All I Want For Christmas Is A Close Game! 12.25.20
Merry Christmas to everybody around the world, as it’s Christmas Day in the NBA, and we have a full slate of 5 games throughout the day. These are some of the best matchups thus far in the NBA season, giving us some very competitive matchups with lots of storylines!
New Orleans Pelicans vs Miami Heat
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Pelicans looked very good on both ends as they won their first game against the Raptors. The Pelicans have a lot of talent with Zion, Ingram, Bledsoe, and Lonzo Ball. I like the direction that this is heading in. Miami is coming off of a loss to the Magic, a loss where their defense failed them late. But Miami does have the more talented team with Adebayo, Dragic, Butler, Herro, and Duncan Robinson. I definitely think this game will be close, but I’m giving the slight edge to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Thoughts On The New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans struggled against this swarming Heat defense. Miami really made it tough for Ingram and Williamson, and when they couldn’t stop Duncan Robinson from shooting 3’s, they fell behind. They made the game competitive, but Miami had control of the game in the 2nd half. The Pelicans need more floor spacing in the start lineup as they looked squished on the floor. But I still think this team is decent, a borderline playoff team. They’ll just have to learn how to play against a great defense like Miami.
Zion Williamson had 32 points and 14 rebounds on 11/20 shooting.
Brandon Ingram had 28 points on 7/17 shooting.
Josh Hart had 12 points and 9 rebounds on 5/10 shooting.
The Pelicans need some more spacing, as Lonzo and Eric Bledsoe just isn’t enough. It doesn’t give Zion or Ingram enough room to operate, and Miami took advantage of that. They need more from Eric Bledsoe on the offensive end, and I definitely think they need more of a shooting PG. But Ingram and Williamson were very good in this game, and they are both All-Star level players. Lets see how much more the Pelicans can get from their bench, and if they try and acquire some shooting to help space out their offense.
Thoughts On The Miami Heat
The Heat got back to playing Heat basketball. Their offense featured a lot of movement, and their defense was stellar, especially in the 4th. They started Meyers Leonard instead of Mo Harkless, and they looked much better. Their defense didn’t skip a beat in the 2nd half as Jimmy Butler was dealing with an ankle injury and missed the entire 2nd half. Avery Bradley was excellent off the bench, and the Heat showed their defensive prowess. An all around impressive win, Miami’s first of the year.
Duncan Robinson had 23 points and 5 rebounds on 8/14 shooting, 7/13 3-PT.
Goran Dragic had 18 points and 9 assists on 6/11 shooting.
Bam Adebayo had 17 points on 5/9 shooting.
The Heat’s defense looked a lot better than it did against Orlando, and they looked very good even without Jimmy Butler on the floor. Duncan Robinson is one of the best shooters in the league, and Miami used him so well in their offense. Adebayo and Leonard made a good duo, as they were able to spread the floor more. Rookie Precious Achiuwa was great on both ends, as was Avery Bradley off the bench. The Heat looked sharp on both ends, showing how good they can be in the East. They face the Bucks on Tuesday the 29th.
Golden State Warriors vs Milwaukee Bucks
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Warriors struggled on both ends in their opener vs the Nets, as it’s clear that they aren’t a championship contender with their limited depth. Steph Curry can’t do everything for this team, and I doubt that they’ll do much this season. And the Warriors will be without Draymond Green again, meaning another potential blowout. The Bucks Big 3 played amazing in their opener, but they couldn’t get the win. But now they face a depleted Warriors team, a team that they outclass by a mile. Easy win for Milwaukee.
Thoughts On The Golden State Warriors
Yeah, I was right about this team. The Warriors offense struggled outside of Wiseman and Curry, and they again can’t stop anybody on defense. This Warriors team is far from a playoff team, and I just don’t know how they can contend in the West with this roster. James Wiseman continues to do well, but Wiggins and Oubre disappointed once again. The Warriors start 0-2 after two blowout losses.
Stephen Curry had 19 points and 6 assists 6/17 shooting.
James Wiseman had 18 points and 8 rebounds on 5/11 shooting.
The Warriors need Draymond Green back on the floor, as this game was almost a mirror image of their first game. They can’t defend well, and their offense just isn’t as good when Oubre and Wiggins shoot a combined 7/28. I predicted that the Warriors wouldn’t be making the playoffs, and as of right now that looks very accurate.
