Dallas Mavericks @ Milwaukee Bucks – 8:00 pm – NBA TV

Screw the kids, dogs, wives, girlfriends, mistresses, the Monday TV lineup (especially a crappy Ravens-Browns MNF game) … basically, anything you can think about doing, don’t do it.

Watch. Brandon. Jennings.

You’ve heard he’s a punk. You’ve heard he’s awesome. You’ve heard about him dropping 55 points in a game and almost sh*t your pants/dropped your drink (if you’re like me). Unfortunately, at the time I had no one with NBA knowledge to turn to for discussion … and I also realized that I haven’t concentrated on Brandon Jennings’ playing skills since he dazzled in the McDonald’s All-American game.

The icing on the cake/biggest endorsement of Jennings the player is that his Milwaukee Bucks are 5-2, 4-0 at home … THE BUCKS! The last time the Bucks won five out of their first seven, Tony Kukoc was in the league.

I know what I’ll be doing tonight at 8pm. With a limited NBA schedule otherwise, you best be doing the same.

Prediction: Dallas 101 – Milwaukee 96

Charlotte Bobcats @ Orlando Magic – 7:00 pm

Captain Jack’s agent, Mark Stevens, said Stephen is “happy about the trade, delighted about the trade.” In related news, Stevens sold a jar of fecal matter to a commode after taking a swig before talking. In some circles, Stevens is known as the Drew Rosenhaus of the NBA … and that’s pretty much all that needs to be said.

“Delighted” about going to Charlotte? Really? That’s like saying your delighted about an upcoming prostate exam.

Not to knock Charlotte … although a team led by Golf Course Jordan is a sh*t show in its own right. But this is more of an indictment of Cap’n Jack … as in him eventually requesting a trade out of Charlotte is 18X more likely than him popping a cap n somebody, which happening is well within reason.

Don’t bother yourself with this game. Not only are the Bobcats bad (albeit, they’ve got a better record than those goddamn Washington Wizards), but they play at the slowest pace in the NBA. And Orlando is not exactly fast with their pace ranked 21st.

Seriously, you’re better off watching the commercials during the game below … or even the Ravens-Browns.

Prediction: Orlando 121 – Charlotte 87

Portland Trailblazers @ Atlanta Hawks – 7:00 pm

This crunkest game of the night …. Block Party.

• Steve Blake returns to Atlanta, where he won a National Championship with the Maryland Terps in 2002.
• If fate would have been better aligned, Juan Dixon would be on the Hawks … but he was cut in the preseason. Dixon essentially played his way out of the NBA with his crappy play for the Wizards last season.
• Dixon is now evidently teaming up in Greece with Aaron Miles, who played on the Kansas Jayhawks team that Maryland beat in the ’02 semis.
• Blake will, however, be going against his fellow Terp Joe Smith.

Random Stats:

• The Hawks are 3rd in the league in PPG (108) and FG% (48.6).
• Portland is 5th in blocks (6.4), Atlanta is 4th (6.5).
• Portland leads the league in FT% (83.1).
• Josh Smith averages 7.3 shot attempts at the rim per game, 7th in the NBA.
• Smith also leads the league in blocks per game (2.6), Greg Oden is 2nd (2.45).
• Joel Pryzbilla leads the NBA in Total Rebound Rate (24.2).

Watching Brandon Jennings will be great, but this might be the better game. It’s all about which team will instill their pace upon the game. The Hawks rank 9th in that category, the Blazers rank 28th.

Joe Johnson vs. Brandon Roy … good stuff.

Prediction: Atlanta 96 – Portland 88