NBA Schedule 2014-15: The 1 Game You Can't Miss for Every Team
Heading into the 2014-15 NBA season, a handful of matchups stand out as must-watch events, such as LeBron James' first game back in Miami or Kevin Love's first game back in Minnesota.
Dig deep enough, however, and you'll realize that every squad has at least one game that should merit the attention of all NBA fans. (Yes, even the Philadelphia 76ers.)
In an 82-game season, it's difficult to pick out just one contest worth watching. After all, there's a reason the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers each have roughly 30 national television appearances on the docket this coming year.
What makes a game must-see TV? There aren't uniform criteria for all squads. Some contests should have a major bearing on the playoff race or potential home-court advantage for the NBA Finals, while others could feature a player making his first return to his former team since departing this summer.
A clash between highly touted rookies can attract some serious eyeballs, as should a matchup between two teams that have developed legitimate disdain for one another over the years.
If you're going to only watch one game for every NBA team this year, make sure it's these.
Note: While many of the games featured here will be available on national TV, some require a subscription to NBA League Pass for out-of-market viewers. Blame the NBA's schedulers, not me.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
Friday, Nov. 14: vs. Miami Heat (NBA League Pass)
The Atlanta Hawks made headlines this offseason for all the wrong reasons. An audio recording surfaced of Hawks general manager Danny Ferry saying Luol Deng had "a little African in him" during a conference call with team ownership in June.
Deng, who reportedly considered joining Atlanta this summer before choosing to sign a two-year, $20 million deal with the Miami Heat instead, told reporters that he forgives Ferry, saying, "It's not something I want to hold onto for the rest of my career or the rest of my life." As a result of the comments, Ferry is currently on indefinite leave.
The Deng-Ferry fiasco should only add intrigue to what would otherwise shape up as an already-interesting early-season matchup. Both the Hawks and Heat figure to be in the second tier of Eastern Conference teams this season—a rung below the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls, but likely playoff squads nonetheless.
The battle between Al Horford and Chris Bosh will be the major headliner, as both men seek to establish their place among the Eastern Conference big-man hierarchy.
Injury troubles have plagued Horford in recent years, but when healthy, he's one of the league's top bigs. Bosh, meanwhile, is set to become Miami's go-to man in the wake of LeBron James' departure, as Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling noted.
Throw in one of the league's best shooters (Kyle Korver) squaring off against a 32-year-old ready to prove age hasn't yet slowed him down (Dwyane Wade), Paul Millsap in a contract year and the Hawks' three-point-heavy offense against Miami's high-energy defense, and you have all the makings of a must-watch early-season contest.
Boston Celtics
2 of 30
Friday, Dec. 26: vs. Brooklyn Nets (NBA League Pass)
When the Brooklyn Nets come to Beantown on Dec. 26, it could mark Kevin Garnett's last appearance in the TD Garden.
At Brooklyn's media day, KG openly admitted having considered retirement over the offseason. The 38-year-old is entering his 20th season, and though an NBA title doesn't appear to be at the end of the road for Garnett or the Nets, no one could fault the Big Ticket for hanging up his shoes once his contract expires next summer.
The Boston Celtics might not break out a video tribute like they did for KG and Paul Pierce last year, but emotions should still be riding high in the rafters of the TD Garden on this night.
Boston fans, forever indebted to Garnett for his role on the Celtics' 2008 championship team, will certainly welcome KG back with a standing ovation once more.
This game likely lacks major playoff ramifications—both Brooklyn and Boston will be somewhat long shots to qualify for the postseason this year—but it will contain a few fun matchups worth watching.
Rajon Rondo and Deron Williams will both be out to prove that they're still All-Star-caliber floor generals, while Joe Johnson and Jeff Green could explode for a 30-point night without warning.
The frontcourt battle between KG and Brook Lopez against Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Zeller should also lead to a few highlights throughout the night. Really, though, this game is all about Garnett and Boston fans having a chance to express their mutual admiration for each other one final time.
Brooklyn Nets
3 of 30
Friday, Nov. 7: vs. New York Knicks (NBA League Pass)
The crosstown rivalry between the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks has yet to take off in any meaningful way. Though the seeds were sown early in the 2012-13 season, the stakes simply haven't been high enough for the hostility to command attention outside the New York metropolitan area.
That could all change early in the 2014-15 season, however, as both squads scrape and claw their way toward a playoff berth. And though Paul Pierce is now a Washington Wizard, this Nets-Knicks clash won't be short on former All-Stars.
This will be Carmelo Anthony's first game in Brooklyn since inking his five-year, $124 million extension with the Knicks over the offseason. Now that he's committed to New York for the long term, he'll be that much more intent on converting Nets fans to Knicks fans, especially with Brooklyn seemingly on a downward trajectory.
Nets center Brook Lopez, meanwhile, who's returning from a season-ending broken foot, can use this early-season contest as his personal coming-out party. Samuel Dalembert, Andrea Barganani and Amar'e Stoudemire should prove little match for the Stanford product, who should dominate the boards in this matchup to appease his new head coach, Lionel Hollins.
Anthony, Stoudemire, Lopez, Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Kevin Garnett have combined for 39 All-Star selections, giving local promoters no shortage of material with which to work.
