Russell Wilson led the Seattle Seahawks to a win for the first time ever when his defense gave up more than 25 points. Unfortunately, he lost his star tight end in the process. Jimmy Graham was enjoying a mini revitalization recently and was having a solid day in week 12, before having his knee buckle while trying to haul in a deep touchdown pass late in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Per reports, Graham tore the patellar tendon in his right knee and will need surgery. The injury is devastating to a Seattle offense that wasn’t even firing on all cylinders for much of 2015 despite trading for Graham this past off-season. Graham finished the day with four catches for 75 yards.

Carroll: Jimmy Graham has a torn patella tendon and needs surgery.

— Rob Rang (@RobRang) November 30, 2015

Graham’s first season in Seattle rounds out as a bust in all regards, as he only helped the Seahawks to a pedestrian 5-5 record before going down. Seattle traded star center Max Unger to the Saints for the rights to use Graham, who went from a highly utilized star in New Orleans’ pass-happy attack to an often ignored blocking liability in Seattle’s balanced offense. Graham finished the 2015 season with just 44 catches, 530 receiving yards and a career low two touchdown catches.

Playoff Hit?

The first big question is how big of a hit is the loss of Jimmy Graham to Seattle’s playoff hopes? The answer is a cold – not that big. It comes off a bit harsh, but the reality is this was a run-first offense that never needed a star passing weapon to make back-to-back Super Bowls before and perhaps without feeling the need to force the ball to Graham, the Seahawks can get back to simply running a balanced offensive attack that finds the open guy in the passing game.

Graham definitely brought value as a red-zone presence and intermediate receiver, but he has never been known as an elite blocker and he simply wasn’t a consistent difference-maker. The same can’t be said for explosive rookie receiver Tyler Lockett, while it was two wide receivers – Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin – who enjoyed stat-stuffing performances on Sunday as Russell Wilson threw for a career high five touchdowns. Graham is an elite talent, but he really was never an ideal fit with Seattle. They won without him before he arrived, and they certainly can moving forward. They also have a very solid backup tight end in Luke Willson. Willson had been making strides over the past year and should dive back into a key role, although Seattle will understandably look to feature the tight end position even less by default.

Healthy Returns?

The other big question is what the future might hold for Graham, who is dealing with a brutal injury and just turned 29 years old. For one, this is a near-impossible injury to come back from and play at an elite level again. Slowly exiting his prime, Graham will have to combat a shaky role, age and now this awful injury to remain a superstar in the NFL. It’s still possible, but Graham is an athletic tight end who separated himself from the pack due to speed and explosiveness. If he can’t get back to that same level, his effectiveness may never be the same.

Another interesting take could be Seattle’s need for him going into 2016. If the Seahawks get by just fine without Graham, they could opt to dump his bloated salary and move on. That’s unlikely due to the moderate success he had in their system, but it’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility.

In the end, this is awful news for all parties and it’ll be half a year before we have any clue about Graham’s 2016 prospects or beyond. The Seahawks are 6-5 and are in the driver’s seat to make the NFC playoffs as a wild card team, though, and even without Graham they’d remain potential Super Bowl threats for the third year in a row if they got in the league’s tourney.

The NBA returned in a big way on Friday night, as James Harden scored nearly 50 points and the Rockets narrowly escaped being the first victim of the Philadelphia 76ers. The Golden State Warriors also continued on their tear as they dropped 133 points in a win over the Suns, and will enter Sunday at 18-0. The New Orleans Pelicans weren’t so lucky, as they lost on the road to the Clippers and also lost Anthony Davis to a knee contusion.

The Pelicans should be counting their lucky stars, however, as The Brow’s knee injury could have been much worse. Davis will probably be out tonight, but we can cross our fingers DeMarcus Cousins returns to lead a quieter (but still rowdy) seven-game NBA slate. Let’s take a look at each contest and come away with some picks for tonight:

Raptors @ Wizards

Everyone remembers the Wizards crushing the Raptors in a sweep in the playoffs last year, but the end result has been much different during the regular season lately. Toronto has been the better team overall this year, while they’ve also claimed seven of the last eight regular season showdowns. In fact, the lone Wiz win came in a blistering 120-116 overtime thriller last year. Something is not right with the Wiz right now and the Raptors are by far the better defensive squad. Look for the Raptors to win again.

