Over the last couple of years the Chicago Bulls have started to make some noise in the eastern conference.  But, the Bulls are struggling a bit to start of this year, winning only one of their first six games.  What the Bulls need to get back on track is a couple games against less than spectacular teams.  Problem is, they won’t get that at Phoenix.  The Suns are led by two time NBA MVP Steve Nash.  This season Nash is averaging 22.9 points per game and just under nine assists per game. 

The nearly 23 points per game is almost ten points above his career average of 14 per game.  To say he’s off to a great start would be an understatement.  The Bulls are led by former sixth man Ben Gordon.  Gordon is off to a good start, averaging 18 points a game, but he isn’t getting much help from teammates at this point.  Their one win of the year came against a decent team, the Detroit Pistons, so Bulls fans know the potential is there, they are just waiting for it all to click.  Chicago currently lacks a defensive presence, mainly because Ben Wallace has been battling injuries all year, and even before that he has struggled to be the force he once was.  Tough game for Chicago here.  As long as Phoenix doesn’t take the Bulls for granted, which would be hard to believe with a leader like Nash, I think the Suns take this one fairly easily. 

A great early season match-up pits the defending champions San Antonio (6-1) Spurs against the team that finished with the best record last year, Dallas Mavericks (4-2), in a battle of Texas.  Dallas continues to be one of the most exciting teams in the league to watch.  One of last years biggest surprises, Josh Howard, currently leads the team in points with 23 a game.  Dirk Nowitzki is right behind him with 19 points per game.  Both of the Mavericks losses have come on the road, in this one they will have the benefit of home cooking.

Manu Ginobili leads San Antonio with just under 20 points a game.  When he isn’t scoring, it’s long time Spurs captain Tim Duncan taking over.  Duncan is averaging a double-double this year, 17 ppg and 10 rpg.  If Duncan is beginning to lose a step in his tenth season, he has failed to make that public.  The Spurs-Mavericks game is an interesting battle because it pits an up tempo team like Dallas against a team that looks to execute more in a more deliberate manner.  As their record indicated, the Spurs have only lost once, as they continue to show that the West division starts with them.  Despite playing the Mavericks at home, I think the Spurs will take this one in a close game.  This game is just the beginning of back-to-back games against Texas teams.  They play Houston after this one. 

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