NBA 2012-13 Schedule: Predicting Winner of Every Marquee Matchup
The 2012-13 NBA schedule is out, and there will be exciting rivalry games and marquee matchups all season long.
The full schedule is available at NBA.com.
The wild offseason will continue, and last year's contenders will try to stay on top while the teams that were active in free agency will try to prove that they can compete.
Here are predictions for all of the Christmas Day games and every intriguing matchup throughout the season.
Christmas Day Games
1 of 8The NBA will have a full bill of marquee matchups on Christmas Day, and here are predictions for each of the five games.
Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Winner: Brooklyn Nets
There will be an early upset on Christmas. The Brooklyn Nets have made bold moves this offseason, and they will prove that they are a team to be feared.
After moving to New York City and trading for Joe Johnson, winning a Christmas Day game against the Boston Celtics will be an important benchmark for the franchise. For Boston, this game does not mean as much.
New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
The big-market teams will brawl in the second game of the day, but there will be no surprising result.
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to return to the NBA championship after adding Steve Nash, and they will be an improved team this year. The New York Knicks are still a piece or two away from being a serious contender, and they will not be able to keep up with L.A. in this matchup.
Oklahoma City at Miami Heat
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Winner: Miami Heat
This will be the biggest game of the day as the top two teams from last season face off. The Miami Heat have added to their roster this offseason, but Oklahoma City has been quiet since losing in the finals.
Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis will give the Heat another dimension, and LeBron James will continue to reign over the rest of the league. Miami is the best team in basketball and will show that in this game.
Houston Rockets at Chicago Bulls
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Winner: Chicago Bulls
Unless Dwight Howard has been traded to the Houston Rockets by this point in the season, the Chicago Bulls will run away with this game.
The Bulls are a prolific defensive team and the Rockets will have several young players new to the team. They will look disorganized and overmatched against Chicago.
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers
Time: 10:30 p.m.
Winner: Los Angeles Clippers
Christmas Day games always provide a playoff atmosphere, and Chris Paul has a history of being at his best in big games.
Both these teams have depth, but Paul will unquestionably be the best player on the floor. He will lead L.A. to a convincing victory.
Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics
2 of 8Date: Tuesday, October 30
Winner: Miami Heat
The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics will continue their rivalry on opening night.
The Heat have certainly come out on top in the last two seasons, as Miami has eliminated the Celtics two years in a row, won an NBA championship and took Ray Allen out of Boston this offseason.
The Celtics have made improvements to their roster, adding Jason Terry, and they will be looking to dethrone the Heat.
This rivalry has produced many exciting games in the past few seasons, but the Miami era has arrived, and they will make a statement by taking down the Celtics to start the season.
Date: Sunday, January 27
Winner: Miami Heat
This matchup will not get any easier for the Celtics. The Heat will be on a mission this season to prove that they are the preeminent force in the NBA.
Boston is their biggest rival in the Eastern Conference, and they will get the Heat's best game in each of the four matchups.
Date: Monday, March 18
Winner: Miami Heat
Miami's athleticism and defense made them extremely difficult to beat last season. Three-point shooting was a weak spot last year, but that likely will not be the case anymore.
But LeBron James was the main reason the Heat were so difficult to beat on their way to the championship, and he will continue to kill the Celtics.
Date: Friday, April 12
Winner: Miami Heat
With just four games remaining before the playoffs, Miami will be ready to tear through the playoffs.
This will be a statement game for the Heat, as they look to prove that they will not be beat by any Eastern Conference team in the postseason.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers
3 of 8Date: Friday, December 7
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers would surprise no one if they met in the Western Conference finals.
The Thunder won two of the three regular season matchups with the Lakers, then knocked L.A. out of the playoffs in the second round.
This season, Steve Nash will help the Lakers offense become a well-oiled machine, and the team will certainly be more competitive. The Lakers will be looking to make a statement in the first matchup and will head into Oklahoma City and edge out the Thunder.
Date: Friday, January 11
Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are going to return the favor in this game, as they march into Staples Center and hit back at the Lakers.
Kevin Durant and company will be firing on all cylinders, silencing the Los Angeles crowd.
Date: Sunday, January 27
Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are going to have the game plan that worked against Los Angeles fresh in their minds, and they will execute it once again just 16 days later.
This game will get out of hand early, and the Lakers will simply have to put this one behind them.
Date: Tuesday, March 5
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
L.A. will be hitting their stride for the playoffs in these two teams' last matchup of the season, and they will give the OKC crowd a taste of what they have in store for them during the playoffs.
This will be the final preview of what will likely be the conference final matchup, and the Lakers will even up the regular season series and prove that they will be a tougher out than the previous year.
Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
4 of 8Date: Thursday, February 14
Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City will not allow the Miami Heat to sweep them during the regular season.
