominant force on both ends, the Spurs should win easily.

Dell Curry will get to see his son courtside when the Warriors face the
Hornets.

Golden State Warriors vs. Charlotte Hornets
Wednesday December 2, 2015 7:00pm
Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC

Stephen Curry was raised in Charlotte, and is a well known Carolina Panthers fan. For him, this makes it a homecoming. Furthermore, his father Dell Curry is an analysty on FOX Sports Southeast for Hornets games. Therefore, he gets a free ticket, and it'll definitely be interesting to see how he calls it if Curry goes off for more than 40. Dell has done his son's games against the Hornets and Bobcats in the past. It is certainly a different feeling, but the Warriors are rolling right now and looking like they will repeat as champions. That makes Dell calling his son's game even better. This is a must-watch.

The Heat have been a pleasant surprise early in the season. They look for
a quality home win on national television.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat
Thursday December 3, 2015 7:00pm TNT
American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL

The Heat are playing very good basketball so far in the early going, so this is a must watch game. Justise Winslow has been stout defensively, but Durant is a tall order literally and figuratively. Dwyane Wade raved about having Gerald Green as a quality bench player in the preseason, and Green is proving that to be the case so far. Despite his suspension from the team for an unspecified hospitalization, he has come in and provided the scoring for the bench unit, along with Tyler Johnson, to keep the Heat going. Green also scored a career high 41 points in a home win against the Thunder two seasons ago while he was a member of the Phoenix Suns. We'll see if Green has another one of those performances in him.

Kyle Lowry and the Raptors will look to hand the Warriors their first loss if
they come into Canada undefeated.

Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors
Saturday December 5, 2015 5:00pm
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON

If there's a team that is capable of beating the Warriors, it may be the Raptors. Kyle Lowry plays fearlessly, so he'll take questionable shots like Stephen Curry. If Lowry happens to be hot, then the Raptors have a great chance of handing the Warriors their first loss. This East Coast trip for the Warriors should be interesting. I think they'll get their first loss here. It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. The Warriors are still the best team in the league, and will continue to roll opponents whether they lose this game or any other game this week.

Five Games To Watch This Week 11/23 - 11/29

The Raptors look to build on their two straight wins in Los Angeles as they
return home from a West Coast trip.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors
Wednesday November 25, 2015 7:30pm
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON

The Raptors were having a bad West Coast trip until they got to Los Angeles, where they were able to knock off the Lakers and Clippers in back to back games to end their trip. The Raptors now have time to get back home and gear up for Lebron James and company. The Cavaliers own the best record in an Eastern Conference that looks stronger than in years past. The Raptors, a playoff team last year, also seems to be headed to the playoffs this year as well. It's way too early to determine that, but with the pieces they have, they should most certainly win the Atlantic Division.

These two first met in the playoffs in 2001. They've had classic battles
since then. This is one of the last times you'll see these two against each other.

Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs
Wednesday November 25, 2015 8:30pm
AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX

The Mavericks have gotten off to a fairly surprising start, and they're third in the Western Conference behind the Spurs and red hot Warriors. Mark Cuban must feel very good in the face that they're doing better than the Clippers right now. DeAndre Jordan infamously spurned the Mavericks and went back to the Warriors after verbally agreeing to a deal with the Mavericks. In all likelihood, Jordan probably makes the team worst, as he is a major liability on offense, while he isn't a complete difference maker on the defensive end. It is why the Clippers have not gotten past the semifinals yet, despite fielding a pretty good team. Anyway I digress. The matchup between these two Texas teams are usually entertaining, and with those two leading the Southwest Division in the early going, it should make for an entertaining game.

Paul George had 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the team's first
matchup in Chicago. The Pacers narrowly lost by 1.

Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers
Friday November 27, 2015 8:00pm
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

The Central Division has some very good teams, and could very well get all of their teams in the playoffs. These two teams are second and third in the division behind the defending Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers. The Pacers have gotten off to a better start than some predicted, and the play of Paul George has everything to do with it. George is averaging 25 points a game, a year after snapping his leg in a gruesome exhibition injury. Now that he's healthy, the Pacers have exceeded early expectations. We'll see how much longer they can keep this going. They narrowly lost to the Bulls when the two played in the United Center last Monday. The Pacers will be looking for a little revenge.

The Wizards dispatched the Raptors in embarrassing fashion last year in the
first round of the playoffs.

Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards
Saturday November 28, 2015 7:00pm
Verizon Center, Washington, DC

The Wizards embarrassed the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs last year, sweeping the Raptors out of the playoffs despite having home court advantage. Rumors started to fly about the job security of Dwayne Casey, who lost in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season despite having home court advantage to start the series. The Raptors won three out of the four regular season meetings, so what happens in this game doesn't matter much. The Raptors will be remembering the last time they played in the nation's capital, and it may inspire them to get a win here.

Gregg Popovic goes up against his old longtime assistant in this
matchup Saturday night.

Atlanta Hawks vs. San Antonio Spurs
Saturday November 28, 2015 8:30pm
AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX

It'll be the teacher against the student in this one, as former longtime Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer will face off against Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. The Hawks were pretty impressive last year, but struggled in the two games against the Spurs. The Hawks haven't been as sharp this year, losing some games they probably should've won. The Spurs just came off a loss to a Pelicans team that has been dreadful so far, so the Spurs aren't immune to bad losses either. I'm expecting the Spurs to win this one, but since Budenholzer knows Popovich so well and vice versa, it wouldn't be surprising if the Hawks got the road victory.

Five Games To Watch This Week 11/16 - 11/22

LeBron led all scorers with 37 points, but the Cavaliers came up short
in Milwaukee this past Saturday in double overtime.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Thursday November 19, 2015 8:00pm TNT
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH

The Bucks won the first meeting between these two teams this past Saturday in double overtime, so the Cavaliers may have a little bit of revenge on their minds. That makes this game worth watching, as Lebron James had a big game with 37 points in the loss, but was held scoreless in the final three minutes of the game. There was a little bit of controversy in the Cavaliers' loss as well as an inadvertent whistle ruined what could've been the game winning score in regulation. This is the first game of an exciting doubleheader on TNT as well.

The Clippers put up a valiant effort, including holding a sizable lead in the fourth quarter. However, Stephen Curry was able to put the game away for the win nearly two weeks ago.

Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Thursday November 19, 2015 10:30pm TNT
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

The Warriors remain undefeated, and that included a win against the Clippers as well. Now the Clippers get a shot at the defending champions at home, so it'll be interesting to see if the Clippers rise to the challenge and get the win. The Clippers had a solid lead in the fourth quarter, but they weren't able to hold it in their loss to the Warriors. It's no secret these teams do not like each other, so that makes this a must-watch as well. That may be difficult for those on the East Coast as the game will certainly end around 1:00am. If you are able watch the entire game, you may be in for a treat.

The Bulls are the team that has given the Warriors their last regular season
home loss, back on January 27th of last season.

Chicago Bulls vs. Golden State Warriors
Friday November 20, 2015 10:30pm ESPN
Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA

The Warriors lost four times last season at home, twice in the regular season and twice in the playoffs. One of those two regular season home losses came to these Bulls, who will look to get another impressive win in Oakland. The Bulls have a different identity because of their new head coach Fred Holberg, but the players largely remain the same. It doesn't appear Steve Kerr will return anytime soon to coach as well, but the Warriors have shown they are very comfortable with one another and have not needed Kerr at all. I have a hard time thinking the Bulls will win another game in Oakland, so I don't think there'll be any surprises here. Still, this is a nice game to catch.

The last time the Hawks were in Cleveland, the Cavaliers had completed
the sweep against them in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Saturday November 21, 2015 7:30pm
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH

This is a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference Finals, where the Cavaliers were able to handle the Hawks easily despite not having home court advantage. The Hawks are missing DeMarre Carroll and Pero Antic from last season's team, so things are a little different. Still, the Hawks are expected to perform well, especially since they have a head coach that fosters ball movement and quality shots. Let's see if the Hawks make a statement in this game and beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland, where their season ended last year. Too bad this game isn't on national television.

