The New Jersey Nets started off a bit slow, but after going on a steady winning streak since the initial decline, the Nets are right in the hunt of things in the Eastern Conference.  However, they have hit a mini-slid here of late, dropping three in a row, but two of those games were against the Boston Celtics and the Portland Trailblazers, both very good teams.  It won’t be easy for them to turn it around when they travel to Golden State and take on the Warriors.  Nets point guard Jason Kidd will be more than up for the challenge, as he has been putting up triple-doubles at a quick rate.  Kidd is averaging 11.5 points, 10.7 and 8.6 rebounds a game.  He is also good on the defensive side of the ball, averaging 1.7 steals a game.  Richard Jefferson leads the team with in scoring with 23.9 points a game. 

To match wits with Kidd will be Warriors point guard Byron Davis.  Davis leads his team in points, assists and rebounds.  When Davis is healthy, which he has been the majority of this year; he is among the best players in the entire league.  In the past couple of years Golden State has continued to get better, while playing for a playoff position on the bottom half of the eligible standings.  There 23-17 record puts them about there, but as they proved against Dallas in the first round last season, they surely aren’t an easy out.  Any game between Davis and Kidd is a treat, but I feel Davis will come out the victor in this one, with home court advantage being the main factor. 

Things in Miami aren’t looking so hot, at least on the basketball court.  As of this writing the team has lost 11 games in row.  Things started poorly when Dwayne Wade went down with in injury in the opening games of the season, and have continued to spiral out of control since.  Coach Pat Riley is continually on the hot seat, and the play of Shaquille O’Neal has also slowed down, which can be expected from a player who had the term “hack a Shaq,” named especially for him.  Wade is back, and is personally playing well, averaging over 24 points a game, but as the old adage goes, he can’t do it all himself.  Back up center Alonzo Mourning is also gone for the year, putting even more stress on the bench.  Things won’t get any better when the Spurs come into town.

San Antonio is also in a mini-funk, losing five of ten, and owning a below .500 record on the road.  Like the Heat, the Spurs tough road can be attributed to bad health.  Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili have both seen considerable time on the injury list this year, but seem to be coming out of it now, bad news for the rest of the league.   Tony Parker is currently the number one offensive weapon on the team, averaging 20.2 points a game. 

The Heat are a team that are sinking fast.  I guess it won’t be a shocker here when I expect the Spurs, despite the slight slide lately, will go to Miami and take care of business in their generally usually effective way. 

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