Definitive Guide to Heat vs. Nets and Friday's Top Games
Maybe the start of the 2013-14 NBA season caught you off-guard. Perhaps you're still working out that delicate balance of handling your daily duties while finding time for the world's greatest games.
I'll give you a free pass for that, but consider it revoked prior to the start of Friday night's loaded 13-game schedule. Seriously, this is how weekends are meant to be spent.
NBA heavyweights (franchises, not Boris Diaw) are out in full force, and many will take to the hardwood together. Championships, bragging rights and the race for Kansas freshman phenom Andrew Wiggins are all on the line.
Last Vegas isn't going anywhere, folks. You can hold off on that cinema run for the time being.
It's a fantastic Friday in the hoops world, so check out which games have caught our eye and let us know which ones you'll be watching in the comment section below.
Friday Night Lineup (all times ET)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Charlotte Bobcats, 7 p.m.
New Orleans Pelicans at Orlando Magic, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia 76ers at Washington Wizards, 7 p.m.
Toronto Raptors at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m.
Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m.
Miami Heat at Brooklyn Nets, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets, 8 p.m.
Detroit Pistons at Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m.
Portland Trail Blazers at Denver Nuggets, 9 p.m.
Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns, 10 p.m.
Los Angeles Clippers at Sacramento Kings, 10 p.m.
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
*All injury information obtained from CBS Sports unless otherwise noted.
Best Matchup of the Night: Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat
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Is there anything better than watching two dominant teams that have a genuine dislike for one another go to war for our viewing pleasure?
Yes, and it's called giving those clubs added incentives.
After handling the Chicago Bulls on opening night, Miami inexplicably suffered a four-point loss to the lowly 76ers on Wednesday. That switch the Heat flicked with ease last season never stopped flickering. Miami sandwiched an 80-point run through the second and third quarters with just 30 points to show for the opening and closing periods combined.
But that win over Chicago is more than Brooklyn's finest has to show for its start to the season.
Between a surprising appearance from Andrew Bynum and a concerning showing from a clearly limited Deron Williams (22 minutes), the Nets left Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena with a troubling loss and pressing concerns.
This is the chance for the Nets to announce their official arrival—for Mikhail Prokhorov's $200 million investment to somehow look like a bargain.
It also has blood-bath potential with the rivalries renewed from seasons past and fueled over the summer.
Are we not entertained by this?
The clash in contrasting styles adds an element of intrigue to the matchup, and that's one thing ESPN New York's Mike Mazzeo said he'll be watching for tonight:
"The Heat want to get up and down the court and cause havoc in transition. Meanwhile, the Nets want to take advantage of their height and size on the interior, and play a more half-court oriented game.
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Once you tune in to this one, get comfortable. You'll never look away.
Must-See Individual Matchup: Damian Lillard vs. Ty Lawson
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A bit under-the-radar perhaps, but if point-guard play is your thing, then this floor-general clash is deserving of your attention.
Damian Lillard stormed the court in Portland's season opener (32 points) and showed that his Rookie of the Year campaign from last season was simply a starting point. Explosive off the bounce and electric from outside, he's a tough cover for any defense.
But explosiveness is a critical piece of Ty Lawson's game, as Denver's track star has some of the fleetest feet in the business.
Lawson, a notoriously slow(ish) starter, can't afford a sluggish start. First-year Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said his challenge is to keep Lawson at his peak level. "We're trying to figure out how to jump-start that and get him to take off where he ended up at the end of last season," Shaw said, via the Associated Press.
There are questions about each supporting cast, which only adds to the intrigue of this individual matchup. If their teammates aren't ready to play, then both point guards are more than capable of putting the game on their shoulders. This pair combined for 52 points in their respective openers and could match that total by intermission tonight.
Plus, this allows you a glimpse at one of the league's premier big men (LaMarcus Aldridge), and the chance to see JaVale McGee doing JaVale McGee things.
Need any more convincing than that? I didn't think so.
Who Has the Most on the Line?
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If the Timberwolves want to be considered among the league's elites, then a win over the Thunder is the kind of statement victory they'll need to add to their resume.
As Kyle Ratke of Timberwolves.com notes, "tonight will be a big test for the Wolves, even if it is just the second game of the season."
Squared off against an undermanned division rival, the inside-out attack has to be enough to offset what's sure to be a monster night from Kevin Durant.
This won't push the Wolves into contender status. Not with Russell Westbrook still out of action with a bad wheel.
But that pretender label could come falling from the skies if Minnesota doesn't look ready for the big stage.
The Wolves can put up points in bunches. Kevin Love is a top-flight scorer, Kevin Martin (who spent last season with the Thunder) can rain awkward bombs from distance, Ricky Rubio is the perfect mastermind to put all these pieces together and Nikola Pekovic is "Pierre the Pelican"-frightening under the basket.
