Welcome to our NBA Week in Preview! We want to spotlight the biggest games and storylines that you should look out for this week in the NBA. It’s a light week of games for The Association this week with the All-Star game on Sunday.
But we still have a couple of killer matchups including a star player’s big return, two superstar guards doing battle, and a couple of traditional powers finding themselves in precarious positions.
MONDAY:
Jazz @ Pelicans (8 PM on NBATV)
Check out our pregame show for Jazz-Pelicans TONIGHT @trainwrecksprts on Twitter and at Happy Hour Hoops on our YouTube page.
We’re going to be breaking down Zion’s latest run of excellence, the status of the Jazz as title contenders, and a little sip for stat for your viewing pleasure.
Can’t wait for you all to tune in.
TUESDAY:
Clippers @ Celtics (7:30 PM on TNT)
Can the Celtics figure it out and get a huge win before the break?
Listen, it’s been well documented on our podcasts and articles that this Celtics season isn’t exactly what Boston fans were hoping for coming into the season.
The Celtics currently sit at 17-17 and in 6th place in the East. Boston, Miami, and Toronto all share the same record and currently trail (yes, you’re about to read this right) THE NEW YORK KNICKS by a half-game for 4th place.
So yeah, it hasn’t been exactly what the hopeful title contenders in Boston had in mind for this season so far.
Last week featured a lot of finger-pointing from the coaching staff and the front office after disappointing late-game losses to New Orleans and Dallas.
And it definitely didn’t help matters when Atlanta torched Boston on Wednesday 127-112. But, they bounced back over the weekend with back-to-back wins over Indiana and Washington.
All of the teams in the middle of the East are looking to separate from the pack. The Celtics still need to address their roster at the trade deadline and bring in some guys for the rotation.
But winning this one would be a huge confidence builder going into the break.
For the Clippers? They are looking to maintain pace with the rest of the West elites.
While the Jazz currently outpace the competition with a 3.5 game lead over the second-place Lakers (we’ll get to them later).
The Clippers are right behind in the standings in 3rd place, 4 games back of the Jazz. (The Suns are 4.5 games back, we’ll get to them too.)
On Sunday, the Clippers lost a close one to the Milwaukee Bucks 105-100. The end of the game featured another stretch of sloppy, disconnected basketball that ultimately doomed the Clippers.
Giannis capped the home win off with a ridiculous slam in the clutch.
All in all, the Clippers have looked good, but have yet to look great and separate themselves from their competition.
They NEED a point guard to help guide this offense. (Rajon Rondo? Kyle Lowry? George Hill?) If not, those end-of-game possessions will end up haunting them like a 3-point shot off of the backboard.
Suns @ Lakers (10 PM on TNT)
The Lakers miss Anthony Davis.
I don’t think we ever doubted that would be the case, but it’s been evident in their recent big-game matchups with the Jazz, Nets, and Heat. They bounced back nicely over the weekend taking down Portland and Golden State at home.
But as we said before, the race at the top of the West is incredibly close. We’re talking concerts before COVID close. (I miss concerts so much.) And the Western Conference will take every chance they can to push the Lakers and Lebron down the standings.
Enter, Phoenix.
The Suns have been steadily behind the top 3 in the West all year, but just barely. This team is for real. They are deep, malleable, and capable of going BERSERKER MODE.
However, besides a loss to the Hornets by 3 last week, their last 5 wins have come by margins of 19, 9, 32, 29, and 28.
Phoenix is on an absolute TEAR right now, winning 14 of their last 17 games.
If the Suns can get wins over the Lakers in LA and the Warriors at home before the All-Star break? That would solidify this team among the West’s elite and as a dark horse title contender.
Come for Devin Booker’s excellence, stay for Chris Paul the closer.
WEDNESDAY:
Nets @ Rockets (7:30 PM on ESPN)
James Harden returns to Houston. Need we say more?
We will be hosting a pre-game show LIVE on @trainwrecksprts on Twitter and on our Youtube page at Happy Hour Hoops.
This one might get ugly. But no matter what it’s going to be interesting.
Warriors @ Trail Blazers (10 PM on ESPN)
Dame X Steph.
Getcha popcorn ready.
This has become the biggest Twitter discourse between players of the season.
Steph has the accolades. The former back-to-back MVP has been having one of his best seasons statistically averaging 29.5 PPG, 6 AST, 5 REB while shooting a 47/41/93 split.
The Warriors are playing above expectations after a rough start, now sitting above .500 at 19-16 and in 8th place in the West.
What Dame lacks in accolades, he makes up for with an abundance of swagger.
Dame Dolla hasn’t ever had the kind of historically great roster that Steph was able to have during the Warriors’ incredible 5-year run.
But that hasn’t stopped him from thinking he’s the best damn basketball player on the planet regardless.
Dame is averaging 29.8 PPG this year along with 8 AST and 4 REB. He’s shooting a 44/38/93 split. The argument for Dame is that he carries an intense scoring burden for the Blazers AND he is also the primary shot creator for the rest of the team.
Steph relinquishes a lot of the playmaking duties to Draymond Green for the Warriors. Steph is at his most effective playing off the ball and killing teams who can’t chase him around. Dame will go right at your heart and dare you to beat him.
The Blazers currently sit at 18-14 at 6th in the west. The 5-8 seeds in the west are all separated by a game. Both of these teams could use a win over the other to boost them up the standings and create some separation.
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