No Regard Daily Previews: 11-30-10

One Game We Will Definitely Watch Tonight: Civil War Part II: New Jersey Nets vs. New York Knicks

Finally, for the first time in a long time, things are looking up for the two NBA teams geographically located within a few miles of the Hudson River. And for a staff full of avid Knicks and Nets fans, we couldn't be happier. Personally, having no horse in this race (Let's Go Celtics!), I thought it would be interesting to point out some of the newly found similarities between the two ball clubs which suggest what may or may not be impacting each team's improvement.

First similarity: Russians. Prokhorov and Mozgov. Both newcomers to their respective franchises. Prokhorov has made an immediate impact on the Nets and declared that they must do whatever it takes to win a ring within five years. Conversely, Mozgov received a warm welcome to the league from Blake Griffin and the illest posterizing dunk of the year.

No Regard Daily Recap: Can There Really Be Only One?



Yeah, I know that's not Chris Paul on the far right, but 3/4s ain't bad.

One Game We Watched Last Night: New Orleans Hornets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Hornets: 89, Thunder: 95

And One Game We Couldn't Help But Watch For A Bit Because The Point Guards Are So Good: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Utah Jazz

Bucks: 88, Jazz: 109


Point guards are really all that matter anymore. We've known this for some time now, but every night in the 2010-2011 NBA season is a blinding reminder. When I look at the schedule each afternoon, it reads not as a collection of teams, but a table of point guards. That's why I was surprised yesterday when Adam picked the Utah-Milwaukee contest as the game we probably wouldn't watch. But that's Brandon Jennings against Deron Williams! I thought to myself. Then I read what Adam actually wrote, only to hear that the Bucks would be decimated by injury, surely leading to them start at least one dude who has no business in a starting line-up (that turned out to be Larry Sanders), and giving relatively big minutes to someone I've never heard of (a person named Jon Brockman played 19 minutes). Still, I couldn't help peeking in a few times to see the two guards hopscotch with one another—and to make sure Deron Williams' hair still looked like it came from The Fifth Element future.

The game I did watch from start to finish, though, was a point guard game of chicken. The quickest way to say it is that Russell Westbrook outplayed Chris Paul (not to mention his own teammate Kevin Durant) in the fourth quarter, positioning his team for the win.

The longer way to explain what happened is that the NBA has turned into Highlander for the league's best point guards. Each night the top guys try to decapitate whichever guard stands in their way, with the eventual goal of being the final immortal standing. Guys who would have done damage in years past—Jameer Nelson, Raymond Felton, and even Tyreke Evans after what Derrick Rose did to him the other night—look like they've never held a blade before. The 2010-2011 season is the time of The Gathering, folks.

You can tell Chris Paul is not pleased with any of this. He thought he's lobbed off enough heads a few years ago to be considered number one, but an ungodly influx of young new point guards has forced him to polish his blade and start slicing. (Interestingly enough, his sword kind of looks like a huge knee brace now.) Last night his craftiness was one quarter away from besting Westbrook's athleticism, but Westbrook took over in the fourth. No one man should have all that power those Cheetos.

No Regard Daily Preview: Starry West

One Game We Will Definitely Watch Tonight: New Orleans Hornets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder


When the season began, these two teams were in very different positions. The Thunder were the darlings of the basketball media and expectations were higher than for any team in the West that doesn't include Kobe Bryant. And while they haven't been bad, per se, their early season performance has been overshadowed by, among other teams, the New Orleans Hornets, who won their first eight games and 12 of their first 13. The Hornets have struggled a bit of late, losing to the shit-hot Spurs and Jazz and the shit Clippers. Tonight is a chance for the Hornets to get back on track and the Thunder to remind everyone that they're still the most exciting team that side of the Mississippi. This could be a preview of what would surely be a second round playoff match-up for the ages.


One Game We Probably Won't Watch Tonight: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Utah Jazz


The Bucks look to be shorthanded for a game that already seemed unlikely to go in their favor. With Carlos Delfino out and Andrew Bogut, Corey Maggette, and Drew Gooden all questionable, the Deer will be relying heavily on Brandon Jennings, who will be kept quite busy by Deron Williams. The Jazz have won five in a row. Don't look for that streak to come close to ending tonight. As a matter of fact, we're not going to look at all.

Monday Morning Dance Therapy: Scalabrine Edition

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.

Fuck turkey, let's Veal.

Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving!!

No Regard Daily Preview: 21 Minutes Out of Your Day

One Game We Will Definitely Watch Tonight: Atlanta Hawks vs. New Jersey Nets

Terrence, you don't need to tell us: Most of the No Regard staffers will be on a train by 6:00 pm tonight and at the Prudential Center by 6:19 pm, sans donuts. It's a field trip, kids, and permission slips have been collected.

With Prokhorov in attendance, expect a strong effort from the Nets against this reeling Hawks team. (When the boss walks by your cubicle, don't you give a little more effort?) Not a game the Nets should win, necessarily, but close to it. Points of emphasis:

• If Horford and Favors match up at any point, consider it a dissertation in rebounding. Favors is more athletic, but Horford's positioning skills are supreme.
• Lopez has been harangued recently, by coach and media alike, for being too soft. Any interaction with the always-testy Zaza Pachulia should inject him with a bit of much needed vigor, as Pachulia seems to piss off pretty much anyone he's ever matched up against.
• Devin Harris is going to be handful for either Mike Bibby or young Jeff Teague; he's too fast for the former, too crafty for the latter. Now replace "Mike Bibby" with "Anthony Morrow" and "Jeff Teague" with "Terrence Williams"; that's the situation the Nets will face in Joe Johnson.
• Our drinking game for the Hawks-Mavs game from this past weekend can easily be adapted here. Most of the rules were about the Hawks anyway. Updating the one about Mark Cuban for this game is just too perfect. Drink up!

One Game We Probably Won't Watch Tonight: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers

I promise we'll watch the Pacers one day soon, and it would make sense to start paying attention to them after their rout of the Miami Heat in South Beach last night. But this screams let-down game to me. And anyway, after we get back home from the game tonight, we're not going to have this on our DVRs—we're going to be watching judge shows.

No Regard Daily Recap: 11-22-10

One Game We Tried To Watch Last Night, But Kept Getting Distracted By Blake Griffin And His Potential Energy:
San Antonio Spurs vs. Orlando Magic

Spurs: 106 Magic: 97

Learn this about us now: when we say in a preview that we'll "definitely" watch a certain game, we're lying. We're not trying to lie, but things come up, like say family coming into town a few days early for Thanksgiving or a basketball scrimmage against Eastern Europeans that will seal the fate of our team's regular season seeding. Or the possibility that Blake Griffin breaks the Internet again with a dunk. So, no, none of us watched this game in its entirety.

No Regard Daily Previews: 11-22-10

One Game We Will Definitely Watch Tonight:
San Antonio Spurs Vs. Orlando Magic

Since 1997, Tim Duncan's draft year, at least two things have been constant for the Spurs. Winning and the ability to avoid any sort of drama or controversy. So ever since hearing about Tony Parker's recent off the court activities, I've wondered how this Spurs club might be affected by their first ever wave of media attention for something other than their dominance on the basketball court. If their response is anything like their sizzling start to this season, then San Antonio will be fine.