Pick: Raptors 104, Wizards 99

Nets @ Cavs

Cleveland held a team meeting after a road loss to the Raptors and decided they were done stinking away from home. The very next chance they got, they beat the Hornets in Charlotte on Friday night. Now they’re back home against the 3-12 Nets. Cleveland is obviously the superior team here, but they’re also a staggering 8-0 at Quicken Loans Arena.

Pick: Cavs 108, Nets 97

Nuggets @ Mavs

The Nuggets and Mavericks have both crashed back down to reality. For a second there Denver looked like a potential playoff contender, but an ugly five-game skid has them looking more like the young and inexperienced bunch they really are. Dallas could still be a surprise playoff team, but their hot 9-4 start is no more thanks to three straight losses. The Mavericks are back home and don’t lose there much, though, so they have the distinct advantage in this one.

Pick: Mavs 107, Nuggets 102

Hawks @ Spurs

It seems whenever the Spurs lose it feels pretty random and then shortly after they rip off a solid winning streak. They’re at it again with four wins in a row and now they host a solid Hawks team that has struggled a bit over their last 10 (4-6) contests. They could struggle even more tonight, as Tim Duncan should be back after resting on Friday and San Antonio (8-0) hasn’t lost on their home court yet this year.

Pick: Spurs 103, Hawks 97

Pelicans @ Jazz

Anthony Davis is hurt AGAIN and it seems like this is some kind of a running joke. The Pelicans are banged up beyond belief even without him going down, so they badly need him if they want to go into Utah and take down the Jazz. I don’t see it happening, as the Jazz play some of the most smothering defense in the entire league and the Pelicans basically don’t play any defense.

Pick: Jazz 96, Pellies 90

Lakers @ Blazers

Kobe Bryant is going to start and see a lot of run in this one, which going off of the 2015-16 NBA season so far, probably means the Lakers will win. Their nasty 1-7 road record doesn’t help matters, while Portland aims to get their seventh win in a row against these sorry Lakers.

Pick: Blazers 108, Lakers 105

Kings @ Warriors

Golden State is seriously an unstoppable machine. As some kind of a sick joke, I half think they’ll stay undefeated until Steve Kerr is back to man the show and then they’ll finally lose in his first game back. It’d just be hilarious. But no, they’re not losing their first game of the year to the Kings at home. Oracle Arena isn’t a fun place for anyone that’s not the Warriors, while Sacramento could be without DeMarcus Cousins again. This could be bad.

Pick: Warriors 120, Kings 109

We got a break from the intensity of the NBA on Thursday and got a face full of pro football, turkey and pie, instead. It was understandably a joyous time, but most of us are plenty glad to get the NBA back. Pro basketball returns in style, with a whopping 12 games.

That’s a lot of picking and betting, as just six NBA teams aren’t suiting up the day after Thanksgiving. It’s probably just as well, since 12 games is a lot to digest. We’ll do our best as we prepare you for tonight’ action as you work to finalize your NBA bets:

Bucks @ Magic

Orlando has been ultra competitive this year but their lineup has gotten shaken up a bit too much by Scott Skiles. If they played their normal guys straight up, they’d rarely be out of a game. Still, Skiles is looking for the perfect mix and things could continue to get blurred at home against the Bucks. Luckily Milwaukee can’t score or defend this year, so the Magic should be fine at home, where they’re a solid 5-3 on the season.

