Ten Intriguing Games For The Celtics This Season

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Being asked to choose the 10 best Celtics games of the season is like being  given a 10 toy limit at Toys 'R' Us when you've won a free shopping spree.I tried not to go for the obvious, but some games were just too important to ignore. So, without further ado, here are my ten games to watch this season:

1) Tuesday, October 27, 2009: Celtics at Cavaliers. The inaugural game of the season usually holds a certain electricity in the air, but, much like last season, the opening of the 2009-2010 Boston Celtics season brings with it a storm of story lines. The LeBron James/Paul Pierce matchup is always fun, but what about this being the first time the starting five that won the 2008 NBA Championship for the Celtics takes the court together since February 19? Surely Celtics fans are more than ready to see Kevin Garnett return to the basketball court.

On top of that, it’s the debut of a slew of players for their new teams: Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels and Shelden Williams for the Celtics and Shaquille O’Neal, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon for the Cavs. And if that isn’t enough reason to watch already, the Quicken Loans Arena was something of a House of Horrors for the Celtics last season, as they posted an 0-2 record in Cleveland, losing by an average of 23.0 points. Will they be able to find comfort on Cleveland’s home court this year? And it should be mentioned that both these teams are arguably the favorites to win the Eastern Conference and are both coming off of 60-win seasons.

2) Friday, November 20, 2009: Celtics vs. Magic. Staying with the heavy weights of the Eastern Conference, November 20 will mark the first time these two teams have met since the Magic ousted the Celtics in Game 7 of last year’s Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.  With both teams making significant roster changes since their last encounter, this will be the first chance for the Celtics to prove they are indeed the superior squad. And if one game is not enough, these two teams will meet just over a month later in Orlando for a Christmas Day rematch.

3) Wednesday, January 20, 2010: Celtics at Pistons. Keep your eyes and ears on the crowd at the Palace of Auburn Hills on this night as Rasheed Wallace makes his return to Deeeetroit. Will the fans greet Wallace with a steady outpouring of affection for his key contributions to the 2004 championship team and his five and a half years of service? Or will they recoil at the sight of him, choosing to see him as the man whose heart and determination were steadily questioned throughout his last season in Michigan? Will a smattering of boos reign down on him every time he touches the ball, much like the way Boston fans prefer to treat Mike Bibby?

4) Tuesday, October 27, 2009 through Saturday, December 12, 2009: The first 23 games of the 2009-2010 season present a particularly daunting challenge to none other than Rajon Rondo. In 10 of those 23 games, Rondo will go head-to-head with Mo Williams (10/27/09), Derrick Rose (10/30/09), Chris Paul (11/1/09), Steve Nash (11/6/09), Devin Harris (11/7/09), Derron Williams (11/11/09), Jameer Nelson (11/20/09), Tony Parker (12/3/09), Gilbert Arenas (12/10/09) and Rose again (12/12/09). If you’re keeping score at home, all of those point guards, with the exception of Rose, have been elected to at least one All-Star Game, and after Chicago

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