It might not have the sizzle of the Chicago Bulls-Cleveland Cavaliers matchup exactly seven days before, but this first Nets-Knicks tilt could escalate the battle of New York significantly.
Charlotte Hornets
4 of 30
Wednesday, Nov. 5: vs. Miami Heat (NBA League Pass)
The Charlotte Hornets enter the 2014-15 season as a dark-horse conference finals candidate in the Eastern Conference.
They snagged Lance Stephenson in free agency, adding him to an already-talented core of Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker, and hit the jackpot during the NBA draft with Noah Vonleh and P.J. Hairston.
On Nov. 5, they'll get their first real test in the Eastern Conference against the team that swept them out of the playoffs this past spring. Though LeBron James has since left the Miami Heat for Cleveland, the Hornets will assuredly be seeking vengeance for their swift postseason demise.
Even more enticing than the revenge narrative, however, will be the checkered history between Stephenson and Dwyane Wade. The Hornets' new 2-guard earned an ejection after staring down Wade in a mid-March victory, then told reporters during the playoffs that Wade's "knee is kind of messed up, so I have to be extra aggressive and make him run…make his knee flare up or something."
To say there's no love lost between Stephenson and Wade would be a massive understatement. Expect jawing, physical play and some potential antics (ear-blowing, anyone?) when these two are on the court together.
This will be one of the Hornets' first chances to prove that this former laughingstock of a franchise is no laughing matter anymore.
Though the Heat aren't the Eastern Conference favorites anymore, they still have the foundation of a solid playoff team—the type of squad Charlotte must beat if it hopes to advance deep into the postseason.
Chicago Bulls
5 of 30
Friday, Oct. 31: vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (ESPN)
If you're in Chicago on Halloween and you're not at the United Center, you're doing it wrong.
The Chicago Bulls' home opener will feature a Cleveland Cavaliers team that figures to be Derrick Rose and Co.'s greatest roadblock to the 2015 NBA Finals.
Over the summer, Bulls center Joakim Noah told reporters that he was "happy" for LeBron James (in reference to him returning to the Cavs), before saying, "I really hope we can kick his ass as many times as possible."
The rivalry between James and Noah dates back a half-decade now, and the Bulls center isn't a huge fan of the city of Cleveland, either. Luckily for Noah, this first of four regular-season matchups between the two squads takes place in the Windy City, where the Bulls faithful will be out in droves to support their squad.
This game will be Rose's first regular-season action in nearly a year, which should send Chicago fans into a frenzy—just listen to the reception he received last regular-season opener, then multiply that by 100 given the stakes of this game.
His matchup against Kyrie Irving will pit two of the Eastern Conference's top floor generals against one another in an outright slobber-knocker.
The matchup between both teams' new-look frontcourts—Kevin Love for Cleveland and Pau Gasol for Chicago, most notably—only adds to the intrigue of this game.
Though the NBA's opening week is packed with must-see matchups, Friday night's Bulls-Cavaliers game is the main course and dessert rolled into one.
Cleveland Cavaliers
6 of 30
Thursday, March 12: at San Antonio Spurs (TNT)
Though the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs square off early in the season (Nov. 19, to be precise), that matchup won't carry nearly the weight that this mid-March clash will.
This will mark LeBron James' first return to the AT&T Center since being covered in confetti after the Spurs' NBA Finals-clinching Game 5 in June.
With the air-conditioning debacle of Game 1 likely still fresh in James' mind—he had to leave the game early due to severe leg cramping as a result of the AC snafu—revenge will almost certainly be on the mind of the four-time MVP.
The LeBron vs. the Spurs narrative will drive much of the interest in this game, but frankly, this could be a 2015 Finals preview. It will serve as one of the new-look Cavs' best litmus tests before the start of the postseason, as the Spurs should be cruising their way to yet another 50-win season and top-three seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket by this point in the year.
This will be the fifth of a six-game homestand for San Antonio, which should reduce the incentive for San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich to rest his older starters.
Depending on both teams' records at the time, it could also have major implications for home-court advantage in the NBA Finals, should the two teams cross paths there.
Frankly, it boils down to this: LeBron, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters vs. Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili. What's not to love?
Dallas Mavericks
7 of 30
Saturday, Nov. 22: at Houston Rockets (NBA League Pass)
The Dallas Mavericks added fuel to their rivalry with the Houston Rockets over the offseason by signing restricted free agent Chandler Parsons to a three-year, $46 million deal. That makes the Mavericks' first road game in Houston a must-see affair.
In a radio interview over the summer, Dallas owner Mark Cuban acknowledged that the Parsons signing only made the disdain between the two teams stronger, via The Dallas Morning News.
In reference to Houston general manager Daryl Morey, Cuban said, "Every bit of me wanted to kick his ass," and later poked fun at the offseason mishap with Jeremy Lin's jersey number in Houston's wooing of Carmelo Anthony.
Morey fired back at Cuban in an interview with Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski in September, saying, "If the money's equal between the Rockets and Mavericks, I think players are picking Houston. Every time. For Dwight [Howard], I just don't think it was a hard choice between us and Dallas. If you want to win, you're going to want to join our organization."