Pick: Magic 104, Bucks 99

Cavaliers @ Hornets

Cleveland held a players only meeting recently after falling apart in a loss to the Raptors, but that seemed like overkill considering it was just their fourth loss of the year and they’ve been dealing with three key injuries. The bigger issue is just their road struggles in general (3-4) and if that meeting fixed anything, the Hornets may want to watch out tonight. Then again, Charlotte has been quite solid (9-6) on the year and is a borderline elite team at home (7-1). I’m calling for the upset if the Hornets can keep up that level of play on their home floor.

Pick: Hornets 101, Cavs 97

Wizards @ Celtics

Washington has been extremely average so far during the 2015-16 NBA season, so it’s awfully difficult to know what to expect out of them on a nightly basis. It’s nice to have Bradley Beal back in the mix, but John Wall has been very weak as a scorer for much of the past two weeks and the Wiz also are getting destroyed defensively. On the road against a Celtics team that loves to buckle down on the defensive end, the Wizards could be in for a difficult night.

Pick: Celtics 99, Wiz 92

Heat @ Knicks

Before the season we may not have though this would be a key matchup, but it really is with the Heat (9-5) and Knicks (8-8) both looking like playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference. Miami had little trouble with New York in South Beach a week ago, so they could have the edge again.

Pick: Heat 104, Knicks 103

76ers @ Rockets

Philly hasn’t won a game and Houston plays host tonight with Dwight Howard in the lineup. The Rockets have certainly been a disappointment from an overall perspective so far this year, but if this isn’t the game to end a three-game skid, I don’t know what is.

Pick: Rockets 113, 76ers 101

Bulls @ Pacers

Chicago and Indy get together for an intense divisional clash, as both teams are fighting for second place behind the Cavs and are also on torrid runs. Both teams have won 7+ games in their last 10 contests and won’t want to drop this one tonight. The Bulls won a tight affair by one point at the United Center just 11 days ago, so I’ll give the edge to the Pacers at home. Paul George has just been insanely hot, too, so betting against him feels kind of silly.

Pick: Pacers 104, Bulls 102

Pistons @ Thunder

Reggie Jackson could be out for some revenge tonight, as he takes on his former team. I think he gets his and OKC could have trouble dealing with Andre Drummond down low, but we’ve seen now that the Pistons are mostly a two-man wrecking crew. So is OKC, but with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant healthy, their studs trump Detroit’s at home.

Pick: Thunder 106, Pistons 98

Hawks @ Grizzlies

Memphis has done well to rebound from a sluggish 3-3 start, winning 6 of their last 10 games and going 5-2 on their home floor, overall. The Grizzlies have largely struggled on the road this year, so even against a solid Hawks team, I like them to hold down the fort on their home floor. Atlanta isn’t the east pick they were a year ago, anyways, as they’re just 4-4 on the road and have taken a mild step back on the defensive side of things.

Pick: Grizz 99, Hawks 96

Spurs @ Nuggets

Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are out, so the Spurs look to be a little under-manned on the road. Luckily Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge are still on hand, while Tony Parker has been ablaze offensively. Denver’s tempo could give the Spurs issues, but I still like San Antonio.

Pick: Spurs 104, Nuggets 98

Warriors @ Suns

The Suns are a tough road opponent tonight, as the Warriors look to extend perfection to a 17-0 start. Phoenix has the goods offensively to give Golden State trouble, but even a close game shouldn’t thwart the Warriors thanks to Phoenix’s suspect defense. This one might not be easy, but I’m not betting on the Suns being the first team to take down the defending champs.

Pick: Warriors 110, Suns 105

Timberwolves @ Kings

Minnesota could get to .500 tonight, while the Kings could be playing yet another game sans Boogie. I like the Kings of DeMarcus Cousins is active, but missed Sacramento’s last game and this team as a whole has been very up and down this year. It doesn’t help that Minnesota has somehow been much more focused (5-2) on the road.

Pick: T’Wolves 106, Kings 101

Pelicans @ Clippers

Man, have the Clippers been pedestrian. Los Angeles got off to a sweet 4-0 start, but it seems once they caved and lost to the Warriors, all hell broke loose. Blake Griffin is playing outstanding basketball, but all of the depth L.A. acquired this off-season hasn’t really panned out yet. The Clippers may be struggling, but the Pelicans have it worse. I’ll take Lob City at home.