Thoughts On The Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks did what they should have done in this game, as they completely dominated this game. Middleton was on fire from the start of this game, and he got other strong contributions from Giannis, Holiday, and DiVincenzo. The Bucks bench played a lot better, and they need to continue to that. A win that the Bucks had to win, and they executed very well.
Khris Middleton had 31 points and 5 assists on 10/15 shooting.
Giannis had 15 points and 13 rebounds on 4/14 shooting.
Donte DiVincenzo had 13 points on 5/8 shooting.
The Bucks are a lot better than last season. Holiday and Middleton have had strong starts to the season, and Giannis didn’t even play well and the Bucks still won by nearly 40. Giannis needs to start shooting better from the foul line and 3-point line in order for the Bucks to win, otherwise similar things will happen to them in the playoffs. The Bucks bench with Augustin, Portis, and Connaughton was much better, and they need to continue to do that for Milwaukee to be successful. The Bucks play New York on Sunday.
Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Nets looked very explosive in their first game, their offense being perhaps the most lethal in the league with KD and Kyrie at the forefront of that. Now I don’t know how good their defense is against a real offense, and we’ll see how they do against a very good Boston team. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown fueled this Boston team to a win against the Bucks, and they’ll have to do it again. The Celtics will need more help from Marcus Smart and Jeff Teague in order to win this game. I think this game will be very good, but I’m giving the edge to the Nets.
Thoughts On The Brooklyn Nets
Yeah, the Nets are for real. This game was really close in the first half, but the Nets dominated in the 2nd half. KD had 16 points in the 3rd quarter, and Brooklyn outscored Boston by 12 in the 3rd. Their defense picked up a lot on Tatum and Brown, and they really turned it up. And in the 4th, it was more of the same. The Nets outscored Boston 37-18 in the 4th, meaning they outscored Boston by 31 in the 2nd half. That 2nd half by Brooklyn was near-perfect, and they’re looking like real threats in the East.
Kyrie Irving had 37 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists on 13/21 shooting (7/10 3-PT).
Kevin Durant had 29 points on 9/16 shooting.
The Nets are looking like one of the most complete teams in the league. Their win against Golden State was more balanced with more people getting involved, but this was one was KD and Kyrie taking over. Irving was on fire from deep, and KD looked as good as ever. The Nets defense really looked good as they held Boston to just 38% field goal percentage, and 41 points in the 2nd half. An excellent performance by Brooklyn as they are now 2-0 on the year.
Thoughts On The Boston Celtics
The Celtics need Kemba Walker back. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are good, but they can’t contend with the best teams in the East every night. They didn’t get as much help as they did against the Bucks, and it showed in the 2nd half that they needed Kemba on the floor for extra offense. I am a little disappointed in Boston for how that 2nd half went, them only scoring 41 points and getting absolutely blown out, but they were heavily undermanned in this game, so I don’t think too much out of it.
Jaylen Brown had 27 points and 8 rebounds on 11/25 shooting.
Jayson Tatum had 20 points and 8 rebounds on 9/22 shooting.
The Celtics ran out of steam in the 2nd half after keeping up with Brooklyn in the first half. They couldn’t contain KD as they tried everybody, Thompson, Williams, Tatum, and Brown. Nothing was working. Kyrie ate them up from deep, and they didn’t look right. Obviously not having an All-Star in Kemba Walker is one of their problems, and they’ll be getting him in a few weeks. The Celtics take on Indiana on Sunday.
Dallas Mavericks vs LA Lakers
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Mavericks didn’t play particularly well against the Suns, and their roster isn’t the best right now. They have Doncic, Richardson, Hardaway, and Jalen Brunson along with Powell and Maxi Kleber, but without Porzingis they are not the same team. They will need more scoring from Hardaway and Richardson if they want to win this game. The Lakers didn’t look right in their first game, but I think they’ll play better in this game. They just need to stay locked in on defense to win this game. I’m expecting the Lakers to come out with a win.
Thoughts On The Dallas Mavericks
Well, the Mavericks desperately need Kristaps Porzingis back. I’m really not going to criticize the Mavs for tonight’s performance against the Lakers. The Mavs were heavily undermanned against this Lakers team, and they did their best to remain in the game. Luka was doing everything for his team, and he had better help than against Phoenix. But the Mavs defense was atrocious, and the Lakers got whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. When Porzingis comes back, this Mavs team will be a lot different and better.
Luka Doncic had 27 points and 7 assists on 9/19 shooting.
Josh Richardson had 17 points on 6/12 shooting.
Trey Burke had 17 points on 5/10 shooting off the bench.