Parsons' return and the threat of a looming brawl between Cuban and Morey aren't the only reasons to tune in to this early-season matchup, however.
Both Dallas and Houston are entering the year as second-tier Western Conference teams—not title favorites, like San Antonio or Oklahoma City, but strong enough to make some noise in the playoffs.
With Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis squaring off against Howard, James Harden and Trevor Ariza, these two squads will have a chance to establish an early-season pecking order in relation to one another. Get your popcorn ready.
Denver Nuggets
8 of 30
Saturday, March 28: at Portland Trail Blazers (NBA TV)
Are you a fan of high-scoring games with little to no defense? If so, you won't want to miss this late-March clash between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers.
Both squads finished among the top 10 in points per game last season and in the bottom-third in terms of points per game conceded. Each team also ended the year with a top-11 pace, meaning this contest should feature some seriously explosive action with very little defensive resistance.
The Nuggets are welcoming back Danilo Gallinari, who missed the entire 2013-14 season with a torn ACL, and Arron Afflalo, who they acquired via trade the night before the 2014 draft.
Considering Denver finished with the ninth-most points per game last season without the services of either player—both of whom can explode for 20-plus points on a moment's notice—a top-five finish in PPG isn't out of the question this coming year.
Portland should have little trouble going toe-to-toe with the Nuggets in a high-scoring affair, what with Damian Lillard, Wes Matthews and LaMarcus Aldridge in tow. The backcourt matchups—Lillard against Ty Lawson and Matthews versus Afflalo—features four 20-point-per-game scorers waiting to happen.
Seeing Nicolas Batum attempt to smother either Gallinari or Kenneth Faried will only add further intrigue to this matchup. Considering the postseason implications this tilt could have, NBA TV viewers will be in for a treat on March 28.
Detroit Pistons
9 of 30
Saturday, Jan. 31: vs. Houston Rockets (NBA League Pass)
On Jan. 31, new Detroit Pistons head coach and team president Stan Van Gundy gets his first shot at revenge.
Dwight Howard ultimately forced Van Gundy's demise in Orlando, culminating with one of the most awkward pregame media sessions in recent history.
The Magic fired Van Gundy following the 2011-12 season in a desperate, failed attempt to retain Howard's services long term, and SVG decided against returning to the NBA until this past May, when he seized control of Detroit's basketball operations.
Van Gundy inherited quite a headache with this Pistons squad, as the Josh Smith-Greg Monroe-Andre Drummond trio was an unmitigated disaster last season.
SVG isn't yet throwing in the towel on trotting out all three at once, per Pistons.com's Keith Langlois, but he's started each of the team's first three preseason games with only two of the three in the starting lineup.
Regardless of who's starting alongside Drummond, the UConn product is Detroit's biggest storyline this year. If Van Gundy can do for Drummond what he did for Howard in Orlando, the third-year center could conceivably be en route to his first All-Star appearance this season.
His battle against Howard will serve as a great test to see how far he's come in comparison to one of the league's top centers. Though the NBA has moved toward a perimeter-oriented league, seeing these two physical monsters square off against one another will be a must-watch throwback to the past.
Golden State Warriors
10 of 30
Thursday, Dec. 25: at Los Angeles Clippers (TNT)
There's no love lost between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. The two sides waged absolute war against one another in an epic seven-game first-round playoff series this past spring, with the Clippers getting revenge against the Warriors for their postseason ouster the year prior.
Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal dubbed the budding Warriors-Clippers rivalry as the NBA's greatest in the 2013-14 season, and that was before their latest playoff encounter. That makes their first matchup this season, the nightcap on Christmas Day, just about the best way imaginable to wrap up the holiday evening.
Last Christmas, the Warriors and Clippers locked horns in Golden State, where the Dubs escaped with a two-point victory after Blake Griffin was tossed from the game early in the fourth quarter. Griffin told reporters the Warriors played "cowardly basketball" by attempting to get him ejected.
The playoff series only furthered the rivalry along, as neither the Warriors nor Clippers ever held more than a one-game lead. Los Angeles survived a 33-point eruption from Stephen Curry in Game 7, taking the series with a 126-121 victory.
Both teams figure to be back in the playoff mix this coming season, which should make this first meeting between the two quite memorable. Here's guessing the two squads won't find themselves in the Christmas spirit come 10:30 p.m. ET.
Houston Rockets
11 of 30
Wednesday, March 11: at Portland Trail Blazers (ESPN)
The Houston Rockets will enter their March 11 road tilt against the Portland Trail Blazers with only one thing in mind: revenge.
Blazers point guard Damian Lillard served Houston an absolute heartbreaker in the two teams' first-round playoff series this past spring. With Houston clinging to a two-point lead in Game 6, the second-year point guard drilled a three-pointer with less than a second remaining, cementing the upset series victory for Portland.
Dwight Howard, in particular, has been using that crushing loss as motivation ever since. He told Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski that he plans on setting a tone for his teammates this season as they seek to atone for their early postseason demise:
"It's something that I've been thinking about all summer: Playing at that level every single night. Not just waiting for the playoffs. This is my 11th year. There's a thought, 'The regular season is great, but when it's time for playoffs, this is when it gets real serious.' I want it to be where it's serious from Game 1 to end of season, and then take it to another level in the playoffs. That's something that me and Hakeem have talked about.