Pick: Clippers 108, Pelicans 104

The 2015-16 NBA season carries on with seven new games on Monday night, as we get one step closer to NBA history. The Golden State Warriors tied an NBA record last night with a 15-0 start, and on Tuesday will face the Lakers as they try to go 16-0 and set a new record for an undefeated run by a defending champion.

That’s tomorrow, though. Tonight we still get seven exciting NBA contests, with some serious bad blood flowing with some matchups containing some “revenge” potential. Most of the hot air will go down when the Pistons and Bucks square off in Milwaukee, while Enes Kanter will head back to Utah to take on the Jazz in the final game of the night.

Let’s take a look at the full slate and see which way you may want to lean if you plan on conducting any NBA betting tonight:

Magic @ Cavs

Orlando has been messing with their lineups lately, which could be keeping them from seeing any real progress. Even if they figure out the perfect rotation tonight, however, winning in Cleveland should prove to be a tall order. The Cavaliers are a perfect 7-0 on their home floor this year and have also won 8 of their last 10 games. That’s without some key players, too. Orlando is extremely competitive and could make this an interesting game, but the odds are very much in Cleveland’s favor tonight.

Pick: Cavs 108, Magic 104

Kings @ Hornets

DeMarcus Cousins has the Kings mostly focused as they’ve stormed back from a 1-7 start and are not 4-6 in their last 10 games. That’s not where they want to be, but progress is still key. It may be difficult to maintain that momentum on the road against the Hornets, however. Charlotte is a staggering 5-1 on their home floor this year, while Sacramento is just 1-4 away from home. The Kings also play some of the worst defense in the NBA, so the Hornets will likely have their way in a win.

Pick: Hornets 109, Kings 106

Knicks @ Heat

This is a very interesting matchup, as two slow-paced Eastern Conference goes square off. Both teams are above .500 and have done a solid job leading balanced attacks, with both scoring just under 100 points per game, but also keeping their opponents under 100 points per game. The Knicks have been more impressive lately with a nice four-game winning streak, but winning on the road won’t come easy. Miami is 7-2 in South Beach this year and should look to get the win to stay atop the Southeast Division.

Pick: Heat 96, Knicks 93

Pistons @ Bucks

This is the big revenge game we were talking about, as Greg Monroe and Khris Middleton both take on their former Pistons squad, while Ersan Ilyasova also faces the Bucks, who he had previously played for during his entire NBA career. Detroit has slid after a hot start, but they’re still 7-6 and defend pretty well. The Bucks have regressed defensively, while their offense has been extremely lethargic on the year. The Pistons are probably the better team right now and it’s hard to see Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson not having their way.

Pick: Pistons 108, Bucks 102

76ers @ Timberwolves

Philly is a total mess at 0-14, as they can’t defend and are struggling mightily to put up even 90 points per game on the year. Minnesota is just 5-8 and also doesn’t play top shelf defense, but they can pour the offense on thick. I’d give the Sixers a mild chance if this were in Philly, but Minnesota hasn’t won at home yet and you have to think this is where they finally get a win for their home crowd.

Pick: T’Wolves 111, Sixers 97

Suns @ Spurs

Phoenix has surprisingly been pretty good this year, as they’re dropping in over 106 points per game and have been stout (5-3) at home. Unfortunately they don’t really defend and they’re not at home tonight. Instead, they’ll head to San Antonio to take on a Spurs team that hasn’t lost on their home court (6-0) so far.

Pick: Spurs 105, Suns 101

Thunder @ Jazz

Kevin Durant is questionable to face the Jazz tonight, so it’s very possible it will once again be the Russell Westbrook show. This time he’ll take his Thunder into Utah, where the Jazz have had an opportunity to play just three times (2-1) all season. OKC could give them a real problem, but Utah’s defense has been quite impressive (allowing 92 points per game). If Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward show up on offense, Utah could get above .500.

