No Regard Daily Previews: 11-9-10

One Game We Will Definitely Watch Tonight: New Jersey Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

It is strange to think about how different this matchup feels as compared to last season. One year ago, I was incredibly excited to be headed to the Izod Center to watch the Nets play the Cavaliers. Four things were certain that night: Jay-Z would not be there, Bron Bron was going to put on a show, I was going to try and sneak rum into the arena, and the Nets were going to lose. This time, Hova may actually show his face, Bron Bron is hosting D Will in Miami, I'm not headed to Newark, and the Nets have a good shot at winning.

What We Should've Said

I have to fix something here. I woke up early today to write about basketball, but Cool Runnings was on TBS and I got pretty carried away. I was late for work, minorly hungover, and well, just wasn't paying attention when our recap went up. We'll call this our first No Regard: Errors and Omissions. While I have no intention of turning this blog into a Mavs fan club every time I write, last night was just... well, special.

No Regard Recaps: 11-8-2010

One Game We (Sort of) Watched Last Night: Phoenix Suns vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Suns: 99 Grizzlies: 109

So this little construct we've developed to cover the league every night was designed with practicality riding shotgun. With day jobs and significant others, we knew we couldn't cover each game every night with the vigor and attention to detail we demand from ourselves. But we agreed that between the six or so of us who regularly write, we could commit to one game a night to watch cover to cover and report back to you fine people. The "Game We Probably Won't Watch Tonight" conceit was built with honesty in mind; we crave the league as much as anyone, but there are some games that just don't speak to us. Plus, we all have Netflix, and those episodes of "Firefly" aren't going to watch themselves.

No Regard Daily Previews: 11-8-10

One Game We Will Definitely Watch Tonight: Phoenix Suns vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Rudy Gay and Mike Conley should travel the country this off-season, delivering speeches at teachers conventions and high school auditoriums to explain the secret to exceeding expectations after gaining job security. Because these two gentlemen just got tenured (Gay by signing a $82 million, five-year contract this summer, and Conley with his five-year, $40 million contract signed just last week), and are both playing far above their once-cemented ceilings.

At least according to the numbers they are. I haven't seen them play yet, and box scores have lied to me before, so I want to make sure I'm not getting bamboozled here. The chances that Gay's stats through seven games are deceiving are slim, as 27.1 points per game on 52.8 percent shooting is tough to fake. Conversely, Conley's numbers—15.6 points, 8.3 assists, and 3.3 steals per game—have a decent chance of being unmasked like a "Scooby Doo" villain. We've all seen lesser point guards fudge similar numbers for chunks of the season before, only to turn out to be nothing more than a solid fantasy option that you waive after about a month. But I won't name names here, because I wouldn't want to offend Ramon Sessions, Larry Hughes, Brevin Knight, or anyone else. So I'll watch this game tonight, and hopefully Gay and Conley won't have already stopped preparing lesson plans by tip-off.

Plus, they're playing Los Suns, who I'll gladly watch every night as long as Steve Nash is the conductor.

One Game We Probably Won't Watch Tonight: Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks

When I say "we" here, I clearly am only speaking for myself, as some of the other souls who write for this Website will probably check out this game. But two well-managed stalwarts battling in early November isn't something that's going elicit any emotion from me, because (unlike the game above) it will neither surprise nor teach—two characteristics necessary for me to tune in from tip off this early in the season.

Or maybe it's more accurate to say that this game will teach me things that I don't care about, even though I probably should if I'm to become the well rounded baketball fan I strive to be. It's similar to my daily struggle of where to consume news online. I know I should probably visit BBC.co.uk or NPR.org to receive an austere dose of reality, but I'd rather just go to CNN.com and read about the professor who lost 27 pounds on a Twinkie diet or people in Japan who are really into Monopoly. Likewise, I prefer the opportunity of seeing Hasheem Thabeet foul out in four minutes to the sight of the Mavericks employing an six-pronged attack of 15-point scorers on their way to a grind-it-out victory.

I'll take quirk over severity any day. Well at least until the playoffs are in sight.

Erik Spoelstra Bets The House

Erik Spoelstra bets the house.

A lot of things went down around the League this weekend. With 27 games played over three days, a lot of moments get swept under the rug, and many questions go unanswered. Why do the Thunder look so lackluster? Can the Celtics stay this good (and this healthy) until the playoffs? Why are the Trail Blazers on TV every day?


In the midst of so much uncertainty, one question was answered this weekend with resounding clarity, a question first whispered this summer in Miami, that has grown into a near national obsession. Now that the Heat have LeBron and Wade, who takes the last shot?

No Regard Daily Recaps: 11-8-10

One Game We Watched This Weekend: Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls

Celtics: 110 Bulls: 105 (OT)

The Celtics squeaked out their second straight overtime victory Friday night in a barn-burner against their Eastern conference rivals, the Chicago Bulls. This game was all about Rose and Rondo, as predicted. The young guards went after each other all evening long and everyone that watched witnessed unprecedented greatness from these budding superstars. I desperately want to see them in a footrace. For me, Rondo's got a quicker first step, but when Rose gets going he might have a Rajon by a hair or two in the open floor. KG's pickpocket of Noah at the end of overtime sealed the deal for a Boston team that is rolling so far this regular season. For Chi-town, there are positives to take away from this game, but the bottom line is that Boozer's hand can't heal soon enough. D Rose needs help offensively and Noah needs help on the glass and defending bigs.

One Game We Didn't Watch This Weekend: Atlanta Hawks vs. Phoenix Suns

Atlanta: 114 Suns: 118

Wow. We missed a good one, huh. Oops.

Monday Morning Dance Therapy

Monday mornings are tough. As the work week starts, we often need something to pick us up and remind us that things are going to be okay. That something is NBA players and other hoops figures dancing. This weekly column celebrates one of the finest things in life and gives you the kickstart you need to get the week started on the right foot.

Please enjoy this impromptu dance-off between Shaq, LeBron, and Dwight Howard at an Eastern Conference All Star practice in 2007. Sure, it might be a few years old, but odds are you haven't seen Shaq booty-pop like Beyonce before, so here's your chance:

Top 7 Player Tweets of the (Last Two) Week(s) - In Pictures!

From Skillanueva's half-time tweets to Gil's fateful outburst, we're keeping tabs on this whole Twitter thing.  Each week we wade through the rants, shout outs and sheer insanity to bring you the best micro-blogging the NBA has to offer.

7. "I'm not very political but I might join the Rent Is Too Damn High Party..."

- Lou Williams

6. "EVERYTIME I'M KN THE ROAD I SAY I'M NOT GOIN 2 DA MALL AND END UP THERE ANYWAY SMGDH!!! IMMA SHOPPIN FENE SMH!!!! RHIS HAS TO STOP!!!!"

- DeJuan Blair

5."#MarkellHalloweenCostume - Busta Rhymes (B4 the cut)"

- Da'Sean C Butler