2010-11 NBA Schedule Preview: 10 Games You Must Attend
The summer of 2010 was a historic one for the NBA. So many great players and coaches switched teams. Many contenders from last year improved their squads (Lakers, Celtics, Mavericks, Miami), while some had a summer to forget (Cleveland, Phoenix, Utah).
There has never been a season with more anticipation ever in the history of the NBA, all the summer signings and trades have fans in many cities believing their team can lift the Larry O'Brien trophy in June.
Here are 10 games every NBA fan should buy a ticket for, to get all the passion, excitement, and star power the NBA has to offer.
October 26, 2010: Miami Heat at Boston Celtics
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TNT opens the NBA season in grand style as LeBron James and the Miami Heat return to Boston, the same place both the Heat and James had their 2010 seasons ended.
The battle between the Boston's old Big Three—Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen—against Miami's new superstar threesome—LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade—is the main storyline.
This matchup is surely to be decided by the supporting casts and benches of both teams. Does Miami have anyone to guard and disrupt Rajon Rondo? Does Miami's front court have enough size to match up with Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O'Neal, and Glen Davis?
The answers to these questions will tell us just how deep of a team Miami is because their title hopes reside on the performances of their role players.
November 5, 2010: Bulls at Celtics
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New Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau makes his return to Boston for the first time, and he brings with him a very talented young team. The Bulls are good enough to beat the Celtics, and winning this game will give them a great boost of confidence in the early part of the season.
The main matchup is at the point guard spot, with two of the best young players in the NBA—Derrick Rose of the Bulls and Rajon Rondo for Boston. Both are extremely vital to their team's success, and when they play well, their team is very difficult to stop.
With all the new players the Bulls have acquired this summer, they might have a tough time in this game, as they try to develop a good team chemistry against a Celtics squad that already has great chemistry.
December 2nd, 2010: Miami at Cleveland
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LeBron James returns to the city he publicly embarrassed during the summer on his selfish one hour ESPN special, "The Decision."
How will the fans treat LeBron when he walks onto the court? How volatile will they be? Will they be very vocal in their displeasure or will time have helped heal the wounds?
Cavaliers fans will boo him every time he touches the ball, or comes on and off the court. He deserves all the displeasure he receives because anyone that turns on their hometown/state like he did does not deserve a warm welcome back.
The game itself will most likely be an afterthought as the Cavs are much weaker than the Heat in all areas, but the return of James himself and the possible annihilation on the scoreboard the Cavs may suffer makes this game the most anticipated homecoming in recent memory.
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Christmas 2010: Celtics at Magic
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Celtics vs. Magic is becoming one of the NBA's best rivalries. These teams do not like each other one bit, and that can be attributed to meeting each other in the last two NBA playoffs.
Last May, the Celtics eliminated the defending Eastern champs in six games in the conference finals, after the Magic eliminated Boston in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2009, en route to their own Finals run.
On Christmas, the two teams will meet in Orlando for the second straight Christmas Day. The game will be the first of an ABC doubleheader.
The Magic have a lot to prove this season, as a team and individually. Orlando has all the talent they need, and now they just have to put it all together.
Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter face important seasons as both look to improve upon their subpar performances last year in both the regular season and the playoffs. A national television audience on Christmas is the perfect stage to impress.
The Celtics were only 1-3 in four regular season games vs. the Magic last season, and the only win was in this Christmas matchup, when Boston won without Paul Pierce.
Christmas 2010: Heat at Lakers
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ABC's final game in its holiday doubleheader is the marquee matchup of Christmas Day, and a star studded showcase between the NBA's two most talented teams.
The newly built Miami Heat, and their free agent megastar trio of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh travel to Los Angeles to square off against the two-time defending champion Lakers.
In this possible NBA Finals preview, Miami will get its first shot to prove itself against the league's best team and best player, Kobe Bryant.
The Heat have a huge disadvantage up front with no one to guard Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, so they will have to rely on the shooting of Wade, James, and newly acquired guard Mike Miller.
If you attend this game, you will have seen at least four future Hall of Famers, which will make a ticket to this game No. 1 on many people's Christmas lists.
