As the NBA heads into the holiday season (it comes quicker every year Yes, Mariah Carey is defrosting as we speak), TNT hosts one more basketball doubleheader with the only other matchup being the Clippers and Magic.
NBA Players to watch on Tuesday Night:
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Every day that includes the Spurs will most likely have Victor Wembanyama on this list. The rookie had an amazing night two games ago against the Rockets where he was able to get 21 points and 12 rebounds. After the game against Houston, the young stud struggled against the Clippers on the offensive end as he only ended up with 11 points.
It will be interesting to watch whether the international player will be able to bounce back against his poor performance in his last game. It will be interesting to see if Jusuf Nurkic is able to handle Victor Wembanyama. Nurkic is the type of center that Frank Vogel wanted and this will be another huge challenge to whether this team can handle good/talented big men going forward.
Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
Devin Booker will not play in his first game since his debut game against the Warriors. The player has been missing with an ankle injury and will be missed against the Spurs. San Antonio doesn't have a lot of talent but is an emerging young team that can be able to challenge you if you can't put them away.
As Booker is unable to play, the burden will fall to Kevin Durant once again. The former MVP has been able to hold his own but has clearly missed his other two partners in crime. Yes, the Suns have been 1-1 in their two games without Booker and Bradley Beal but the team isn't playing with a lot of margin for error without these two players.
Julius Randle, New York Knicks
In the two games that he has taken more than 11 shots, Julius Randle has struggled to shoot the ball mightily Randle comes into this game with a lot to prove and needs to show out in the next couple of games. The one-time all-NBA player will be looking to get together his offensive skills. At some point, the Knicks will need their starting player to get going.
Despite the 1-2 record, the Knicks have been looking good so far this season. (New Orleans's loss was on a back-to-back). Taking away a poor shooting performance against the Celtics, the team has been able to perform well enough.
New York probably would have won if Randle was shooting better in their opening loss against the Celtics. It has yet to be seen whether the Knicks can beat the Cavs if Randle struggles. For the veteran's sake, it should be hoped that the Knicks win and Randle shoot well.