"
Without Chandler Parsons, Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, knocking off the upstart Blazers in Rose City will be a tall task. Howard and James Harden will need to do the heavy lifting, with new arrival Trevor Ariza playing lockdown defense on the perimeter, for Houston to get revenge on its 2014 playoff foes.
Indiana Pacers
12 of 30
Wednesday, Nov. 19: vs. Charlotte Hornets (NBA League Pass)
Between the free-agent departure of Lance Stephenson and Paul George breaking his right leg during a Team USA scrimmage, the Indiana Pacers had a miserable summer. They immediately transformed to legitimate contenders in the East to a team that will be lucky to make the 2015 playoffs.
When the Charlotte Hornets make their first trip to Indiana on Nov. 19, Stephenson is likely to rub salt in the Pacers' very open wounds.
According to Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling, "...the Pacers' pitch for a five-year contract wasn't sufficient financially, and they wouldn't offer a two- or three-year deal."
Stephenson and his agent preferred signing a shorter contract, knowing the windfall from the new TV deal would result in a massive salary-cap spike over the coming seasons.
Instead, the mercurial 2-guard signed a three-year, $27 million contract with Charlotte, choosing to partner up with a former high school foe, Kemba Walker. Combining that duo with Al Jefferson—a nightly 20-10 threat—makes the Hornets one of the most intriguing dark-horse contenders in the East.
If the Pacers can persevere over Charlotte in this early-season contest, it could send a signal that they won't roll over and die in the absence of George.
Knowing the way Stephenson uses perceived slights as fuel, however, don't be surprised if the Cincinnati product explodes for a triple-double in his first trip back to Indiana.
Los Angeles Clippers
13 of 30
Wednesday, March 11: at Oklahoma City Thunder (ESPN)
The Los Angeles Clippers tip off their 2014-15 season against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Kevin Durant's "Jones fracture" saps much of the appeal from that matchup. Instead, we'll have to settle for the next-best thing: the rubber match between the two squads on March 11 in OKC.
Without Durant, the Clippers figure to take the Oct. 30 matchup with relative ease, while the Thunder should return the favor on Sunday, Feb. 8. That contest will mark the Clippers' seventh game on an eight-game road trip, with a tilt against the Cleveland Cavaliers coming three days prior.
Thus, this March 11 meeting could easily be a rubber match to decide the victor of the season series. If OKC can weather the storm without Durant and stay within striking range of the Clippers in the Western Conference playoff standings, this game could have major ramifications in terms of postseason home-court advantage.
The star power on both sides—Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka for the Thunder; Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan for L.A.—makes this a contest that any casual NBA fan should enjoy.
The two squads locked horns in a highly entertaining Western Conference semifinal series this past May, and this time around, the Clippers won't have the Donald Sterling fiasco hanging over their heads.
An added draw: Steven Adams, tireless irritant that he is, will likely do everything in his power to get under the skin of Blake Griffin. Though Blake may not slug Adams in the jaw like Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph did in the first round of the 2014 playoffs, Adams' unceasing needling of the L.A. bigs will be priceless regardless.
Los Angeles Lakers
14 of 30
Tuesday, Oct. 28: vs. Houston Rockets (TNT)
The NBA couldn't have handpicked a much better opponent for Kobe Bryant's return from a season-ending lateral tibial plateau fracture in his left knee.
With Bryant sidelined, James Harden ascended the throne as the league's most offensively dominant 2-guard. Given how the former uses perceived slights as motivational fuel, there's little doubt that he'll come out firing against Harden and the Houston Rockets, seeking to prove that the old Kobe isn't done for good just yet.
The Los Angeles Lakers' season opener features no shortage of juicy storylines beyond Bryant's first regular-season action in nearly a full calendar year, though.
The Staples Center faithful will almost certainly serenade Rockets center Dwight Howard in boos for choosing Houston over L.A. in free agency last offseason.
Seeing Howard face off against Julius Randle, the franchise's new face of its frontcourt, will be a delectable treat for those who enjoy watching two bigs battle down low.
Jeremy Lin, meanwhile, will make his first start against a Rockets team that shipped him out to the Lakers this summer in a failed pursuit of Chris Bosh. Between Bryant, Howard and Lin, the narratives packed into this game make it a clear must-watch affair.
Memphis Grizzlies
15 of 30
Saturday, Jan. 31: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA League Pass)
Two men will enter. Only one will survive.
Though the stakes might not be quite that high on Jan. 31, the clash between the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder should undoubtedly result in some fireworks.
Memphis fans and Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph alike still harbor hostility toward Thunder center Steven Adams, who had a habit of getting under opponents' skin as a rookie last season.
In Game 6 of the two teams' first-round playoff series this past spring, Z-Bo slugged Adams in the jaw, which resulted in Randolph getting suspended for Game 7.
Without Randolph, the Grizzlies stood no chance against the Thunder in Oklahoma City, finding themselves on the receiving end of a 120-109 beatdown that wasn't nearly as close as the final score might otherwise indicate. This Jan. 31 tilt will be the Grizzlies' first chance to seek revenge against Adams and OKC in Memphis.
