Approximately one-third of the NBA season is in the books, and die-hards are beginning to get a good idea of what the league looks like this time around. However, there is always a segment of the basketball-watching population that doesn’t quite engage with the league until Christmas time.
With that in mind, the good folks at NBA League Pass have decided to make the service free for the weekend (both on television and online) and that provides a perfect opportunity to catch up on some of the squads that may not be overly familiar at this point in the calendar. It isn’t necessarily a schedule chalked overly full with high-profile match-ups, but at the same time, there are interesting teams and players to monitor, and in this space, we’ll take a quick glance at five games that could be appointment viewing for various reasons.
Let’s break it down with a hat-tip toward chronological order.
Blazers at Hornets – Saturday – 7:00 pm ET
To be frank, this game is probably No. 5 if attempting to rank the contests in terms of importance. With that said, it is worth watching simply to follow the individual battle between Portland’s Damian Lillard and Charlotte’s Kemba Walker. There are certainly flaws with both clubs, but Lillard and Walker represent high-level play without all of the attention that other All-Stars may garner on a daily basis. Could this game fly off the rails if either player struggles? Maybe, but it’s an interesting one at the outset that could elevate in a hurry.
Suns at Timberwolves – Saturday – 8:00 pm ET
This one’s for the die-hards, especially given that there is a more traditionally appealing game at the exact same time. However, following a team with interesting young players like the Suns can be extremely difficult, if only because, well, they don’t appear on national television very often. It is unfortunate that Phoenix will be without Devin Booker in this spot, but Minnesota is more naturally riveting anyway, and the trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins should attract some attention with good reason.
Bucks at Rockets – Saturday – 8:00 pm ET
Giannis Antetokounmpo against the scalding hot Rockets? This one sells itself. The Bucks are playing much better basketball after seemingly finding a good fit in the Eric Bledsoe era, and even if they weren’t, it’s easy to see why anyone would want to watch Antetokounmpo under any circumstances. On the Houston side, the James Harden experience has been MVP-worthy, Chris Paul is cooking in a new/old role and, well, the Rockets are the biggest threats to the Warriors. Tune in and watch the fireworks.
Kings at Raptors – Sunday – 3:30 pm ET
Okay, the Kings are weird, and I would understand if you didn’t want to watch. However, Sacramento and Toronto face off in a weird time slot, and that always adds an additional layer of intrigue. Beyond that, there is certainly a swath of NBA fans who haven’t seen the likes of De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and others for a while, and the Raptors have been sneaky fun (and very good) this season. It is understandable to be watching football at this point in the day, but this is a nice, breezy alternative.
Cavaliers at Wizards – Sunday – 6:00 pm ET
A good old-fashioned rivalry caps the NBA weekend as the last game on the slate. LeBron James speaks for himself as the best player on the planet, and the Cavs remain the prohibitive favorite to win the East until they don’t. The Wizards have struggled to meet expectations this season, but they always seem to give Cleveland a tough game, and even if you need to tap out of football for the second half here, you should be treated to an entertaining and highly competitive game.
