No Regard Daily Previews: Throwing Down Ain't Nothing But A Thang

One Game We Will Definitely Watch Tonight: Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors

In typical Dirk-era Dallas fashion, the Mavericks have been piping hot so far this regular season, most recently rattling off nine victories in a row. In typical Curry-era Golden State fashion, the Warriors haven't played any defense so far this regular season, allowing 106.9 points per contest, which ranks them 28th in the league.

Cuban's boys are defending the shit out of the ball, allowing only 92.2 points per game. Shocking, I know, for a team whose nucleus is made up of 67-year-old Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki who, in the past, played as if he'd rather take a swift kick to the nuts than actually try and check opposing bigmen in the post. This whole, allegiance-to-defending gig is a massive step for a team that has championship aspirations. Dirk could easily find himself bodied up against a particularly dexterous Spaniard come May, so everything he's doing now to learn how to defend down low is pivotal.

As for Golden State, don't tell Monta Ellis and Steph Curry that their team doesn't worry about defending.

Their 2.4 and 2.28 respective steals per contest ranks them as one of the highest thieving backcourts in the league. And while this is impressive, it's also a bit deceiving, as much of their defensive strategy is based on gambling for said steals. They rarely lock-down opposing guards.

It's also a shame that their interior defense looks as if it belongs in a YMCA open gym as opposed to the NBA. We love David Lee over here, but he's another one that really needs to figure out how to check people on the post. Not one member of their frontcourt even averages a block per game.

Despite everything I just outlined, I'm going out on a limb here and predicting a 101 to 99 victory for Golden State, effectively ending the Dallas win streak. I just feel like the 82-year-old Jason Kidd is going to have trouble staying with fit-as-fiddles Curry and Ellis. I get that they have Jason Terry, but Jason Kidds' suckiness outweighs Terry's likeness to a jet. Either way, should be a great one as fan night never fails and my man-crush on C-Webb gets stronger each week. He's dreamy.

One Game We Certainly Aren't Watching Tonight: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

I know it's been a few days now, but how disappointing was it to see that the Cavaliers didn't get physical with LeBron at least once during his metaphorical rape and pillage of their franchise on Thursday night. I get that they're still friends, blah, blah blah, but he embarrassed the shit of them. Like, spill red wine on the girl's shirt and piss your pants on the first date embarrassed. This is a telling microcosm that explains just one of their long list of issues; they've also got almost no ball movement or penetration, and they constantly settle for contested jumpers.

Philadelphia remains lowly, hand hovering around the cellar doorknob in the east and will most likely be there all season long. On the bright side, though, Iverson says he's "enjoying the ride" in Turkey so far after his first five games. So, yeah, that should make Sixer's fans happy, right?