Pick: Jazz 91, Thunder 87

Stephen Curry and the Warriors are back to defend their title for the 15th time on Sunday, much like a prized fighter in a boxing ring. An actual title defense will only happen if they can make it back to the NBA Finals again, but so far in the young 2015-16 NBA season, the Warriors have taken on 14 challengers and not a single one could keep them on the mat.

Curry and co. will face one of their easiest tests of this early run, as they head to Denver to battle the Nuggets. Denver can certainly run with just about anyone offensively, but a lack of defensive prowess could have this one over early. The Warriors are the top story – per usual – but there are actually better games on the docket and there is a lot to bet on tonight. Let’s see which way you may want to lean by breaking down and picking all six contests:

Raptors @ Clippers

Toronto recently ended their second slide of the young season, but now they have to turn right back around and take on the Clippers. Los Angeles is also struggling, but they haven’t been very healthy in the early going. With both Chris Paul and J.J. Redick back in the saddle, the Clips should look to end a two-game skid and get a big win at home.

Pick: Clippers 109, Raptors 104

Suns @ Pelicans

New Orleans just got a huge win over the Spurs in their last game and if that was a sign of things to come, this talented squad could be one to look out for. They’re just starting to get healthy, too, as Tyreke Evans could be back in early December. Unfortunately they’re still under-manned here and just two wins on the year tells you how shaky things really are. The Suns, meanwhile, are kind of playing out of their minds.

Pick: Suns 104, Pellies 101

Celtics @ Nets

Boston continues to put the clamps down defensively, while they just took down the Nets in their last game. Brooklyn got blown out and while they’ll have a better shot on their home floor, they’re clearly the inferior team.

Pick: Celtics 101, Nets 94

Mavs @ Thunder

Dallas has been surprisingly very good, behind a revitalized Dirk Nowitzki and an oddly solid defense. The Mavs are only going to get better, too, as both Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons round back into form. That’s great, but Dallas is in OKC trying to take down the Thunder tonight. I’m betting their nice six-game winning streak gets snapped.

Pick: Thunder 106, Mavs 104

Warriors @ Nuggets

Golden State hasn’t lost this season and the Nuggets can’t defend down low or on the outside. If this isn’t a blowout, I’ll be shocked.

Pick: Warriors 114, Nuggets 98

Blazers @ Lakers

The final game of the night represents a decent chance for two bad teams to get a win. The Lakersare just 2-10 and have dropped their past two, but they’re at least at home and should have Kobe Bryant in the starting lineup. It’s debatable if that’s really a good thing these days, but against a 5-9 Portland squad that is just 3-7 in their last 10, it could matter. Overall, Portland is the better team and should get the win.

Pick: Blazers 103, Lakers 101

Stephen Curry ruled the world on Thursday night, as his Golden State Warriors thwarted a hot start by the Los Angeles Clippers to stay perfect at 13-0. It’s easy to say/read that and move along, but the reality is Curry and these Warriors are playing out of this world right now. Chris Paul randomly started and went 8-8 to get going last night, helping give the Clips a 23-point edge at the break – at home.

None of that mattered and even down 10 with about five minutes to go, the Warriors looked calm and poised as they sunk three after three to storm back. One could say it was the Rockets happening all over again to the Rockets, but this isn’t to be confused with Houston’s lucky run. Golden State can get down and make mistakes, but they have an uncanny ability to bounce back after each blow and finish games.

All that being said, the Warriors return home tonight to take on the Bulls on the second game of a back-to-back. If they’re going to get trapped and finally lose, this could be the perfect spot. Jimmy Butler said he wants to cover Curry, too, so it will be very interesting to see how that works out. Even so, it’s still fairly likely the Warriors are 14-0 come tomorrow.

