NBA Preseason Schedule 2014: Top Matchups to Watch from Exhibition Slate
This NBA preseason is different.
Believe it or not, this one matters. This one is not some going-through-the-motions charade most are accustomed to before the real basketball gets underway.
No, this year there are marquee players working their way back from serious injuries—Kobe Bryant, for example. There are a number of high-profile names in new places after boatloads of drama—Kevin Love and LeBron James, for example. There are exciting new rookies as always, and one displaced due to a King—Andrew Wiggins, for example.
The drama begins on Oct. 4 and stretches on throughout the month before the season's tipoff on Oct. 28. The entire schedule can be seen at NBA.com. Of that large slate, these matchups stick out the most as must-see affairs.
Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls, October 6, 8 p.m. ET
Let's start with a superstar on the return from injury, but let's not forget about a superstar in a new place, too.
Fans far and wide know the plight of Derrick Rose well, and this will be one of the marquee matchups to catch as he heads down the comeback trail once again.
According to coach Tom Thibodeau, Rose is still getting his wits about him when it comes to contact, per Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com:
"I think he's still finding his way. He's trying to run the team. The more he goes, the better it will be. The big thing I think is just getting used to the contact again. He's done a ton of shooting, and you can put him out there all day and he'll make shots if you do that. You watch him shoot last year before games, he's going to make a lot of shots, but you got to remember now, you're talking about world-class athletes -- and it's physical.
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Rose's return will be cushioned by sharpshooting rookie Doug McDermott and former Los Angeles Lakers standout big man Pau Gasol, who joined the team via free agency after a bounce-back season in which he averaged 17.4 points and 9.7 boards per game.
While he was a strong performer at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, Rose's first true trial by fire comes against John Wall as he begins to learn the ins and outs of his new surroundings.
Oh, and do not forget the fact there is a revenge storyline here as well thanks to last year's postseason, when Wall and Co. took down the Bulls as Rose watched helplessly from the sidelines. A guy named Paul Pierce makes his Washington debut, too.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Indiana Pacers, October 7, 7 p.m. ET
Say hello to what is the most loaded preseason matchup in quite some time.
Minnesota has been through the ringer as of late, but surely came out better than most could have imagined while dumping an unhappy Love. Wiggins is now in town and set to make his debut, and if that is not enough, joining him is another freakishly athletic rookie by the name of Zach LaVine out of UCLA.
But shift the focus to Indiana for a moment, the team that notoriously collapsed down the stretch last season due to who truly knows what. The front office seemed to shun Lance Stephenson on the open market, so he split, then Paul George went down with that gruesome injury during international play.
Really, a note from Zach Lowe of Grantland.com says it all:
So a high-profile test to reveal the team's mettle in the face of massive adversity is one worth catching.
The same applies to Wiggins, who has to mesh quickly with Ricky Rubio and Anthony Bennett, among others. LaVine does not figure to get a ton of playing time during the regular season, so be sure to enjoy his minutes before the rare, developing talent hits the bench when the games begin to matter.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat, October 11, 5 p.m. ET
A mere four years ago, No. 23 Cleveland Cavaliers jerseys were going up in flames in the state of Ohio as James took his talents to South Beach and made a big show of it in the process.
This time there is no show, but the unprecedented return home still has the globe talking.
So is the NBA, a league that could not wait to get its hands on a James vs. Miami Heat matchup. It wasted little time booking the showdown, which takes place in Brazil, of all places.
Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are the odd men left out, and joining them is a hodgepodge of names such as Luol Deng. In the drab Eastern Conference, the roster has the talent to make a run at a lesser postseason seed, but the cohesiveness and overall fluidity needs to form now rather than later.
Outside of just seeing James in the old jersey once more, there are plenty of questions that need answering around him. How Kyrie Irving adapts to his new-look surroundings is key, as is the addition of Love in the paint, which opens up the Cavaliers even more to defensive issues beneath the rim.
Do not forget new head coach David Blatt, either. Enthusiasts no doubt understand Blatt is a known commodity, but how he juggles the vast array of talent at his disposal remains to be seen.
In short, the James move and subsequent Love addition have made this a preseason to watch closely, with this being the feature presentation.
Stats courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
