NBA 2011 Season Openers: Reasons to Watch Every Game on Christmas Day

As we all know, that horrible lockout is over and the NBA season will begin on Christmas day. Now, instead of just waking up and opening presents we get to enjoy a full day of games of the sport we all love.

Christmas day features five fantastic matchups that are sure to have the NBA world tuned in. If you have any plans on the 25th of December other than watching basketball, you should really consider canceling them.

Here are the reasons to watch every game on Christmas day.

Boston Celtics at New York Knicks

Will Chris Paul be a Knick by the time this game starts? Would be nice.

This matchup means a lot because the last time we saw this Knicks team they were getting destroyed by the Boston Celtics. They were swept in four games in the first round of the playoffs and were the most disappointing team by far.

It will be interesting to see just how far this Knicks team has come since the last time we saw them. It's also worth watching because this Boston roster won't look the same in a year or two. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are starting to get grey hair (or lose their hair completely).

This should be a great matchup as New York tries to prove they're a legit team in the East. Boston is out to prove they're still a contender.

Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks

Do I really need to explain why you should watch this game? There is no better way to open the season for both of these teams.

The Heat ended last season with the Mavericks celebrating on their floor and will now have to witness Dallas putting a banner in the rafters. Although the Mavericks are the defending NBA Champions, this game and season will once again be centered around the Miami Heat.

Any time a team has this many stars on it, they're going to get the majority of the attention. Critics and fans are also wondering if this will be the year LeBron James can finally get it done.

This is a must-watch game to see how Miami responds against the team that spoiled their championship dreams.

Chicago Bulls at LA Lakers

This should be another great game and could be a possible NBA Finals preview, as both of these teams have what it takes to win a NBA Championship.

That's a good enough reason to watch this game. These are two great teams going at it with a ton of star power, from Kobe Bryant to Derrick Rose.

Speaking of Rose, anytime you get to chance to watch him play it's a real treat.

It's also going to be interesting to see if defensive-minded head coach Mike Brown will be able to get this older veteran team play defense.

Orlando Magic at Oklahoma City Thunder

Just how much longer will Dwight Howard be in a Magic uniform? Hopefully he'll still be in Orlando when this game starts, because this is another fantastic matchup. As well as Russell Westbrook, who is also in trade rumors involving Chris Paul.

This game features two sleepers for possibly reaching the NBA Championship. The game will be played in Oklahoma City, which has one of the best fanbases in the entire league.

Lots of star power and a lot of three-point shots taken. If you combine both of these teams' three-point attempts from last season, you'll end up with 3,506.

If you like offense, this is the game for you.

Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors

When I say Blake Griffin will be playing in this game, do you really need any other reason to watch the game? He's probably the most exciting player in the league and has at least one top-10 play every time he touches the floor.

He's made the Clippers relevant. When's the last time that's happened?

It's also Mark Jackson's coaching debut for the Warriors. Although I'm sure we'll all miss him and his broadcasting, it'll be interesting to see how well he does.

Both of these teams have a lot of talent and are on the rise very quickly. In a short season and a fast start, I wouldn't be surprised if either one of these teams ended up making the playoffs.

Wait, what?

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]