The potential for a Randolph-Adams skirmish should only add to the hostility brewing between these two teams over recent years. Writing for ESPN.com this past April, Chris Herrington of The Memphis Commercial Appeal dubbed Thunder-Clippers "one of the NBA's most compelling rivalries," and it's not hard to see why.
Can Kevin Durant solve the defensive enigma that is Tony Allen? Will Russell Westbrook go supernova against Mike Conley and Co.? How many mid-range jumpers will Serge Ibaka drill in the face of Randolph and Marc Gasol? Storylines abound in this must-see midseason matchup.
Miami Heat
16 of 30
Thursday, Dec. 25: vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (ABC)
The NBA gave its fans one of the greatest Christmas presents imaginable: LeBron James' first return to Miami since signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer.
James' decision to leave Miami caught many in the Heat organization off-guard, according to Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick. Heat president Pat Riley described himself as "shocked" to Skolnick and other reporters, while team owner Micky Arison echoed those comments.
LeBron and the Heat got the awkwardness out of the way during a preseason matchup in Rio de Janeiro as part of the NBA's Global Games initiative, complete with James accidentally setting a pick on one of his new teammates to free up Norris Cole.
After the game, James told reporters "it was a special moment for me to be out there competing against my old teammates" and said "a lot of memories came back."
That doesn't mean there won't be lingering hard feelings between the two organizations, however. Skolnick believes Miami's regular-season record will dictate fans' reception of James on Christmas Day, but a cold shoulder from Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade would likely cut LeBron far deeper than 20,000 boos raining down from the rafters at AmericanAirlines Arena.
This game will mark the first of four matchups between the two squads this season, which makes it the first time Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and Co. can test their supporting-cast credentials against James' old partners in crime. Really, though, all eyes will be trained on LeBron, and for good reason.
Milwaukee Bucks
17 of 30
Wednesday, Nov. 26: at Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA League Pass)
NBA fans don't have to wait long before seeing the top two overall picks from this June's draft class square off in a regular-season contest.
Both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks find themselves immersed in the rebuild process, albeit for different reasons. Kevin Love's departure forced Minnesota into an overhaul, while Milwaukee simply made a series of free-agent mistakes that led to a franchise-low 15 wins last season.
Enter Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, the saviors for the Timberwolves and the Bucks, respectively.
Parker is widely seen as the more NBA-ready of the two—his fellow rookies overwhelmingly deemed him the favorite to win this year's Rookie of the Year award—while Wiggins' freakish athleticism appears to give him the higher long-term ceiling.
Though Wiggins and Parker are the main course of this early-season matchup, both teams feature some intriguing appetizers, too. Minnesota's Anthony Bennett looks like a new man after being freed from the shackles of expectations in Cleveland, while Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo is already one of the NBA's most unique players, as Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal noted.
Throw in Ricky Rubio and Gorgui Dieng on Minnesota's side and Larry Sanders and Brandon Knight for the Bucks, and this matchup has all the makings of a must-see contest between two teams likely to find themselves back in the lottery next May.
Minnesota Timberwolves
18 of 30
Saturday, Jan. 31: vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA League Pass)
Though the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in the season (Dec. 23), this game will mark Kevin Love's first return to Minnesota since effectively forcing a trade this offseason.
For the Timberwolves, this will be their chance to prove that they're no worse for the wear in the post-Love era. If No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins hits the ground running and Anthony Bennett continues his strong play from summer league, Minnesota could have a stronger-than-expected young core on its hands worth building around.
Ricky Rubio, in particular, should come out on this night intent on waging war against Cleveland. In the midst of a contract year, he'll have a chance to demonstrate his value against one of the league's top offensive point guards in Kyrie Irving.
Love, meanwhile, will likely only have revenge on his mind. Though he's playing alongside LeBron James, Irving and a bevy of other championship-caliber talent now, he spent the first seven years of his NBA career wasting away on a Timberwolves team that burned lottery pick after lottery pick on busts. (Pour one out for Jonny Flynn.)
After years of being misused—remember when head coach Randy Wittman told him not to shoot threes?—Love should bomb away indiscriminately from deep on this night.
The Cavs should win this game handily—after all, they're a title contender, while the Timberwolves will likely struggle to even make the playoffs—but Love's return to Minnesota makes this a must-watch affair regardless.
New Orleans Pelicans
19 of 30
Thursday, Dec. 18: at Houston Rockets (NBA League Pass)
The New Orleans Pelicans' lack of national TV exposure in 2014-15 is one of the upcoming season's greatest indignities. National viewers will only see Anthony Davis 10 times throughout the year, which is about 72 contests too few for the player widely tabbed as the league's next big thing.
On Dec. 18, The Brow and Co. will travel to Houston to take on a Rockets team with one of the league's top centers, Dwight Howard. Seeing Howard and Davis battle for rebounds will be reason enough to tune in to this matchup, and the two are a near-lock to combine for five blocks or more on the evening.
The Davis vs. Howard narrative takes top billing, but it's not the only storyline of note here. This will mark Omer Asik's first game back in Houston since being unceremoniously dumped for a future first-round pick in the Rockets' failed pursuit of Chris Bosh this summer, which should have him thirsty for revenge.
