November 4 Games
PHI@ NYK: This is a noon Eastern start, so be sure to set your lineups early. The Knicks were inspired in their opener and are still trying to inspire New Yorkers who were hard-hit by last week’s hurricane. Carmelo Anthony will shoot early and often; J.R. Smith will have the green light on the second unit and if Steve Novak keeps draining threes, scoring shouldn’t be a problem.
Still without Andrew Bynum (knee), the 76ers need Thaddeus Young to step up and are hoping Spencer Hawes can repeat his fine opening performance. PG Jrue Holiday had a good Wednesday, with 14 PTS, 11 AST and a $41 million contract extension; he matches up well with Raymond Felton.
PHO @ ORL: As bad as they look on paper, the Magic easily beat Denver in their opener and will try to remain perfect, with Glen Davis as their go-to guy. Hedo Turkoglu had surgery on his broken hand and will miss about a month; the most logical lineup shuffle is Arron Afflalo to SF and J.J. Redick starting at SG. I’ve been impressed by Redick for the last month and he’s a very solid pickup. Rookie Mo Harkless, due to return soon, could also contribute. If Gustavo Ayon (thumb) can go, Josh McRoberts and/or Andrew Nicholson will see their minutes reduced.
This is a winnable road game for the Suns, traditionally much better at home. I can make a case for using Goran Dragic and Luis Scola in daily leagues, and Marcin Gortat could be the best play of all. The jury is still out on Michael Beasley. Will he develop more consistency and become a leader, or will he disappoint his third team?
MIN @ TOR: Before Kevin Love got hurt, this one was circled on my calendar. Now I won’t even see it live, as we’re going to Cardinal Rule, the second-best new restaurant in Toronto, for dinner. (The best is The Federal, if you’re ever in town.) Kyle Lowry has been fantastic so far, but needs more help. Against Luke Ridnour, who may be less than 100% healthy, and J.J. Barea, not the strongest defender, Lowry should have another big game.
The Wolves will turn to Nikola Pekovic, who can use his size vs. Valanciunas and his skill vs. Gray. They started Derrick Williams at PF in their opening win, with Dante Cunningham playing 25 minutes off the bench. So far, so good for Brandon Roy in his comeback; he and Andrei Kirilenko are likely to play well against the Raptors’ wings.
ATL@ OKC: This would be tough enough for the Hawks with Josh Smith, but Smoove is out with an ankle injury. Al Horford will need to be at his very best to pick up the slack and Zaza Pachulia will play more. Atlanta has made so many changes this year, it may take some time to figure things out as a unit. Devin Harris started the first game at SG only to receive a quick hook, while Louis Williams scored 22 off the bench.
There are no surprises with the Thunder. Superstars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are always the leaders, with Kevin Martin now the sixth man and usually the third-leading scorer. Serge Ibaka has been quiet so far and is due for a big offensive night; he brings the D consistently.
DET @ LAL: The injury to Steve Nash was a fluke. He got kicked, and a bruised shin turned out to be a hairline fracture. It can’t be too serious, given the one-week estimate on his recovery. Without him, Steve Blake is no match for any NBA point guard, so Brandon Knight is a strong play tonight.
Though he drained 40 points in the Lakers’ third straight loss, Kobe Bryant is still dealing with a sore foot. Between Mamba at 85%, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard, desperate not to go 0-4, they should be able to handle the Pistons.