NBA Picks #6 10/29/17

21-15

Last night showed why the NBA is still watchable. The inevibtable match-up against the Warriors and Cavaliers in June is still going to happen, but what makes the season so much different than other leagues is all the drama that happens in the middle. I've always compared the NBA to a soap opera. You generally have an idea of what the end is going to look like, but you have a lot of crazy twists and turns before you get there. Last year for example: Kevin Durant betrayed Russell Westbrook and joined his arch nemesis, the Golden State Warriors. Westbrook's response was winning the MVP and averaging a triple-double. Also the whole New York Knicks' situation with Charles Oakley and with Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony. It was basically an episode of Days of Our Lives and a character trying to figure out if another character loves them or not. Last night the Rockets, Cavs and Clippers lost to teams that had no reason to compete with them. Obviously these teams wouldn't lose in a seven game series but any given night a team can lose.

Bucks at Hawks (+5)

This is one of the trap games like I discussed above. The Bucks are going down south for a little Sunday brunch in Atlanta. The Hawks might be treating this game like it's their Super Bowl and go after Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis may be feeling the superstar treatment and may take the game off because the opponent is not as good as the other teams he has faced this season. Shots may not be falling and by the time there's five minutes left in the fourth your'e down by eight and have nothing going for you. The Bucks are a team like the Clippers where I am just giving them way to much credit because they have one superstar who is playing out of their mind and the team around is feeding off of him. Once the superstar has a bad game or two, how does the rest of the team respond. I don't want to take the Hawks but I wouldn't be shocked if the won.

Bucks

Spurs at Pacers(+6.5)

Here's a game where I have complete confidence in the Spurs. They just got blown out by a team that is not as good as them and they don't want to let it happen again. LaMarcus Aldridge is playing the young center Myles Turner and it should be a fun match-up to watch. The Pacers do play hard but I'm not sure if they play as smart as the Spurs do. I have no reason to believe that this game will be close, but maybe the Spurs are fine with dropping games until Kawhi Leonard comes back. I don't think that is the case because up to the last game they were undefeated. They'll take care of business tonight like they should.

Magic at Hornets (-5)

Game of the day right here, no question about it. The Magic are on the rise and continue to dominate against championship contending teams (Cavaliers and Spurs) but is all going to come crashing down? Will today be their Sunday brunch game as well? Even though they are underdogs I think that they win. The Hornets have a lot of gamers but no one that could really punish the Magic. Aaron Gordon continues to make threes and Evan Fournier is mixing people on offense. This game may tell me all I need to know about both teams, but on the other hand it may tell me nothing. What if the Magic just have a horrendous shooting night and the Hornets capitalize off of that. Or the Hornets should 80% from threes and it just their night. Magic wins continuing their magical run to begin the season.

Magic

Nuggets at Nets (+4)

I like this game a lot too because it has two teams with young players that don't have the pressure to win games yet. The problem with the 76ers, is that their is pressure on them for no reason. They have done nothing and they are expected to make the playoffs. These two teams probably have just as much talent but play with ease knowing that they don't have national criticism to worry about. Also these teams stay generally healthy, unlike the 76ers, whose medical staff made another misdiagnosis of one of their young prospects. The Nets aren't as bad as they are portrayed by the twitter trolls. They can genuinely beat anyone they play and I think they take the cake in this one.

Nets

Knicks at Cavs (-10.5)

No way Cavs lose this, if they do they have a serious problem that needs to be addressed

Cavs

Pistons at Warriors (-15)

The Pistons just took down the Clippers last night and try to take down the much better defending champions tonight. The Warriors look like their finally into first gear and have put all their losses behind them. The Pistons are in every game they play in, and make enough mistakes to make them lose. The Warriors make no mistakes and, I don't think, have been beaten by anyone, other than themselves, in the last three years. The Warriors don't lose at home and they definitely won't tonight.

Warriors