Jrue Holiday and Patrick Beverley are both defensive bulldogs, which means both teams could struggle to even advance the ball past half court.
When they do succeed, however, James Harden, Trevor Ariza, Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon will be primed and ready to light up the nets with a bevy of baskets.
Throw in the clash between Terrence Jones and Ryan Anderson—one of Howard's former Orlando Magic teammates—and there isn't a matchup that won't command attention. Consider this a one-week-too-early Christmas present from the NBA.
New York Knicks
20 of 30
Sunday, Feb. 1: vs. Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN)
On Super Bowl Sunday, Kobe Bryant will attempt to steal your attention away from 18 straight hours of pregame shows with one of his patented Madison Square Garden eruptions.
The Los Angeles Lakers' trip to take on the New York Knicks will be the first time Kobe crosses paths with two former Laker legends, Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson, who are now the Knicks' head coach and team president, respectively.
Fisher's time in Oklahoma City allowed us to grow accustomed to seeing him on the opposite sideline of Bryant, but seeing Kobe and Jackson not working in harmony will require some serious mental gymnastics.
The Lakers and Knicks both enter the season seemingly on the outside looking in of their respective conferences' playoff races, but much can change between now and Feb. 1.
Even without any potential postseason implications, though, the mano-a-mano matchup between Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony should merit watching on its own.
Bryant broke Bernard King's MSG scoring record nearly six years to the date of this matchup, erupting for 61 points on Feb. 2, 2009. Anthony returned the favor this past season, lighting up the then-Charlotte Bobcats for 62 points on Jan. 24.
Will Anthony or Bryant attempt to re-break the record against one another? NBA fans desperate for intense basketball action to break up the monotony of Super Bowl pregame programming can only hope so.
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30
Tuesday, April 7: vs. San Antonio Spurs (TNT)
Frankly, any of the three matchups between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs—the other two are on Christmas Day and March 25—will be must-watch affairs.
The Spurs and Thunder have squared off against one another in two of the past three Western Conference Finals, and, barring injury, they could be headed for a return date in the 2015 playoffs.
This particular matchup could prove to be the most important of all for both squads, as it's the final one of their three regular-season dates. If the Thunder and Spurs split the season series in their first two contests, this could well help decide which team holds home-court advantage over the other if they do cross paths in the playoffs.
Unlike their March 25 matchup, where San Antonio will be fresh off a road tilt against the Dallas Mavericks the previous evening, neither team will enter April 7 on the second night of a back-to-back.
In theory, that should reduce the odds of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich resting his starters to not reveal any particular strategic adjustments that could arise come playoff time.
The duel between reigning league MVP Kevin Durant and reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard should be nothing short of spectacular, while Russell Westbrook's high-flying act is always a treat to watch against the precision of San Antonio's Tony Parker.
With star-studded supporting casts—Manu Ginobili and Serge Ibaka are two of the league's best No. 3 options—there's nothing not to like about this matchup.
Given the potential playoff implications, this could wind up being one of the most important NBA games in the early weeks of April. It could also be the last time Tim Duncan ever squares off against KD and Co., as the 38-year-old future Hall of Famer could decide to retire after his contract expires at the end of the season.
Orlando Magic
22 of 30
Saturday, Dec. 21: vs. Philadelphia 76ers (NBA TV)
Though a matchup between two rebuilding squads might not have the sex appeal of a Chicago Bulls-Cleveland Cavaliers clash, this Dec. 21 tilt pitting the Orlando Magic against the Philadelphia 76ers merits legitimate attention.
Last December, the two sides met in Philadelphia and battled their way into double overtime, where the Sixers emerged victorious, 126-125.
Both Victor Oladipo and Michael Carter-Williams recorded their first career triple-double that night—Oladipo finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while MCW notched 27 points, 12 boards and 10 dimes.
Carter-Williams and Oladipo finished first and second, respectively, in Rookie of the Year voting this past spring, and this will likely mark the Magic guard's first chance to make voters regret that decision. (Philly and Orlando lock horns on Nov. 5, but MCW might still be sidelined as he recovers from offseason surgery.)
The Magic and Sixers only further intertwined their fates this summer, as Philly traded the 10th overall pick, Elfrid Payton, to Orlando for the No. 12 pick (Dario Saric), the Magic's 2015 second-round pick and the 2017 first-rounder the Sixers originally shipped to O-Town for Andrew Bynum two years ago.
In that Bynum deal, the Sixers also sent Nikola Vucevic and Moe Harkless to Orlando, both of whom could use that as motivation to smite Philadelphia accordingly on this evening.
Neither one of these teams is likely to sniff the playoffs—the Sixers would be lucky to rack up 20 wins, even—but both squads are building toward becoming Eastern Conference powerhouses in the coming years. The MCW-Oladipo matchup could help sow the seeds for one of the league's best budding rivalries.
Philadelphia 76ers
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Friday, Jan. 16: vs. New Orleans Pelicans (NBA League Pass)
Let's face facts: The much-rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers aren't going to have many must-watch matchups this season. This will be one of the very few.