Kyle Lowry got the better of Chris Paul the last time these two teams met
in the Staples Center, back in December of last year. 

Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Sunday November 22, 2015 3:30pm
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

The Raptors beat the Clippers last year in Los Angeles, thanks to a strong performance from gritty point guard Kyle Lowry. This game will be the last of a five game West Coast trip for the Raptors, and they'll like to end it with a victory against a very good team. You can be sure Doc Rivers will be reminding his team what the Raptors were able to do against them in this building last season, and that will most likely motivate the team to get a victory. Lowry and Chris Paul are two intense point guards, so this battle can feature fireworks if the game is close and things become intense.

Five Games To Watch This Week 11/9 - 11/15

Andre Drummond just produced his second 20-20 game of the season
last night, scoring 29 and grabbing 27 rebounds in last night's win against the Trailblazers.

Detroit Pistons vs. Golden State Warriors
Monday November 9, 2015 10:30pm
Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA

The Pistons have gotten off to a surprisingly great start, including a road win against last season's top Eastern Conference team on opening night. Andre Drummond is already laying claim as the best center in the NBA. He already has two 20 point 20 rebound games, and he is averaging 20 points and 20 rebounds a game. He has been remarkable so far, and they are responsible for the Hawks' only loss of the season. The Warriors are rolling right now, blowing every team out in sight. The Warriors should win this game, but I expect for it to be tighter than the home games the Warriors have had so far.

Things are always intense between these
two physical players.

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Monday November 9, 2015 10:30pm
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

There is already talk that Dave Joerger's job is already in jeopardy as the Grizzlies have suffered through a 30 point home loss and a 50 point road loss. They have not looked sharp, but they've always been a team that gets better over the course of the season. It is not time to hit the panic button in November. The matchup between the Clippers and Grizzlies are always intense, due to the fact it appears Zach Randolph doesn't like Blake Griffin too much. This should be an entertaining battle, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Clippers win this one easily. They're looking good right now when they have Chris Paul on the court, and the Grizzlies are still working things out.

Will Kevin Durant be playing in his future home arena in this game?
Only time will tell.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Washington Wizards
Tuesday November 10, 2015 7:00pm NBATV
Verizon Center, Washington, DC

Kevin Durant has already been adamant about not talking about his free agency plans now. In all likelihood, Durant doesn't have any yet, but this talk will come up because Durant is playing the Wizards. There have been a lot of rumors saying the Wizards are one of his preferred teams since he is from the Washington DC area. The Wizards also have a young nucleus of John Wall and Bradley Beal, and have been in the Eastern Conference semifinals the past two seasons. Durant has one of the best players in the league in Russell Westbrook as his teammate, so there's no need for him to bolt. However, the Thunder have failed a lot in recent years while holding hefty expectations. Another failure this season and Durant may very well leave for his hometown Wizards.

Things got very testy with DeAndre Jordan in his first matchup with
the Mavericks. You can expect a lot of boos.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks
Wednesday November 11, 2015 8:00pm ESPN
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

DeAndre Jordan certainly doesn't seem to be a bright player, as evidenced by being pumped up by the physical nature of the Mavericks' defense in the two teams first meeting. Jordan is a horrible free throw shooter, and was horrible in that game too. The fact that he was pumped was very comical. In this matchup, the Mavericks' fans will be sure to boo Jordan mercilessly, and it is well warranted. The fact remains, however, that the Clippers are better than the Mavericks at this point, and if the Clippers have Chris Paul for this game, they should be able to come away with the victory.

