Portland Trail Blazers 2012 Schedule: 10 Must-Watch Games for Fans This Season

The 2011-12 NBA schedule is finally out, and things are looking pretty good for the Portland Trail Blazers. 

With a few players coming back from injury, it will be interesting to see how everyone holds up under the pressure of having so many games in such a short time frame.

There are several games on the schedule worth taking an extra look at. Here are 10 of them.

1. Monday, December 26th: Philadelphia 76ers

The season opener is always a must-see, and this year, the Blazers get to start out the season at home against the Philadelphia 76ers.  

This game could prove to be a tricky one for the Blazers; but behind the home crowd and the excitement of having most of their players back, Portland should be able to pull out a victory.

Key matchup: Elton Brand vs. LaMarcus Aldridge

2. Tuesday, January 3rd: At Oklahoma City Thunder

The Blazers will meet up with the Oklahoma City Thunder on the second game of their first road trip of the season, kicking of what is likely to be a season-long battle for the Northwest Division title.

It will be interesting to see what, if any, off the court distractions either team is dealing with at the time. Oklahoma City is becoming a very difficult place to play, but the Blazers should be able to make it a good game with the depth that they have.

Key matchup: Russell Westbrook vs. Raymond Felton

3. Thursday, January 5th: Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers come to Portland on January 5th, and the Blazers will get their first chance at seeing how they match up against a team that hopes to be featuring Dwight Howard and/or Chris Paul.

Kobe Bryant is still an incredible player, but, unlike in the past, having him on the Lakers does not automatically make them a contender. Even in his best days he couldn't carry them on his own, and while he does have help, he will need to accept fewer shots for the good of the team in order for it to work. Look for the Blazers to exploit this by trying to make Bryant beat them by himself.

Key matchup: Andrew Bynum vs. Greg Oden

4. Tuesday, January 10th: Los Angeles Clippers

No Blazers fan will want to miss this matchup of two teams that are probably playoff bound, when Blake Griffin and his Los Angeles Clippers come to the Rose Garden on January 10th.

Griffin has been extremely popular since coming into the league as a rookie, but will need to show development in his all-around game for the Clippers to really be taken seriously. But Eric Gordon is another player who may make a big leap this year and could give the Blazers fits.

Key matchup: Blake Griffin vs. LaMarcus Aldridge

5. Wednesday, January 25th: At Golden State Warriors

Fans know that because of the slow pace the team plays at, the Blazers generally has a tough time with the Golden State Warriors, and Portland heads to their building on the 25th of January. To make matters worse, it will be the third and final game of the Blazers' first back-to-back-to-back of the season.

After hearing rumors of Brandon Roy going to Golden State if he were cut by the Blazers, along with all the other rumors of him being sent packing, it will be interesting to see if he gives anything extra in games against the teams rumored to have been interested.

Key matchup: Monta Ellis vs. Brandon Roy

6. Saturday, February 11th: At Dallas Mavericks

The Blazers get there first shot at the defending champion Dallas Mavericks when they head to Texas on February 11th. A win there would be especially sweet for the Blazers, since it was the Mavs who knocked them out in the first round of the playoffs last season.

If Dallas loses any key players in free, in particular Tyson Chandler or J.J. Barea, it could really hurt their title defense hopes. This game will also be the first chance that Rudy Fernandez has to try and show up his old team.

Key matchup: Jason Kidd vs. Raymond Felton

7. Thursday, March 1st: Miami Heat

The defending Eastern Conference champs make their only visit to the Rose Garden on Thursday, March 1st.  

If Miami doesn't land a true center in free agency, then the presence of LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Chris Johnson and whoever else Portland has could prove to be very difficult for the Heat. Of course, Miami has a few good players themselves, which tends to balance things out. This will be a chance for the Blazers to figure out how good defensively they really are.

Key matchup: LeBron James vs. Nicolas Batum

8. Friday, March 9th: At Boston Celtics

Boston is always a tough place to win at, but it will be a good measuring stick for the Blazers to see how far they have risen when they visit the Celtics at the Garden on March 9th.

It is unclear whether Boston will be in title-seeking mode again this year, or if they will look to make trades and start rebuilding right away. Either way, if Portland is truly an elite team, they need to be able to win, or at least make it competitive, in difficult road games like this one.

Key matchup: Paul Pierce vs. Brandon Roy

9. Wednesday, March 14th: At New York Knicks

The Blazers will take their talents to Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks on March 14th.  It will be the fifth game of a seven-game road trip for Portland, which will surely test their endurance and could end up being a make it or break it stretch for the team.

Raymond Felton will get a chance to head back to New York and face his old team. Playing against two superstars is always a good way to get your team revved up, and the Blazers will need to be at their best as they square off against Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire.

Key matchup: Amar'e Stoudemire vs. LaMarcus Aldridge

10. Tuesday, March 27th: Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder will come to town on March 27th for what will be the final regular season meeting between these two teams, in a game that could end up having serious playoff implications.

I put the Thunder on here twice because, even though both teams play in the same division, the could end up fighting for the top spot in the West as well. With fewer games to be played, these head-to-head matches take on even more importance, and if Portland wants to finish ahead of Oklahoma City in the standings, they likely need to take the season series as well.

Key matchup: Kevin Durant vs. Nicolas Batum