There’s more to the NBA betting world than the Warriors, though, so let’s go over all the games for Friday night and see which way you might want to be leaning:

76ers @ Hornets

Philly is probably getting closer to a win but they’re as bad as you think they are and will be on the road tonight against a surprisingly decent Hornets team. Nicolas Batum is turning in a career year, Kemba Walker is on fire and Al Jefferson is coming around. Charlotte is at home after a day off and it’s pretty unlikely they cave against a team severely lacking in talent or shooting.

Pick: Hornets 106, Sixers 95

Nets @ Celtics

Normally I might give the Nets a chance to get something going against Boston, but the Celtics have morphed into a deadly team on the defensive end and when Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas are both clicking, their offense can be strong, too. Boston is at home tonight and while the Nets could always go nuts via Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez, there’s a reason they’re 2-10 (1-7 on the road).

Pick: Celtics 98, Nets 90

Spurs @ Pelicans

Anthony Davis returns tonight and the Pellies are at home, but The Brow has been largely soft and can’t carry a team that has simply been hit way too hard by injuries. New Orleans can give the Spurs a fight early but in the end Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge should prove to be too much.

Pick: Spurs 108, Pellies 104

Pistons @ Timberwolves

Detroit has slipped since a hot start, but they still look like a talented playoff contender that can actually defend. Their offense is oddly what is touch and go this year, but against Minnesota (giving up 103 points per game), something tells me they’ll find their stroke tonight.

Pick: Pistons 109, Timberwolves 103

Knicks @ Thunder

Russell Westbrook continues to mash tonight, as Kevin Durant is out again with his still ailing hamstring. Westbrook has poured in 40+ points in two straight games, but he’s only 1-1 in that span. The Thunder remain an impressive offensive machine even without KD, but they’re giving up a remarkable 105 points per game. Luckily the Knicks are coming to town, who aren’t even putting up 99 points per game and don’t have much to threaten with outside of Melo and Kristaps Porzingis.

Pick: Thunder 111, Knicks 105

Rockets @ Grizzlies

James Harden put the Rockets on his back in an overtime thriller the other night, and he may have to do so again to get a big road win against a hated rival. Memphis hosts the Rockets in a huge divisional clash between two formerly elite teams that have been struggling. Normally I’d give Memphis the edge at home, but their trademark defense has been touch and go and the Rockets seem to be inspired at the moment.

Pick: Rockets 97, Grizz 95

Jazz @ Mavericks

Dallas is surprisingly very solid right now, as they’re not even fully healthy and are still working Chandler Parsons back into the rotation. Still, they’re 8-4 thanks to a sick five-game winning streak and play host to a still fairly average Utah squad. The Jazz have the overall edge defensively and could stay in this, but Dallas has improved on defense this year and could hold down the fort at home.

Pick: Mavs 101, Jazz 97

Suns @ Nuggets

Phoenix has been a fun team to watch this year, as Eric Bledsoe is careering and the Suns are playing at a break-neck pace and putting up 105 points per game. They trounced the Nuggets last time they faced this year and while that may not happen again with this one in Denver, it’s hard to not like the Suns in this matchup.

Pick: Suns 109, Nuggets 106

Clippers @ Blazers

Los Angeles suffered a back-breaker last night by blowing a 23-point lead in a home loss to the Warriors. They could cave and lose to a struggling Portland squad, or they could come out angry. I say they’re too mad to lose two in a row, while the Blazers’ awful losing skid hits eight games.

Pick: Clips 110, Blazers 107

Bulls @ Warriors

Jimmy Butler on Stephen Curry? It probably won’t matter. Butler will be too worried about trying to keep up with Golden State, as Derrick Rose is out tonight. The Bulls come in hot with a nice four-game run, but no one can touch the Warriors right now.

Pick: Warriors 106, Bulls 104

Raptors @ Lakers

Toronto is impossible to gauge, as they started the year off a blistering 5-0, but since then are just 2-6. They’re looking at a fourth straight loss tonight if they can’t beat the Lakers on the road. A loss is unlikely even with The Black Mamba back tonight, as L.A. has won just twice all year and is giving up over 105 points per game.