The Mavericks desperately need Porzingis to comeback, as they just can’t contend with the upper-echelon teams in the Western Conference. Luka Doncic played very well and was efficient, but this Mavs defense was just horrendous. The Lakers shot 61% from the field in the first half and 56% for the game, and they also made 18 3-pointers. 0-2 start for Dallas, as they face the Clippers on Sunday, another tough matchup.
Thoughts On The LA Lakers
The Lakers got their first win in the column with a dominant win against Luka and the Mavs. The Lakers offense showed how good they can be with a balanced scoring attack. AD, Lebron, Harrell, and Schroder were unstoppable. This Lakers team has a lot better floor than last year, and this game showed us how lethal they can be when at full strength.
Anthony Davis had 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists on 10/16 shooting.
Lebron James had 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists on 8/18 shooting.
Montrezl Harrell had 22 points and 7 rebounds on 10/13 shooting off the bench.
The Lakers showed us why they are the favorites to win the title this season, as they completely dominated the Mavericks with their high-powered offense. Lebron and AD played much better, and the new additions of Schroder and Harrell again were good, combining for 40 points. As I said, this Lakers team has a much higher ceiling, and they are much more talented than last season. They face the Timberwolves on Sunday, seeing if they can start a winning streak to start the season.
LA Clippers vs Denver Nuggets
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Clippers will be getting some flashbacks to last season, but I do think that they are the superior team. They have Kawhi and PG, who will be unguardable because the Nuggets don’t have a good wing defender after the departure of Jerami Grant. Serge Ibaka on Nikola Jokic is fine, and their bench of Kennard, Williams, and Patrick Patterson need to play better. No Marcus Morris once again, so Nicolas Batum will again have to run the offense and take some pressure off of PG and Kawhi. Favorable matchup for LA. The Nuggets didn’t look great in their first game, as Jamal Murray struggled to score. Now he has to face a Clippers team wanting revenge, and Patrick Beverley on Christmas Day. The Nuggets depth isn’t as good as in years prior, and I doubt that they win this game. I’m giving the edge to the Clippers.
Thoughts On The LA Clippers
This Clippers offense is very, very good. Their ball movement and spacing combined with Kawhi and Paul George simply overpowered Denver for most of this game. The Nuggets made it somewhat close in the 4th, but the Clippers were in control for most of this game. Kawhi and PG were efficient and effective, and they got some solid help. LA shot 54% from the field in the first half, and they shot 55% for the game. LA’s defense was also solid, and they are looking really good to start this season at 2-0.
Paul George had 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists on 8/14 shooting.
Kawhi Leonard had 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists on 8/14 shooting.
Serge Ibaka had 15 points on 6/9 shooting.
This Clippers offense was red-hot against this poor Denver defense. They made 19 3-pointers, and shot 50% from the 3-point line. Kawhi and PG shot 16/28 from the field, very efficient against a Denver defense with no answer for them. Ibaka, Batum, and Zubac were also all in double figures and played really well. The Clippers have been doing this on offense without Marcus Morris, and they should be getting him back soon. But the Clippers look so much better from last season, and I really view them as contenders. But of course we’ll have to see how they do in the playoffs. LA faces Luka Doncic and the Mavs on Sunday.
(Hope Kawhi gets well soon. Took a mean shot from Ibaka in the mouth, had to get 8 stitches)
Thoughts On The Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are a lot worse defensively than last season, and they just haven’t been able to play good defense in their first two games. They allowed so many open 3’s and shots to LA, and they took advantage. Their offense never really got going as Jamal Murray shot 9/20 from the field. The Nuggets don’t have any wing defenders, and their depth got worse this offseason, and now they’re facing those realities against good teams. Not a very good start for the 0-2 Denver Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists on 7/13 shooting.
Jamal Murray had 23 points and 5 rebounds on 9/20 shooting.
Will Barton had 15 points and 5 rebounds on 4/10 shooting off the bench.
The Nuggets defense has been horrendous in their first two games. Against Sacramento, they allowed the Kings to shoot 45% from the field and allowed 124 points. Against the Clippers, LA shot 55% from the field and they allowed 121 points. So not a great start for Denver. Michael Porter Jr is a defensive liability, and their bench only has 2 guys I trust, Barton and Morris. I still see the Nuggets as a top-5 seed in the West, but their defense needs a lot of improvement if that is going to happen.
What Are Your Thoughts From Christmas Day? Leave A Comment Down Below!
Follow My Instagram To Never Miss A Post: @hoopnotions