Kevin Durant is certainly seething after losing four consecutive games to the Heat in the NBA Finals, and the anger will only increase after losing on Christmas Day.
This time, the Thunder will get Miami at home and the crowd will be every bit as loud as it was during the playoffs.
This will be one of the most thrilling regular season games of the year, and Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden will fight like it’s a Game 7.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat
5 of 8Date: Thursday, January 17
Winner: Miami Heat
With Steve Nash on the roster, the Los Angeles Lakers are serious contenders to knock off the Oklahoma City Thunder and win the Western Conference.
Whoever emerges from the West will almost certainly meet the Miami Heat in the finals, and this matchup could certainly be a preview of the NBA season’s epic finale.
By this point in the season, the Heat will have established themselves as a dominant force in the league.
The Lakers have plenty of talent, but will also be one of the older teams in the NBA. Los Angeles will be in a slight midseason lull, and that will lead to a disappointing result against the reigning champs.
Date: Sunday, February 10
Winner: Miami Heat
In the Lakers' rematch with Miami, they still will not be able to get a victory.
These games will have a playoff atmosphere, and LeBron James simply will not let his team lose.
Expect him to have extremely impressive nights both times he faces Los Angeles, and the MVP will help the Heat sweep the Lakers.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
6 of 8Date: Thursday, November 1
Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder will open their season with a rematch of the Western Conference finals, as they face the San Antonio Spurs.
This will be the second game of the year for the Spurs, but the tune-up will not help them at all against the Thunder.
OKC will dispatch the Spurs just as they did in the playoffs.
Date: Monday, December 17
Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder will have a hot start to the season, and while the Spurs will be competitive, they will not be as good as they were last year.
Oklahoma City is simply too athletic for San Antonio, and the team will blow out the Spurs in an early statement game.
Date: Monday, March 11
Winner: San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs still have the core that has brought them so much success over the years, with Gregg Popovich calling the shots. They will not allow the Thunder to sweep the regular season series.
San Antonio will snag one of its home matchups with the Thunder and prove they can still compete with the NBA's elite team.
Date: Thursday, April 4
Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder
Ultimately, the Spurs' time has passed, and the Thunder's time is now. That was evident in the Western Conference finals last season.
By the latter part of the year, the Thunder will have established themselves as the West's best team and will continue to prove it in its last game against San Antonio.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
7 of 8Date: Friday, November 2
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
Chris Paul's arrival in Los Angeles has turned the Clippers into a perennial playoff team, and now there is a crosstown rivalry with the Lakers.
Every time these two teams meet, two of the best floor generals in basketball will face off as Paul matches up with Steve Nash.
Nash's presence will improve the Lakers, and even though the Clippers are a talented team, Kobe Bryant and company will come out on top.
Date: Friday, January 4
Winner: Los Angeles Clippers
Part of what makes this newly forged rivalry so appealing is Paul and Bryant. These two men are among the fiercest competitors in the game.
Paul has the ability to dominate in so many different ways, and he is a threat to win a game by himself on any night. The emotions from this matchup will lead to a spectacular performance from the point guard, and the Clippers will exact revenge.
Date: Thursday, February 14
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are a better team than the Clippers, and they will come back and take the next game of the season's series.
As the the year goes on, the Lakers will get more comfortable with Nash running the offense and will turn into a scary offensive team. Their potential will be evident in this matchup.
Date: Sunday, April 7
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
By this point in the season, the Lakers will have hit their stride. This veteran squad will have a championship swagger, and the Clippers will not be able to chip away at their confidence.
The Lakers will treat this like a playoff game, and they will keep the Clippers from evening the series.
New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets
8 of 8Date: Thursday, November 1
Winner: Brooklyn Nets
Both the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks were busy in the offseason and will pit their new-look rosters against each other in the season opener for both teams.
This will be the Nets' first game in Brooklyn, and Deron Williams will treat the crowd to a victory with help from the newly acquired Joe Johnson.
Both these teams have solid but not spectacular rosters, and this will develop into an entertaining New York City rivalry.
Date: Tuesday, December 11
Winner: New York Knicks
The Knicks will face the Nets in Brooklyn once again, but the emotions from opening night will have worn off.
New York will bounce back and use its depth to take down their neighbors.
Date: Wednesday, December 19
Winner: Brooklyn Nets
These games will feature runs with bursts of scoring, as each team is loaded with offensive firepower. Williams and Johnson form one of the best backcourt duos in the league, and if both players heat up, the Nets will be hard to beat.
The Knicks will see that scenario play out, and the two players will simply be too much on the perimeter for the Knicks.
Date: Monday, January 21
Winner: New York Knicks
The Nets and Knicks are extremely evenly matched, and they will go back and forth during the regular season.
Fans can only hope that the final standings play out in way that would pit these two against each other in a "Subway Series."