When the Sixers welcome the New Orleans Pelicans to the City of Brotherly Love on Jan. 16, it will serve as a referendum for two very different models of team building.
On the night of the 2013 draft, the Pelicans went into win-now mode, trading the No. 6 overall pick (Nerlens Noel) and a future first-rounder for All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday, a move which had drastic ramifications for both franchises.
A stress fracture in his right tibia sidelined Holiday for a majority of the 2013-14 season, while Michael Carter-Williams, Holiday's heir apparent in Philadelphia, won the 2014 Rookie of the Year award on an otherwise dismal team.
Noel, meanwhile, missed the entire year to recover from the torn ACL he suffered in February 2013 while still at Kentucky.
The matchup between MCW and Holiday will give Philadelphia fans a look at their franchise's past and future, while Noel and fellow Kentucky big man Anthony Davis will square off for the first time in their respective NBA careers. The New Orleans faithful can only watch this game and wonder what could have been with an imposing frontcourt duo comprised of the twin Wildcats towers.
Barring a significant rash of injuries, New Orleans should win this matchup handily, as the Sixers lack the talent to compete with a monstrosity like Davis. (RIP in advance, Henry Sims.)
It's the narratives—MCW-Holiday and Davis-Noel—that should drive NBA fans to tune in to this game, even if they have no rooting interest in either side.
Phoenix Suns
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Thursday, April 2: at Golden State Warriors (TNT)
The Phoenix Suns were one of the 2013-14 season's most pleasant surprises. After oddsmakers tabbed Phoenix for roughly 20 wins, the Suns exploded for 49 victories, just barely missing the playoffs behind Memphis and Dallas.
With Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe back in the fold, Phoenix won't be sneaking up on anyone this time around. The additions of Isaiah Thomas, Tyler Ennis and T.J. Warren only make the Suns that much more potent on offense, although the loss of Channing Frye in free agency won't be easy to overcome.
That offensive potential makes this last-season clash against the Golden State Warriors a clear must-watch affair. In all likelihood, this contest will have major playoff ramifications for one or both squads, which should up the ante significantly.
Dragic and Bledsoe against the Splash Brothers—Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson—is worth the price of admission alone. Both teams also possess stretch 4s—Markieff Morris and Draymond Green—capable of lighting it up from deep on occasion, which only increases the odds of a scoring explosion unfolding on this night.
The Inside the NBA crew should be working its way into postseason form, which only ups the watchability factor here. Who doesn't want to hear Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal drooling over these two talented backcourts?
Portland Trail Blazers
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Monday, Dec. 15: vs. San Antonio Spurs (ESPN)
After pulling off a surprising upset of Houston in the opening round of last year's playoffs, the Portland Trail Blazers proved no match for the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals.
On Dec. 15, Portland gets its first chance at revenge.
That evening, the Blazers will welcome San Antonio to the Moda Center, where 20,000 strong should scream at ear-shattering levels for Damian Lillard and Co.
The Spurs will be on the second night of a back-to-back—having played at Denver the previous evening—but that shouldn't necessitate San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich playing the "rest his starters" card this early into the season.
Assuming Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard do make the trip to Portland, Lillard, Wes Matthews, Nic Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge should be out for blood. To knock off the Spurs, Portland will need to make major strides defensively after conceding the ninth-most points per game (102.8) in 2013-14.
With a stone-cold killer in Lillard lurking, the odds of late-game heroics coming into play here are through the roof. If San Antonio finds itself clinging to a one- or two-point lead in the waning seconds, every single person at the Moda Center will know what's coming next: Lillard Time.
Sacramento Kings
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Friday, Dec. 26: vs. Phoenix Suns (NBA League Pass)
The Sacramento Kings controversially allowed Isaiah Thomas to walk as a free agent this summer, signing Darren Collison in his place.
It wasn't hard to find skeptics of the decision—ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton, Ethan Sherwood Strauss and Amin Elhassan all panned it before Thomas had even signed with the Phoenix Suns (subscription required).
On Dec. 26, Thomas will make his first return to Sleep Train Arena since leaving the Kings, which automatically makes this must-see TV. Only adding to the intrigue: This preseason, Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins told reporters "the ball is moving much better," a not-so-veiled shot at his former floor general.
Though Thomas will assuredly seek to light his old squad up, Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe will take first crack at Collison, Ben McLemore and Nik Stauskas. The three-point shooting ability of the latter two should keep Bledsoe and Gerald Green busy on the defensive end all night, and Collison could wind up playing outside his comfort zone to prove his worthiness as the Kings' starting point guard to Thomas.
Cousins, fresh off averaging 22.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game last season, should face little opposition in this game. He lit Phoenix up to the tune of 20.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game over three contests last year, despite shooting just 37.5 percent from the floor. It's safe to pencil in a 20-10 game here as his absolute floor.
The Thomas vs. Collison narrative will dominate the headlines leading up to the game, but once the two squads take the floor, expect it to become the DeMarcus Cousins show. That is, of course, unless Bledsoe takes matters into his own hands against his former University of Kentucky teammate first.
