I don’t know about you, but this week has been about three weeks in one and I am definitely looking forward to the Top 5 games on NBA League Pass this weekend.
Before we get into the Top 5, League Pass is about $150 for the rest of the season. Most of us are not going out on the weekend, and so this isn’t a bad price, if you can afford it.
Do we feel bad for Beal?
1) Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards – Friday at 7pm EST. It just hasn’t worked out for the Wizards this year. If it isn’t Covid-19, it’s players getting injured, and underperforming. Look at Russell Westrbook’s first two games back after missing time with a left-quad injury. He has averaged 14 PPG on 36% shooting and has an abysmal +/- of -16.5. BUT he did seem to unify the Wizards against him as evidenced by his teammate Bradley Beal starring him down as he was jawing with former Wizard John Wall on Tuesday. Team unity be damned. Meanwhile, the Hawks have gone 4-2 in their last six and sport one of the Associations best young cores. If you don’t like young talented players, then watch this game for the potential combustion of Beal. I’m sorry Bradley, you deserve better.
Will the real Knicks please stand up?
2) Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks – Friday at 7:30pm EST. I try hard not to include games that clash with other games I recommend to watch, but this one is intriguing to me. After last Thursday’s win against the Golden State Warriors I was proclaiming the Knicks as a potential Top 4 seed in the East. Now after three straight losses, the Knicks limp into this matchup with the Cavs. The Cavs have gone through a rough stretch losing 2 of their last three, including a hard fought game against the Lakers. (Note to Cavs employees or fans, don’t make LeBron angry…you won’t like him when he’s angry…) I still want to believe in both teams and think they can still make a run in the postseason, but the lack of consistency is hard to ignore. This game should still be a great one to watch. Plenty of talented players to keep you interested.
We’re Coming Home… Coming Home…
3) Brooklyn Nets at Oklahoma City Thunder – Friday at 8pm EST. Okay, Friday is loaded with fun games and intriguing storylines. Watch as Kevin Durant and James Harden head back to Oklahoma and fans question why they couldn’t have just stayed there? Honestly, this would be a better game if the Chesapeake Energy Arena was packed with fans and while on paper this matchup is completely one-sided. I ask what matchup, on paper, doesn’t favor the Nets this year? The Thunder are not a bad team, even if you don’t hear about them on most NBA coverage. I think they could hang with the Nets and potentially pull an upset. They are close to .500 and barely on the outside of the West’s tight playoff picture. This has game of the weekend possibilities.
Do the Grizzlies remember how to play basketball?
4) Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs – Saturday at 8:30pm EST. Do you know all of the things that have happened since the Grizzlies last played an NBA game? I feel like Rose from the Titanic needs to come out and say, “…it’s been 84 years (okay 12 days)…” This isn’t a game, it’s a science experiment. Can a team that last played during the Trump Administration survive in this new NBA? I’m exaggerating, but the Spurs have won more games than the Grizzlies have even played this season. Tell me the last time that ever happened?
76ers deserve your attention…
5) Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers – Sunday at 7pm EST. Going into the weekend, the 76’ers have won four of their last five and are currently leading Milwaukee for the East’s top spot. Joel Embiid deserves MVP consideration as he is averaging 28 points and 11 rebounds a game. It’s hard to remember he’s just 26-years-old as it feels like he’s been in the league for 10 years. Meanwhile, the Pacers have won three of their last five games with a total team effort. This is a good test for the 76’ers as the Pacers are not flashy, but rather a very fundamentally sound and gritty team. Exactly the type of team that the 76’ers will need to beat if they want to make it to the Finals.
This weekend is full of great matchups and intriguing storylines. Which game will be the best? That’s up to you to decide.
