The FIBA World Championships is not the only thing to get excited about this August for Hoops fans. While our Pigskin Bretheren are on the road checking out training camps across the nation, we got the release of the 2010-2011 NBA schedule on Tuesday.
The release of the schedule gives us our first chance to start circling the calendar and getting excited to see the biggest stars clash and the most interesting storylines play out on the hardwood.
Complete schedules for all 30 teams can be found here.
So without further ado, here is your incredibly premature collection of the must-see games in the 2010-2011 season:
Tuesday October 26 – Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics – Miami Thrice takes on the defending Eastern Conference Champs. The old triumvirate against the new power trio. King James takes on the team that ended his last season as a Cavalier. Combine all of this with Shaq’s arrival in Boston and the season tip-off, and this is about as hyped as it could get.
Thursday October 28 – Washington Wizards @ Orlando Magic – John Wall makes his NBA debut in the brand new Amway Center in Orlando. It is not exactly the ideal opponent for the former Wildcat, with their division foes having won the Southeast three years in a row, but it will be a great litmus test for Wall going up against Jameer Nelson.
November 16-27 – Chicago Bulls West Coast Swing – The Bulls are one of the most fascinating teams going into the new season. Having been wildly inconsistent in the regular season, spectacular in the playoffs, and now bringing in Carlos Boozer, you have to think that the Bulls are working their way up with Miami, Boston, and Orlando as part of the Eastern Conference elite. This road trip includes Rockets, Spurs, Mavericks, Lakers, Suns, and Nuggets before finishing in Sacramento against the Kings. My guess is by the end of this trip we will have a much better idea of what kind of team they can become.
Thursday December 2 – Miami Heat @ Cleveland Cavaliers – LeBron James’ return to Cleveland. This one will obviously carry much more sentimental value than Bosh’s return to Toronto (Feb. 16), but the question has been raised as to if LeBron would play. After everything that has transpired this season, it would not surprise me if the Heat decide to rest James for this game to avoid the public abuse. I would not have said that about James before this offseason, but everything seems to be different now.
Saturday December 25 – Miami Heat @ LA Lakers – The defending champs welcome the Heat to the Staples Center on Christmas Day. Doesn’t get much bigger than that.
Saturday January 8 – Memphis Grizzlies @ Oklahoma City Thunder – Two of the Western Conference’s youngest (and most exciting) teams will face off for the first time January 4 in Memphis then travel for a fast rematch in in the Ford Center. Both games will draw intrigue based on the talent level and style of play, but if Rudy Gay is playing max-contract level basketball we could get a chance to see an instant classic between two of the game’s youngest stars.
Sunday January 30 – Boston Celtics @ LA Lakers – First rematch of the 2010 NBA Finals since that memorable Game 7 in the Staples Center. Now the C’s will be bringing a familiar face with the Big Leprechaun on the roster, the Lakers will also be countering with an old Celtics foe in Matt Barnes. This revitalized rivalry may be winding down with age, so you’ll want to catch as many of these showdowns as you can.
Sunday February 27 – LA Lakers @ Oklahoma City Thunder – Do you remember how loud the Ford Center got during OKC’s first round matchup with the eventual champs? If you didn’t believe in Kevin Durant and the Thunder, you certainly had your mind changed quickly. The Thunder will get a chance to get revenge on LA at home in a nationally televised Sunday matinee game.