San Antonio Spurs
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Thursday, Dec. 25: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (ABC)
The San Antonio Spurs will ring in Christmas Day with a rematch of the Western Conference Finals. They'll welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder to the AT&T Center, where OKC was unable to steal a contest in three tries this past postseason, for what promises to be an epic early-season showdown.
The calf injury that sidelined forward Serge Ibaka for Games 1 and 2 played a large part in OKC's inability to knock off the Spurs in San Antonio. When both squads are at full strength, it's difficult to find two more evenly matched foes across the league.
Knock on wood, this should be one of Kevin Durant's first games back after returning from the Jones fracture he suffered during the preseason.
Durant's absence could cause the Thunder to slide slightly further down the Western Conference standings than otherwise expected, making this as much of a must-win game for OKC as possible in late-December.
Kawhi Leonard will largely be tasked with shutting down the league's reigning MVP. And while he may find some degree of success in that mission, Tony Parker and Danny Green are much less likely to limit the damage from explosive Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook, who averaged 26.8 points, 7.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds in the Western Conference Finals this past May.
NBA fans will have two choices on Christmas Day: Either spend time with family, or watch what could be a preview of the Western Conference Finals. Given those two options, the right decision should be plainly obvious. (Sorry, family.)
Toronto Raptors
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Wednesday, Feb. 11: vs. Washington Wizards (NBA League Pass)
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls enter the 2014-15 season as the respective favorites to earn a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals next May. If any team is going to stand in their way, however, it will likely wind up being either the Toronto Raptors or Washington Wizards.
Both Toronto and Washington are led by one of the league's upstart floor generals—Kyle Lowry and John Wall, respectively—and have strong supporting casts to boot.
Bradley Beal and Terrence Ross, the Wizards' and Raptors' starting 2-guards, were taken five picks apart in the 2012 draft, while Washington's Otto Porter and Toronto's DeMar DeRozan are also former top-10 picks.
Beal will miss the first matchup (Nov. 7) between Washington and Toronto due to the wrist fracture he suffered during the preseason, making this third and final meeting that much more important to both squads. It could wind up serving as a playoff-seeding tiebreaker, with the winner earning the right to avoid Cleveland until the conference finals.
The Raptors beat Washington in three of their four meetings last season, with the Wizards' only victory coming in a 134-129 overtime win in late February. Washington may struggle to match Toronto's record this season with Beal sidelined for the first month of the year, which makes this matchup that much more of a must-win for the Wizards.
Come for the Lowry vs. Wall matchup, stay for DeRozan vs. Beal and the battle of two talented frontcourts, particularly Marcin Gortat and Jonas Valanciunas.
These might not be considered marquee franchises in the East just yet, but both squads play an entertaining brand of basketball that make this a must-see contest.
Utah Jazz
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Monday, Jan. 26: vs. Boston Celtics (NBA League Pass)
The Utah Jazz don't figure to have many must-watch games in 2014-15. They're only scheduled for three national TV appearances, or just one more than the moribund Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.
Utah, owners of the league's fourth-worst record last season, thus must rely upon matchup-driven storylines to drive national interest. On Jan. 26, when the Jazz welcome the Boston Celtics to EnergySolutions Arena, they'll have exactly that.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens and Jazz swingman Gordon Hayward haven't made secret their admiration for one another, which dates back to their time spent together at Butler a few years back.
Boston reportedly contacted Hayward on the first day of free agency this year, per the Boston Herald's Mark Murphy, but ultimately couldn't pry him away from Utah. (The Jazz ended up matching Charlotte's max-contract offer sheet for Hayward.)
The Hayward-Stevens connection will always be an enjoyable storyline when these two franchises clash, but it's the matchup between their rookie combo guards that could wind up stealing the show.
Utah snagged Dante Exum with the fifth overall selection this past June, while Boston selected Marcus Smart just one pick later.
Both Smart and Exum figure to play behind more established veterans—Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley in Boston; Trey Burke and Alec Burks in Utah—but the two rookies could ultimately emerge as rivals for years to come. Keep an eye on both here, as they'll each be looking to gain the upper hand on one another.
Washington Wizards
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Friday, Feb. 20: vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (ESPN)
The third meeting between the Washington Wizards and the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers has all the makings of a get-your-popcorn matchup.
LeBron James and the Cavs have a storied history with the Wizards dating back to the mid-2000s. Namely, LBJ and Co. routinely wiped the floor with Washington come playoff time (in the height of the Gilbert Arenas era), leaving a bad taste in the mouth of all Wizards fans nearly a decade later.
Adding to that intrigue will be the preseason kerfuffle between both teams' starting 2-guards, Bradley Beal and Dion Waiters. After Beal declared he and John Wall to be the NBA's best backcourt during the Wizards' media day, Waiters told reporters "that's nonsense," claiming that he and Irving deserve the throne instead.
As Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes later noted, neither duo deserves that distinction heading into the 2014-15 season—it belongs to the Golden State Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. That won't stop all four players from going hard at each other in every matchup this year.
Beal is likely to miss the teams' first two games (Nov. 21 and 26) due to his fractured left wrist, turning this third contest between the two into the circle-your-calendar event of the year for Wizards fans. It'll be put-up-or-shut-up time for Beal and Waiters, particularly, which should be a treat for any NBA fan.
