Darren and Vic’s Takes: Week Seven Preview

Published: Thursday, December 4, 2025

by Darren Worrell and Victor Lisboa

Week Seven is here, which means it is time for a new week of basketball. That said, Vic and I are back to talk about the games that we feel will be must-watch TV this week. 

Darren: Portland Trailblazers vs Detroit Pistons

The Portland Trailblazers and the Detroit Pistons face off at the Little Caesars arena Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

Coming into this matchup, Portland has a lot of momentum after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 122-110 in a game where Deni Avdija went off for 27 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in his 36 minutes of playing time.  

With this win, the Trailblazers were able to pick up their ninth win of the season, which is good enough for 10th in the western conference.  

The Pistons fell short to the Milwaukee Bucks in a thriller 113-109 at Fiserv Forum. Giannis Antetokounmpo left early, but the reserves on the Milwaukee bench still managed to get the job done without him. The loss did not do much to the Pistons, as they still remain the top seed in the East with a 17-5 record. 

Both teams enter the game playing strong basketball. While Portland’s record currently places them in play-in territory, they have shown that they can compete and beat many of the top teams. Their resume already includes wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Orlando Magic.

They might not be the best team on paper, but they play hard, execute well, and have a great young core that keeps them competitive.  

With Damian Lillard out for the season, the Blazers have turned to Deni Avdija, who has emerged as a young star. He is averaging 25.8 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, and 6.1 assists per game. 

Moreover, their supporting cast has stepped up. Five other players are averaging double figures for the season, including Shaedon Sharpe, Jerami Grant, Jrue Holiday, Donovan Clingan and Toumi Camara. Therefore, this Blazers team can present some serious challenges for the Pistons. 

On the other hand, this Pistons team has shocked the league with their dominant start. After finishing at the bottom of the east two seasons ago, they made the playoffs last year and now have taken another leap, starting this season as the strongest team in the conference. At one point they rode a seven-game winning streak, and even with minor setbacks, they have not slowed down. 

They are led by Cade Cunningham who is averaging a team best of 28.2 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game, and 9.3 assists per game.  Otherwise, it has been a full-out team effort as four other players are averaging double figures, while eight other players are averaging at least six points per game. 

With the current trends between these two squads, expect a great game highlighted by these  talented young players. 

Victor: Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celtics

The Lakers and Celtics represent one of the greatest and most coveted rivalries in all of sports. Meeting only twice a season, it’s always a great matchup to catch, and this Friday night, it will be on Amazon Prime at 7 p.m. 
  
The Lakers currently sit at 2nd in the west, with 3 teams half a game behind them. Luka Doncic is currently leading the league in scoring and is fourth in assists, with numbers of 35.3 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 8.9 APG. Doncic is proving that at age 26, he remains one of the league's premier stars, on one of the league's most coveted teams.  
  
His co-star Austin Reaves is having a career year, making the leap to ninth in scoring, averaging 28 PPG. He has provided Doncic with a reliable backcourt mate who helps ease the pressure. Lebron James has also recently returned after missing the first 14 games with a sciatica issue. His numbers across the board have been down, but he should still be on the Celtics scouting report, as he can still greatly impact any game.  
  
The Boston Celtics have obviously been without their star forward Jayson Tatum from an Achillies tear he suffered in the 2025 playoffs. This team also made numerous big changes in the offseason to clear cap space and give themselves more flexibility.  
  
This team has had to lean heavily on Jaylen Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, to lead the way. In Tatum’s absence, several players have really upped their game. One of them being former Oregon Ducks star guard Payton Pritchard. He was the 6th man of the year last season, becoming one of the best scoring and shooting threats off the bench, in the league. He’s now having a career season at age 27 averaging 17 PPG.  
  
Pritchard shares the backcourt with Derrick White and offseason acquisition Anfernee Simons. He was a major returning piece for the Celtics, swapping him with Jrue Holiday, in an effort to clear cap space. He has been solid for Boston off the bench shooting 13.8 PPG, shooting 40% from three.  

However, I can see Simons, (whose 27-million-dollar contract expires this season) being a key part of a trade to bolster the Celtics front court. With Tatum out and Kristaps Porzingis being shipped off to Atlanta in the offseason, this team will need as much front-court depth as they can find.

The Celtics currently occupy the 6-seed in the East, with a 12-6 record. With Cleveland, Atlanta, and Philadelphia all within a game behind Boston, I expect the Celtics to be active near the trade deadline.

This should be a fun game to watch, with these being one of the oldest rivalries in sports and having two of some of the best back courts in the league.

Darren Worrell can be reached at darren.worrell@student.shu.edu.

Victor Lisboa can be reached at victor.lisboa@student.shu.edu.

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