Empty the Bench

The NBA playoffs are just around the bend, and there’s still a lot to be settled as far as who gets in and where they’re seeded, especially at the bottom of both conferences. In the East, New Jersey, New York, Orlando, and Indiana are virtually neck-and-neck for the 7th and 8th seeds, while out West the Golden State Warriors and, to a degree, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets are sweating the mostly moribund LA Clippers for the 8th seed. After getting beaten by them three times in a row, you think the Mavericks are thrilled about the prospects of drawing Golden State in the first round?

With so many big games on the docket, Empty the Bench has highlighted 10 games of interest this week to help guide your NBA viewing. Please bookmark EmptytheBench.com and check back every Sunday to check out our NBA Viewing Guide for the week; it’s something to be read over and over, and praised, and quoted to death… kinda like the Bible. All times are listed in EST.

- Denver Nuggets at Detroit Pistons, Monday, 7:30pm

Going into Sunday night’s contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Nuggs had taken a step back with a two-game losing streak that included an ugly, ugly 27-point defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. Believe me, the final score does not reflect just how badly Denver played. Still, the team is finally above .500, healthy, and clicking, and it looks like they’re a shoo-in to make the Western Conference playoffs either as a 6 or 7 seed. There’s no question they will be a dangerous draw.

BUT

Though they may have one of the weakest remaining schedules in the NBA, this is not a team that can put it on cruise control and waltz in. The Warriors are coming on strong, and for whatever reason it looks like the Clippers aren’t going anywhere either. Tonight’s game against the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons is the second game of a very tough back-to-back, and the last game of a disappointing five-game road trip. We don’t like their chances in Detroit, which makes games against Seattle (twice) and Phoenix this week all that much more important for George “Why do bad things always happen to good people like me?” Karl’s squad in their mission to lock down that playoff spot.

- Orlando Magic at New York Knicks, Monday, 7:30pm

With Jamal Crawford definitely out, and Quentin Richardson and David Lee likely out, you can’t go into a Knicks game expecting breathtaking basketball, or, heck, even solid basketball. C’mon—Steve Francis is starting. Having said that, the Knicks are still in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt and have a lot to play for. As Eddy Curry has faded down the stretch, rookie Renaldo Balkman has really come on strong, averaging 10.8 points, 8 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1 block, and 65% FG last week alone. It’s just too bad Zeke filled his team with other players possessing similar skill sets. The Magic are in the same boat as the Knicks, which makes tonight’s contest a must win for both teams.

- Washington Wizards at Utah Jazz, Monday, 9pm

During the first half of the season, Gilbert Arenas was everybody’s new favorite, a guy commonly referred to as “the most entertaining player in the NBA.” He gave himself a slew of nicknames, wowed with his buzzer-beating jumpshots, and carried his team to one of the best records in the East and first place in the Southeast. But while his bandwagon is still crowded, some NBA observers (myself included) have begun to sour on Gil’s attention-craving antics. Is there really any point in taking off your jersey and neatly leaving it at the free-throw line on Seattle’s home court after winning the game at the buzzer? Dude, we know you’re jealous of Kobe getting the attention all of a sudden, but please, give it a rest. With the Miami Heat only a half game out of first place, it’s not about you anymore, it’s about your team.

Tonight he’ll match up against a superstar point guard in his own right, the Jazz’s second-year stud Deron Williams. His numbers have taken off this year as the Salty Man in Salt Lake, Jerry Sloan, has learned to trust him: 16.7 points, 9.4 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 46% FG averages per game for Deron thus far. The Jazz are on a crash course with the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs—we can’t wait.