LaMarcus Aldridge bolted Portland to play alongside future Hall
of Famer Tim Duncan. The Portland crowd will be sure to boo him.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trailblazers
Wednesday November 11, 2015 10:30pm ESPN
Moda Center, Portland, OR

This is another game where a reunion will be taking place. LaMarcus Aldridge bolted the Trailblazers in the offseason for the championship ready Spurs. Aldridge teamed up with Damian Lillard to make the Trailblazers a playoff team the past couple of years, even advancing to the semifinals two seasons ago. However, it wasn't enough for Aldridge as he didn't believe the Trailblazers were equipped for a championship run anytime soon. The Trailblazers now seem to be in rebuild mode, but unexpected contributions from C.J. McCollum and others have the Trailblazers starting out well out of the gate. Let's see what the reaction from the fans will be to Aldridge everytime he touches the ball, and let's see if the Trailblazers will play with extra fire to try to get a great win.

Five Games To Watch This Week 11/2 - 11/8

Russell Westbrook and the Thunder have been off
to a great start so far.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets
Monday November 2, 2015 8:00pm NBATV
Toyota Center, Houston, TX

Anytime James Harden goes up against his former teammates in Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, it makes for entertaining basketball. The Rockets haven't gotten off to a horrible start, a start they did not desire, losing in blowout fashion in their first three games. One could argue that two of those games were against teams they should have beaten, so that isn't necessarily an encouraging sign. For the Thunder, they have gotten all they want from Durant and Westbrook so far, resulting in a good start. That makes new head coach Billy Donovan successful right away, but the bigger picture as Durant enters free agency next summer is if Donovan can get the Thunder over the hump, unlike Scott Brooks.

Mike Conley played last year's playoff series with this mask. This time,
Conley won't be sporting a mask.

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors
Monday November 2, 2015 10:30pm NBATV
Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA

These two teams met in the Western Conference Semifinals last season, with the Warriors coming away as the victors in six games. There have been a few that have stated the Warriors got lucky in playing the Grizzlies at that time because Mike Conley missed the first game and was dealing with facial fractures suffered in the first round of the playoffs. The Warriors obviously do not agree, and the Warriors were able to win three straight with Conley in the lineup after trailing the series 2-1. That noise of luck didn't come from the Grizzlies, so there's no rivalry here. Still, Conley against the reigning MVP Stephen Curry is must-watch television, even if it's a real late game on the east coast.

Stephen Curry embarrassed Chris Paul last season on a couple of plays.
Paul has something to prove now against Curry.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors
Wednesday November 4, 2015 10:30pm ESPN
Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA

Doc Rivers has gotten under the skin of the Warriors with his talk a couple of weeks ago that the Warriors were lucky to win the championship. The Clippers do have a coach and players who chirp a lot, and the Warriors clearly dislike them. This should be an entertaining battle, especially with Paul Pierce joining the rivalry. The Clippers are as deep as they've ever been since acquiring Chris Paul before the 2011-2012 lockout shortened season. The Clippers will look to make a run at a championship, and the Warriors stand in the way in the division and the conference.

Derrick Rose is sporting a mask for the moment due to his orbital
fracture in the preseason.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Chicago Bulls
Thursday November 5, 2015 8:00pm TNT
United Center, Chicago, IL

Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose are known as two of the most athletic point guards, and before Rose began to suffer from an assortment of injuries, Rose would attack very aggressively much like Westbrook. Westbrook suffered through a couple of injuries himself, and it appeared his career path would be very similar to Rose. However, Westbrook seems to be healthy and has kept the aggressive style of play that makes him one of the best point guards in the league. Both teams also have brand new head coaches that have come from the college ranks.

The last time the Rockets played in the Staples Center, they rallied from
a double digit deficit in Game 6 to stun the Clippers.

Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Saturday November 7, 2015 10:30pm
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

The Clippers have a lot of motivation here, even though a regular season game in early November isn't retribution for what happened in last season's postseason collapse. Josh Smith, a member of that Rockets team that defeated the Clippers, is now on the Clippers. It's not certain how much he's talked about that with his new teammates, but I would imagine he wouldn't even bring it up at all. It sucks this game isn't on national television, but if you have NBA League Pass and are able to catch this game, it shall be worth the watch.