January 15, 2011: Heat at Bulls
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Chicago has established themselves as a legitimate NBA title contender this offseason. By adding forward Carlos Boozer and Ronnie Brewer from Utah, the Bulls have one of the best young teams in the league.
However, their best acquisition of the summer was singing head coach Tom Thibodeau, who has spent the last few seasons as the architect for the Boston Celtics' dominating defense. If he can turn the Bulls into one of the best defensive teams, they can beat anyone, especially with their offensive firepower led by sensational point guard Derrick Rose.
Thibodeau also has created great defensive schemes in the past against LeBron James, helping the Celtics beat James twice in the playoffs during the 2008 and 2010 seasons.
January 17, 2011, Martin Luther King Day: Thunder at Lakers
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This Western conference first round playoff rematch could very well be a 2011 Western Conference Finals preview.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, last year's most improved team, visits Los Angeles on Martin Luther King Day to face the Lakers.
Two of the NBA's best players, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, lead their teams who each have title aspirations this season.
Oklahoma City has the best core of young talent in the NBA, and are the team of the future. Last year's first round series was closer than people realize, with the sixth and deciding game won with a last second tip-in by Pau Gasol to help the Lakers advance to the conference semifinals.
This game will help tell us where the Thunder are in terms of being able to beat the West's top contenders.
January 30, 2011: Lakers @ Celtics
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The NBA's best rivalry begins its regular season series in Los Angeles on January 30, 2011. The Celtics play the Lakers twice in a two-week span, with the second game between the two taking place in Boston on February 10th.
This rematch between the 2008 and 2010 NBA Finalists will be one of the most intense games of the year, as the Celtics return to the place where they lost two straight games with a 3-2 series lead to give the Lakers their 16th NBA title.
There are many subplots to this season series, but the most intriguing will be the return of Shaquille O'Neal in Los Angeles, this time as a member of the hated Celtics.
Will the Laker fans cheer him for his contribution to three World Championship banners hanging in the rafters at the Staples Center, or have they forgotten amidst the bitter exit he took from LA to Miami in 2004?
Every fan should attend one of these Celtics vs. Lakers games in their life. The level of play and intensity is unlike any other rivalry in the NBA.
March 3, 2011: Magic at Heat
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The Sunshine State rivalry just got a lot bigger in the summer of 2010. The Miami Heat's acquisition of Chris Bosh and LeBron James to pair with Dwayne Wade has made them a top contender, and the Magic are tired of hearing about them.
A war of words between Magic coach Stan Van Gundy and general manager Otis Smith and Heat boss Pat Riley added fuel to the rivalry.
Dwight Howard has even changed his smiling demeanor, mentioning in a recent interview he going to be more serious on the court this year, and he is ready to take on the Heat.
This game could also have an impact in the East standings, as Miami tries to stop Orlando's dominance of the Southeast division.
March 14, 2011: Magic at Lakers
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The Orlando Magic make their first and only trip to Los Angeles in March, as they look to prove they can beat the Lakers in Los Angeles, something they could not do in the 2009 NBA Finals.
The Magic have enough talent to beat anyone, and this late season clash of titans will be a solid indicator of how championship worthy they are.
Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard will be the stars of the show, but the matchup at power forward will decide the game. Rashard Lewis has to be able to defend Pau Gasol in the paint, where he gives several inches and pounds to the Spanish star.
Winning this game would give the Magic exactly what they'll need late in the season, the confidence they can beat a team built like the ones they will see in the Eastern playoffs (Miami, and Boston).
Tickets Are on Sale, Go Get Yours, and Have This List Next To You
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Those are the 10 best games of the upcoming NBA season to attend.
You may have noticed many Eastern Conference matchups in this show, and that's because there are far fewer contenders in the West than in the East. Only the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder can beat the best teams from the East.
This summer's free agent frenzy has shifted the balance of power in the NBA, from the West Coast to the East coast.
Tickets are on sale now for every team. When you go to buy your tickets, use this story to help you, because all of these games will be very exciting for both on the court and off the court reasons.
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