NBA Round-Up 11/9

Tonight is going to be a key night for a few teams in the NBA. Their are only five games scheduled but they could shape the way a lot of teams manage their season. The first prime example is when the 6-1 Phoenix Suns come into Philadelphia to take on the 76ers. The Suns are 4-1 on the road this year and are averaging over 109 ppg. The Suns are showing are one of the early favorites in the Western Conference and look like they have gotten better after the departure of Shaq. Steve Nash is having a carreer year averaging 18 points and 12 assists per game. Not only is Nash having a outstanding season but this team is so deep that some of their bench players are averaging over 15pts a game.

Amare is averaging 20pts and 9 boards a game and is playing with more discipline and control then ever seen. You can see that he has calmed down alot since last season and all of the trade rumors have not affected his play.

The real suprise is Channing Frye. Frye has become a starter for the Suns after being a bench player in Portland and New York and is making a lot of production out of the passes he is getting from Nash. He is averaging 14-points and shooting over 48% from three this season.

The Suns are coming into the Wachovia Center tonight to take on a struggling Sixers team that is currently sitting at 3-3 and more questions then answers. The team isnt gellling and seems generally confused in Coach Eddie Jordans new Princeton Offense. The team is struggling with Iguodala being the only player averaging over 15 points a game and the team is averaging more turnovers then assists.

This is going to be a true rebuilding year on broad street with a young team that still needs to come together. The one highlight for the Sixers is the play of Marreese Speights. Mo is averaging 13 points and seven board a night. The only issue is that his most productive games have been against struggling teams. He had 15 points in the Sixers 88-81 loss to the Pistons. Be advised Speights had a great game in which neither Tayshawn Prince nor Richard Hamilton were in the lineup for the Pistons.

If the Sixers can finally get some of their offensive confusion figured out and start to put together the pieces of this new offensive strategy they have an oportounity to get a win. The Suns are allowing 104 points per game to opponets and if they Sixers can get on a few run and defend against the three (which the Suns are in the top of the league in) and can control the strong Suns "second team" this could be an interesting game, but from what I have seen in the last few games their isnt much to prove this will happen.

Games to Watch

Suns @ Sixers 7:00pm: NBATV See Above; Prediction: Steve Nash will make Eddie Jordan cry.......

Jazz @ Knicks 7:30pm: The Knicks are terrible, the only thing they have to look forward to is the next time LeBron comes or what ridiculious outfit Spike Lee wears. Deron Williams is going to look good in this game (and that isnt saying much). This game will feature more turnovers then good shots. This is not worth your time watching.

Raptors @ Spurs 8:30pm: This game should be entertaining. Both of these teams are in transition and can score a lot of points. The Spurs are a little slower then they have been in the past but they can pound the ball in the paint. The Raptors have been a bit of a suprise but with Bellinelli and Bargnani leading a good shooting charge the Raptors could flourish. Chris Bosh is always a huge target and should get a double-double.

Timberwolves @ Golden State 10:30pm: If you tune into this game you better be prepared to watch Jonny Flynn and Stephen Curry take a lot and i mean A LOT of haphazard three-pointers. These are two very talented guards and they are just learning right now but they are still having a bit of trouble adjusting to the NBA distance. This game could be very fast paced and could be high scoring. This is a preview of the young stars game coming up at the all-star break.

Hornets @ Clippers 10:30pm: This game will be important not for whats happening off the court but more off the court. The Hornets are bad and noone can figure out why. The Clippers are the Clippers and we all know what that means, but with the Hornets sitting at 2-5 it should for a red flag. Byron Scott is a good coach but if they dont start winning soon hey may become the first name of the chopping block. Its crazy CP3 is playing great hes averaging almost 30 a game but hes not getting any support. If it wasent Emeka Okafor and his 11 rebounds a game this team may be winless.

On the other side.... the clippers suck so even if only Chris Paul shows up the Hornets should win this game.