The NBA released the regular season schedule for 2015-16 today, and it is full of drama right off the bat. Here are 10 games you can’t afford to miss this upcoming season.
Golden State Warriors at New Orleans Pelicans (October 27 on TNT)
The last game on opening night has a high chance of being the most entertaining, too. In one corner, you have Steph Curry, fresh off his MVP campaign, and the Golden State Warriors, fresh off a dominating championship run. They return, fully intact, perhaps even stronger now with Jason Thompson. In the other corner you have Anthony Davis, a near-mortal-lock to win MVP sometime soon, and more importantly, essentially dominate the entire league. Davis will be commanded by new Pelicans coach, the highly sought-after Alvin Gentry, who was crucial to the Warriors winning the championship last season as he served on Steve Kerr’s bench. While this isn’t a match-up of two of the NBA’s best teams, it’s a showdown between two of its best players, those who are at once the present and future of the league.
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City (October 28 on ESPN)
The first night of NBA action starts off with a bang, and the second night is no letdown. This game marks Kevin Durant’s return to action, and is the start of a season sure to be rife with scrutiny for the former MVP, both because of his injury and his impending free agency. It’s also the first time we’ll see the Thunder operating in a new offense, thanks to new head coach Billy Donovan. As for San Antonio, it’s the debut of the new-look Spurs, with LaMarcus Aldridge donning silver and black for the first time. Will he integrate seamlessly into San Antonio’s system, or will there be major kinks and, as such, major concerns?
This game is at once a measuring stick for both teams as they undergo major changes, and a match-up between two teams who, when finally healthy, are among the elite of the entire NBA.
Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers (October 30 on ESPN)
On opening night, the Cavaliers play the Chicago Bulls, who could legitimately challenge the Cavs for the top spot in the East. Just a few days later they face the Heat. Don’t mistake this for a major drop-off in competition, though. The Heat dealt with an overwhelming amount of injuries last season, and were a mere shell of themselves down the stretch. At full strength, this team sports one of the most dangerous starting lineups in the entire NBA, with Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside. The Dragic/Bosh pick-and-roll, which we were unfortunately deprived of last year, should be a highly lethal combination. This will be a good barometer for the Heat as they start their campaign to once again join the East’s elite.
Oh, and, let’s not forget the whole “LeBron James versus his old team” thing, which is always a fun subplot.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Washington Wizards (November 10 on League Pass)
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PREPARE FOR RUMORS AND SPECULATION GALORE.
Kevin Durant makes his only appearance to his native Washington, D.C. during the regular season in what will almost assuredly be a spectacle. Now, while the Wizards can’t officially recruit Durant during the season, expect them to go all-out with not-so-subtle Durant-to-D.C. overtures. Expect thinkpieces, uninformed analysis, and rumors aplenty in the days leading up to and after this game. Prepare for unnamed sources about Durant’s longing to come home, and a conflicting report saying Durant doesn’t want to leave. The basketball game itself should be a very good game – when is Russell Westbrook versus John Wall not entertaining? – but everything surrounding it will take a very normal regular season game into the realm of the absurd.
Los Angeles Clippers at Dallas Mavericks (November 11 on ESPN)
This is not the first time the Clippers and Mavericks will face off in the season. However, it’s the first time the Clippers will face the Mavericks on the Mavericks’ home court. Any other year, this would be nothing more than a quality regular season game against one top-level Western conference team and one mid-level Western conference team. But this is not any other year.
In this year, we had the summer of emojis and going back on your word and “then they played cards.” We had the summer of DeAndre Jordan. Had Jordan kept to his word, this game would still be intriguing, because it would pit the center against his former team. Instead, it pits Jordan, still with the Clippers, against the team he originally committed to joining. Will he and jilted bestie Chandler Parsons shake hands? Will Mark Cuban have certain antics planned? Will Paul Pierce learn how to use an emoji?
San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers (November 11 on ESPN)
Just a few weeks ago, former Portland Trail Blazer LaMarcus Aldridge said he expects to get booed when he returns to Portland for the first time this season. Well, on November 11, he’ll have the chance to prove his hypothesis. This will also be a good chance for fans to see how the Spurs have adjusted to their new status quo – top heavy with not as much depth as before. As far as quality of game is concerned, however, don’t expect much. The Blazers are much diminished as a team, entering the first year of their rebuild. Damian Lillard will still probably light it up, but the Blazers, once one of the most explosive teams in the league, now don’t have near the firepower needed to stick with the Spurs.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Milwaukee Bucks (January 2 on League Pass)
This may be a bit surprising. A middling Eastern conference team against a Western conference team that will be lucky to sniff the tenth seed – what’s so “can’t-miss” about that? Well, it may not have much impact for this season, but it’s a very fun peek into the future of the NBA.
The Timberwolves are loaded with talent, from seeming surefire star Andrew Wiggins, first overall pick Karl Towns to high-flier Zach LaVine. If they all realize their immense talent, they could be a juggernaut for years to come. The Bucks are nearly their mirror image, as Giannis Antetokounmpo made the leap last year from “fun but not good” to “actually good” and still has swaths of room to improve, while Jabari Parker returns from an unfortunate ACL tear in his rookie year. It may not be a good game. It may not even be fun. But, at the very least, it’s a window into the league’s future.
San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors (January 25 on NBA TV)
It’s the prohibitive favorite versus the reigning NBA champions. This was the match-up we all assumed we’d get in the Western Conference finals, only to have the Clippers throw a huge wrench in those plans with a terribly exciting seven-game series. Will the Spurs, reloaded as they are, overcome the seemingly unstoppable Warriors offense and defense? Is LaMarcus Aldridge going to be that much of a difference-maker? Will Gregg Poppovich even care at all?
Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks (February 26 on ESPN)
With all of the talk surrounding the revamped Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks, owners of the best record in the East last season, are flying under the radar. True, they lost DeMarre Carroll, so integral to their wonderful success last year, but they still return Al Horford, Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver (though, not immediately, thanks to an ankle injury), Paul Millsap and Dennis Schröder. They’ve also added 7’3 Walter Tavares, seemingly trading in versatility for size. This match-up with the Bulls will be a chance for the Hawks to see how they stack up against the newly improved top-tier of the East.
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers (April 13 on ESPN)
Sure, there are better games on the last day of the season: Hawks vs. Wizards, Clippers vs. Suns, Grizzlies vs. Warriors. But there’s a chance this game could actually have immense meaning. The Jazz’s playoff chances were hurt greatly by Dante Exum’s injury, but not banished altogether. It will be difficult, as the West is even tougher this year, but the Jazz are one of the reasons for that drastic improvement. They have a chance, albeit a small one, at the eighth seed. Knowing how brutal the West is, the Jazz’s playoff destiny could come down to the last day, and this last game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers, meanwhile, most certainly will not be in the playoff hunt. Still, every win is important for them, as they owe their first round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers this year. Losing means a higher draft pick, which means a higher draft pick for the ever-tanking Sixers.
Then there’s this: It might be the last time we ever get to watch Kobe Bryant play.