But can Minnesota get stops at the other end? That's the biggest question surrounding this team, and one that could show the makings of a solution if the Wolves can handle the three-time scoring champion.
Critical Scratches
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Boston Celtics
Rajon Rondo, knee: Rondo needs to find his way back to the hardwood soon. Not to improve Boston's win total, but just so we don't have to watch Avery Bradley try to play point guard anymore.
Denver Nuggets
Danilo Gallinari, knee: Maybe he's not the go-to scorer Denver needs, but he has as good of a chance to fill that role as anyone on the roster.
Detroit Pistons
Brandon Jennings, tooth fracture: Just sounds painful, doesn't it? Trust me, the agonizing wait from Pistons fans to see their revamped roster together in action is worse.
Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant, Achilles: No "Mamba" sightings just yet, but I can't wait to see what he'll bring when he returns. Probably not enough to get the Lakers into the postseason, but another 81-point outing would suffice.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Russell Westbrook, knee: The polarizing point man is reportedly ahead of schedule with his rehab, but a potential monster matchup with Ricky Rubio will have to wait for a later date.
San Antonio Spurs
Tim Duncan, chest: Duncan hasn't officially been ruled out, but this chest contusion might be an easy replacement for one of Gregg Popovich's classic "DNP—Old." Facing an underwhelming Lakers team, the Spurs shouldn't need the Big Fundamental tonight.
Pop-in Potential: Wizards vs. 76ers
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Which team has the max-contract point guard again? Wait, it's not the one whose lead guard went for 22 points, 12 assists, nine steals and seven rebounds in his season opener?
Nope, that would be the Wizards, who just found out that $80 million still can't buy a jump shot.
John Wall's first run of the year wasn't disastrous (20 points and 11 assists), but it couldn't hold a candle to Michael Carter-Williams' explosion onto the scene.
The numbers were so unexpected impressive, that Carter-Williams caught himself off guard with the performance. "I knew I had pretty good stats in the steals category, but everything else I didn’t," he said during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, via CBS Philly. "I was such in the moment...When I saw it and people were telling me, I was real excited about it."
After missing the chance to knock off a fellow playoff hopeful (Pistons) on Wednesday, the Wizards desperately need to enter the win column against this ragtag bunch from Philly.
But are the 76ers as bad as we thought? Hard to say after watching them handle the two-time defending champion Heat.
This is a show-and-prove game for both clubs, and an even more enticing matchup in the backcourt. Maybe the Wizards right the ship and the Sixers get back to processing orders for customized Wiggins jerseys.
That, or Washington watches as its max-money man gets upstaged by a member of a reportedly weak rookie class. This game has train-wreck potential—those dreadful predictions for the Sixers weren't made on a whim—but it could be a lot closer than people think.
Wall vs. Carter-Williams should be enough to draw you in. But the play of their respective supporting casts just might keep you around longer than expected.
Fantasy Stock Watch
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I get it. This is a tough time of the year for fantasy players. You're tracking the football waiver wires and still have to remember to set your basketball lineups every night.
But that's no excuse. You made a commitment to your players when you accepted that invitation, and this is when you have to live up to your end of the bargain.
Just remember, keep an eye on matchups and always trust your instincts. You don't want to wake up tomorrow morning with lineup remorse.
Guaranteed Production
Kevin Durant
Durant's a must-start any time he's on the floor. Heck, he's tough to bench on Oklahoma City's off nights.
But even by his own lofty standards, this has all the makings of a monstrous performance.
The Wolves had a hard time keeping a young Orlando offense in check. Are we really worried that the Love-Pekovic frontcourt pairing will keep Durant away from the basket?
Arron Afflalo torched this team for 28 points Wednesday night. Durant could double that tonight and do so with relative ease.
Remember those holes that existed in Miami's interior defense last season? They're still around. Maybe even worse than before.
How bad have things gotten in the middle? Spencer Hawes went for 24 on this club Wednesday, and Carlos Boozer dropped 31 the night before.
Lopez still might burn fantasy owners on the glass, but his scoring ceiling is incredibly high tonight. No need for Brooklyn to get creative here. Just keep feeding the big man all night long.
Sneaky Sleeper
Derrick Favors
I don't know if Favors will ever find an offensive post game, but he won't need one against this Suns frontcourt.
Here's who Favors is likely to see tonight: Markieff Morris, Channing Frye, Alex Len and Miles Plumlee. Fantasy owners, are you salivating yet?
Apologies for your drool, but Favors' new deal might pay for itself once this game is finished. The only thing that stopped him Wednesday night was foul trouble (five). Luckily, he'll have the scoreboard spinning so quick that even an overzealous zebra crew won't harm his final stat line.
