Get your Suns active this week, with five on the calender.

The NBA season is underway. Some players seem to have a small hangover from last season, like LeBron James, but do not expect it to last long – after his dismal season opener, he’s already followed it up with a 45-point performance. Other players are picking up where they left off last season like as Washington’s Gilbert Arenas, who made a three-pointer to put the first Wizards game of the season into overtime (where they lost because of poor team defense). And it may be getting cold outside, but the heat is being turned up in the Lone Star state with an early season match up of two powerhouse teams.

Five Games: Phoenix, Denver, and Toronto

Do not count on Shawn Marion’s offseason trade demands to be a distraction. The Suns will be on a mission, not to mention their soft schedule for the week. Denver should also run up the score this week with Boston being the only real competition in the schedule. Carmelo Anthony will be able to visit his pre-NBA stomping grounds when the Nuggets face the Wizards. If you like offense, this might be one of the highest scoring affairs of the week as Agent-Zero is sure to shoot the ball without a conscience.

Four Games: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, L.A. Clippers, Minnesota, New Orleans, Orlando, Seattle, and Utah

The most intriguing team right now is Boston. It will be interesting to see how all of the superstar talent meshes. With an easy schedule, look for them to take an early season lead in the East. Facing teams that are in the bottom half of the league, look for King James to dominate the stat sheets. Point guard Rafer Alston will surprise people. He came to camp in amazing shape and should be able to handle more minutes on the floor. More minutes translates to more stats. And most of the starters for San Antonio will be safe bets, with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker leading the way. Manu Ginobili will come off the bench and light up his own personal charity stripe – the three-point line.

Three Games: Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Indiana, L.A. Lakers, Memphis, Miami, New Jersey, New York, Portland, Sacramento, and San Antonio

The Lakers get to play two of the weaker squads in Minnesota and New Orleans, who are dealing with some injuries. Kobe Bryant will get his stats, but some other Lakers will also contribute. Kwame Brown will snag some rebounds and add 15 points a nights. Andrew Bynum is also coming along, and should get a fair share of rebounds and some more playing time. Look for Golden State’s Stephen Jackson to add 25 points per showing as well as a handful of rebounds and assists. Baron Davis, who is better than average at steals, will also get some points and assists.

Two Games: Golden State, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Washington

There are not too many good match ups in this group. Golden State and Milwaukee are facing stronger opponents. The Wizards game against New Jersey might be the most interesting, with the high scoring Wizards offense going against Vince Carter and Jason Kidd. Carter and Richard Jefferson should have a good time against the non-existent defense of the Wizards.

Best Games

Monday, November 5th, 2007
Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks

Two offensively powered teams from Texas square off in an early season matchup. With Rick Adelman now the head coach, look for Yao Ming to be the focal point of the offense. That does not mean Tracy McGrady will not get his points; he will. Dirk Nowitzki, the reigning MVP, will be on the opposite site of the ball, and he will be sure to step up his game after some disappointing playoff performances in the previous two seasons. In what is arguably the strongest conferences in the NBA, these two teams will battle with San Antonio down the stretch for playoff positioning.

Friday, November 9th, 2007
Phoenix Suns at Miami Heat

The Suns come into Miami with a squad stacked with all-star talent. The Heat will have Dwyane Wade back, but look for him to play cautiously. This will be the second or third game he plays in coming back from his shoulder surgery, and he will still be feeling things out. Shaquille O’Neil needs to step up and pound the inside. If he doesn’t, it’s going to be a long night for the Heat fans.

Top Players This Week

Point Guards
Tony Parker
Chauncey Billups
Chris Paul
Steve Nash

Shooting Guards
Manu Ginobili
Allen Iverson
Tracy McGrady
Ray Allen
Kobe Bryant

Power Forwards
Tim Duncan
Shawn Marion
Chris Bosh
Kevin Garnett
Chris Bosh

Shooting Forwards
LeBron James
Carmelo Anthony
Tayshaun Prince
Rashard Lewis
Kevin Durant

Centers
Marcus Camby
Yao Ming
Tyson Chandler
Amare Stoudemire

Sleepers
Mike James
Sam Cassell
David West
Hedo Turkoglu
Chris Wilcox
Andrea Bargnani