Pick: Raptors 103, Lakers 95

Stephen Curry can’t be stopped. The Golden State Warriors can’t be stopped. The two go hand in hand and it’s about time we all just give in. Of course, that logic will come to a crashing halt at some point, as no team has ever won all 82 NBA games in a season or really even come close. In fact, these very Warriors have survived some real scares in the early going of the 2015-16 NBA season, so as unstoppable as they really do appear, they will be stopped at some point.

It’s probably not happening on Thursday night, though. Curry and co. head to Staples Center to take on a depleted Clippers squad. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan could still make life difficult on the Warriors, but getting a win even at home seems unlikely with Chris Paul and J.J. Redick both doubtful. The matchup is still a strong rivalry game, though, and anytime the Warriors are on the road they seem a little more vulnerable to take a loss.

Does their first loss come tonight? Let’s break down all three NBA contests on the Thursday slate to find out:

Sacramento Kings @ Miami Heat

The Kings are slowly working their way back to respectability following an ugly 1-7 start, as DeMarcus Cousins is back and has played a big hand in winning three of the Kings’ last 10 games. It’s baby steps, but the Kings have won two of their last three and appear determined to fight their way back to .500. That may be a fruitless mission, though, playing in the same division as the Golden State Warriors. Regardless, they bring an up tempo offense to South Beach tonight, where the slower Heat await. Miami will look to slow things down and contain Boogie with Hassan Whiteside, and if their defense stays true (allowing just 91 points per game), they could pull a half game behind the Atlanta Hawks for first place in the Southeast division. It’d be nice to get behind the Kings, but they’re on the road against a team that actually plays defense. As long as Miami can dictate the pace, they should get the win.

Pick: Heat 98, Kings 96

Milwaukee Bucks @ Cleveland Cavaliers

This feels like an easy call, as Cleveland is already down 1-0 in the season series with their divisional foes and is also sliding on a two-game skid. At home, the Cavs won’t take to kind to a 2-0 season series hole to an average Bucks team, nor will they be excited to lose for a third game in a row. I expect LeBron James and co. to come out more fired up than usual as they try to get another eight-game winning streak started. Mo Williams may not be around to help out, though, and that may be the only real reason to worry if you’re thinking about betting on the Cavs. Milwaukee also gets a little stronger tonight, as O.J. Mayo will be available to drop in some buckets off the bench and Jabari Parker will start. Still, Cleveland is the better team and at home, so they should find a way to prevail.

Pick: Cavs 104, Bucks 97

Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Clippers

We’ve already seen this matchup play out earlier this year at Oracle Arena. Seeing as the Warriors are still an unblemished 12-0, we know the end result. The end result hasn’t been amazing for the Clips in general this year, as they’re a decent 6-4 but they’re not blowing the hinges off the door by any means. Golden State very much is, as no one can slow down Stephen Curry and the Warriors are still playing an intense, high level defense (only allowing 98 points per game) even though they’re running around dropping 114 points per game. The defense is even better than we think and while they’re on the road tonight, they aren’t likely to have to deal with Chris Paul or J.J. Redick – both of which are not 100%. If one or both play I’d give the Clippers a mild shot at being the first team to hand the Warriors a loss, but with them out it might be almost impossible.

Pick: Warriors 109, Clippers 106

The Houston Rockets are off to a sluggish 4-7 start and needed to make a change. Head coach Kevin McHale was publicly suggesting that change could be star point guard Ty Lawson being moved to the bench. Instead, it’s McHale that’s being moved.

Per reports, the Rockets have officially fired McHale, who was believed to have “lost the lockerroom” and wasn’t able to fix Houston’s defensive issues. The Rockets were a far better defensive team a year ago, but have struggled to be a consistent defensive force throughout McHale’s tenure. The team has instead been a dominant offensive presence, but with a slow start and things getting worse recently with four straight losses, McHale was made the scape goat.

