With 10 teams at or above .500, the west seems to be the competitive conference in the NBA so far. The Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets lead their respective conferences with the best records, but teams like the Warriors, Mavericks, and 76ers are right on their backs.
As the season gets tougher, three western conference threats will face budding teams from the east for tomorrow’s five-game slate. The Warriors will have to figure out how to deal with their Achilles heel as they face a lengthy Cavaliers squad while the Dallas Mavericks try to defend home court from a perseverant Hornets team. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant will try to keep the ship afloat as they visit the Detroit Pistons at the Little Caesars Arena for an inter-conference bout.
Courtesy of SBOTOP, here’s everything you need to know about tomorrow’s marquee matchups.
Golden State Warriors @ Cleveland Cavaliers
The Warriors currently have the second-best record in the western conference (5-1), and only the defending champions Denver Nuggets have a better standing (6-1). Coming into the season, there had been a lot of question marks revolving around the Warriors and their offseason adjustments. The elephant in the room was the fit of veteran point guard Chris Paul into Steve Kerr’s system, but so far it’s looking like Paul is just what the Warriors needed.
Thanks to CP3 orchestrating their second unit, fans can see a more streamline, level headed style of play from the bench players. In fact, there’s already an uptick in performance from the likes of Jonathan Kuminga, Gary Payton II, Moses Moody, and Dario Saric.
Saric is just what the doctor ordered for a Warriors squad that lacks big bodies and interior presence. With the help of Chris Paul, the 29-year-old Croatian center has been getting to his spots more efficiently and has been providing quality minutes behind Kevon Looney at the five. But even though he’s been a solid big to the start of the season, he’ll have a tall order going against a lengthy Cleveland Cavaliers.
An issue with Golden State is their lack of size in the paint, a problem the Cleveland Cavaliers obviously do not have. The Cavs tower over most teams due to the presence of their young big men, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Cleveland’s twin towers control the paint and the boards more than not, and going against an evidently smaller Warriors squad already gives them a sizable advantage down low.
It will be interesting to see how Steph Curry and the rest of the Warriors navigate their way through the tall trees in Cleveland. This would be a great opportunity for the Cavs to clinch their first home victory this season, but as everyone in the basketball world knows, one could never count the Dubs out as long as Steph Curry is on the floor.
Betting tip – Under 225 @ 1.85
Charlotte Hornets @ Dallas Mavericks
Luka Magic has been sensational this season averaging 33.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 9.4 assists and producing a reel of NBA 2023 highlights for the Mavericks. This man is a threat in any arena he plays in, and more so in front of his home crowd at the American Airlines Center. And it doesn’t help their adversaries that Luka now has a running mate in Kyrie Irving and a budding young center Dereck Lively II. The Mavs are currently first in the Southwest Division and third in the western conference with a 4-1 record.
They will be hosting a promising Hornets team led by their star point guard LaMelo Ball. Ball has been shaky to start the season averaging just 15.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8 assists, and shooting just .305 per cent from the field. But even though the Hornets are dealing with a considerable dip in performance from their star player, head coach Steve Clifford is doing an impressive job getting as many players involved in the system.
Clifford’s Hornets were successful in spoiling Indiana Pacer Tyrese Haliburton’s career night by braving Haliburton’s 43-point masterpiece and came out as the victors at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in a thrilling game that ended in a 124-125 score line. Mark Williams, Gordon Hayward, and Terry Rozier carried the Hornets to their second win of the season by scoring more than 20 points each. They will continue their road trip with a visit to the Lone Star State and face off against Jason Kidd and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks.
Phoenix Suns @ Detroit Pistons
Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns, who are one of the NBA 2023 odds favourites to win the championship, have been struggling since the start of the season. The Suns are 2-4 to start their campaign with notable back-to-back losses against the San Antonio Spurs. Frank Vogel seems like he’s having a difficult time meshing this brand new Suns lineup together, and it doesn’t help that their offseason acquisition Brandley Beal has yet to grace the floor this NBA season.
They will have another crack at it as they visit Motor City for the NBA’s five-game slate tomorrow. Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are still doubtful to participate during their bout against the Detroit Pistons, so expect Kevin Durant to once again be the tip of the spear for the Sun’s offence. Durant has been left with a herculean effort to keep the Suns afloat until his running mates are mending their injuries. KD has been averaging 27.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4 assists this season, playing with a depleted Suns roster.
The Pistons, on the other hand, have lost three in a row coming into their home game versus the Suns. They were outplayed by younger teams in their last three games, getting beat by the OKC Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, and the New Orleans Pelicans. Fans would be curious to see how they fare against an older, veteran team like the Phoenix Suns.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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