- Indiana Pacers at New Jersey Nets, Wednesday, 7:30pm

Mark your calendars, record this date in history, because it might very well be the only time ETB recommends watching a Pacers game. They’re dull, they’re inconsistent, their mascot is a jerk, but in the Eastern Conference they’re also contending for a spot in the playoffs. Tonight their unlikely (undeserved?) quest for postseason play continues at Continental Airlines Arena as they take on one of the three teams they’re battling with for the 7th or 8th seed, Jason Kidd’s New Jersey Nets. With Kidd enjoying one of the best overall seasons of his career, there’s no question the Nets would have sealed a playoff berth long ago if it wasn’t for devastating injuries to Nenad Krstic (out for the season), Richard Jefferson (missed 27 games), and a few others here and there. As it stands, however, they have to duke it out and fight for their playoff lives. “Big” game here for both teams.

- Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls, Thursday, 8pm

After so many weeks of clunker matchups, TNT has to be thrilled with their slate this evening. First, the Pistons and Bulls lock horns for the third time this season, with both of the previous contests going down to the wire and each team grabbing one victory each. Of course, the obvious sub-plot is Ben Wallace facing his former Pistons teammates, but after two spirited games it kind of feels like it’s already time to put that story to bed and just focus on two Central Division rivals, regardless of the Wallace defection, renewing their rivalry and going for blood. You know winning this game means a lot to the little man with a huge ego, Bulls head coach Scott Skiles, and indeed this one is big for his team, if not necessarily for playoff seeding as it is for confidence.

- Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, Thursday, 10:30pm

We like the Warriors tonight, but regardless of who wins, the second half of TNT’s doubleheader promises to be an exciting one. Both teams figure to score well over 100 points, and it’ll be interesting to see two of the NBA’s premier point guards, Steve Nash and Baron Davis, go head to head. Davis certainly has size over Nash (and he should use that to his advantage by taking Nash into the post whenever he can), but Nash is obviously much quicker. These teams have very similar styles of up-and-down-the-court play, and neither has much invested on the defensive end, so after watching the Bulls and Pistons slug it out Eastern Conference style, this should provide a nice change of pace. Great night of basketball on TNT, and we always enjoy Ernie Johnson’s pre-game, halftime, and post-game show. He’s truly one of the best at what he does.

- Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, 10:30pm

You could probably make a good argument for every Lakers game this week making our viewing guide, what with some guy named Kobe Bryant on some kind of scoring streak that’s apparently pretty impressive. There’s no telling whether his string of 50+ point games will still be going by the time they welcome Yao, McGrady, and the rest of the Houston Rockets, but we do know this is the only Lakers opponent this week that plays defense. Even without the streak, this one would be well worth your time for the sheer star power involved.

- Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls, Saturday, 3pm

Lebron James recently admitted to watching the standings and keeping tabs on the Central Division-leading Pistons, as his team is only two games back as of today. He needs to be careful and make sure he’s strictly focused on his game and how his team is playing, not their rivals. While the Cavaliers seem to be hitting their stride at exactly the right time of the season, this team has a history of inconsistency and are in no position to get comfortable or rest on their laurels. They face a team tonight in the Chicago Bulls who are breathing down their neck for second place in the Central; something tells us this will be the race to watch around the NBA’s final regular season turn, not the Pistons/Cavs.

- Miami Heat at Detroit Pistons, Sunday, 1pm

These games are usually pretty tough to watch for fans of both teams. Pistons fans and Heat fans alike want their team to win so badly, and more often than not these contests come down to the final few minutes before a winner steps forth. The Heat will be without their drama queen, Dwayne Wade, but he was out the last time these two teams squared off, too, and that didn’t stop them from winning 85-82 down in Miami. The Pistons will look to exact a measure of revenge this afternoon and make a statement with the playoffs looming (even if ‘Sheed claims that statements aren’t made in the regular season). Most feel that we’ll once again see the Heat and Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, so, yeah, here’s your possible preview. Don’t go anywhere after this game wraps up, though…

- Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns, Sunday, 3:30pm

After the double-overtime thriller on March 15 that saw the Suns pull out a two-point victory over the Mavs, do we really need to waste our breath telling you why, in a week filled with marquee matchups, that this is undoubtedly the NBA’s Game of the Week? Clear your schedule, stock the fridge, turn off your phone—from 3:30pm to 6pm, you’re going to be glued to your television watching the NBA’s top two teams go at it once again.