It’s an interesting move for a franchise that was within striking distance of the NBA Finals a year ago and was looked at as a potential threat to win it all this season. McHale had been part of the solution in the past, as he helped the Rockets to a strong 193-130 record during his time on the sidelines (best winning percentage in Rockets history). The average fan would have thought the Rockets would give McHale more of a chance to turn things around, but the Rockets are moving on from a familiar face after just 11 games.

The job of righting the ship will now fall on interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who has been an assistant coach in the league since 2004. Bickerstaff has not been a head coach at the NBA level, but got his start as an assistant with the Charlotte Bobcats. Bickerstaff also coached as an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves and has spent the last four seasons assisting on McHale’s staff.

It’s certainly worth wondering whether or not Bickerstaff can make a real difference. Houston is currently without center Dwight Howard on back-to-back sets, isn’t getting enough production out of their point guards and isn’t even getting elite consistency out of superstar shooting guard, James Harden. Bickerstaff could potentially re-direct Houston’s efforts on defense, but there are more issues than just the Rockets allowing buckets. The other question will be where the Rockets go from here at head coach. Bickerstaff is unlikely to be the long-term answer and the franchise may feel inclined to make a big move for a more experienced head coach still this season.

Of course, the biggest question of all is what do we make of the Rockets, as they stand? In the ultra competitive Western Conference, they currently do not resemble a playoff team, let alone a title threat. James Harden and Dwight Howard are not laying championship level basketball, Houston isn’t defending and the team as a whole lacks effort and inspiration. It’s possible McHale’s presence wore on the team and his players gave up on him. If so, a change at the top could get the juices flowing again. But if the entire team quite on McHale already, it’s also worth wondering if they have the goods to be winners at the highest level.

It’s still fairly unlikely the Rockets take such a steep dive from being one of the top-five teams in the best conference in the NBA, to dropping out of the playoff picture. You can probably still safely bet on them making the 8-team playoffs. Doing any real damage beyond that, however, is looking less likely be the day.

The Warriors barely avoided their first loss of the 2015-16 NBA season yesterday, as they escaped with a win in overtime of the Nets. Saturday was pretty weird in general, though, and that’s likely a trend for the rest of the weekend. Needless to say, we can probably expect a crazy Sunday.

The games start super early today, so let’s dive in and take a look at who could win all seven matchups:

Pelicans @ Knicks

New Orleans has had a brutal start to the season but they finally get Anthony Davis back today. New York has been better early on this year, but if The Brow is fully back we have to give him and the Pellies a shot.

Pick: Pelicans 105, Knicks 102

Blazers @ Hornets

Charlotte’s defense is picking up, Portland is on a four-game slide and the Hornets are at home. Charlotte is just tougher on the surface and unless both Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum go nuts, they’re not winning many games.

Pick: Hornets 101, Blazers 97

Grizzlies @ Timberwolves

Memphis is slowly righting the ship, but even if they’re not, I can’t see them losing to a still young/bad Timberwolves team. Minnesota started strong, but has now lost three straight. Make it four.

Pick: Grizz 106, T’Wolves 98

Jazz @ Hawks

Jeff Teague is likely out today but the Hawks are at home and Utah doesn’t always have the best offense. Rudy Gobert is also at risk of sitting out his third straight game and his matchup with Al Horford wouldn’t be ideal, anyways.

Pick: Hawks 101, Jazz 94

Celtics @ Thunder

No Kevin Durant again for OKC, but Russell Westbrook is a beast at the controls and the Thunder are at home against an inferior opponent. OKC should get their fourth straight win.

Pick: Thunder 109, Celtics 104

Raptors @ Kings

I believe Toronto is a pretty strong team and that DeMarre Carroll makes them tough and balanced – especially defensively. However, the Kings look determined to prove they’re not a loser and DeMarcus Cousins has been a menace. Sacramento is also at home, so I’m giving them a shot to win a third straight game.

Pick: Kings 104, Raptors 101

Pistons @ Lakers

Detroit started hot but has really fallen off the map with three losses in a row. Nothing like a date with the Lakers to cure that!

Pick: Pistons 106, Lakers 103