NBA Schedule 2011-12: 5 Opening Week Showdowns You Can't Miss

Are you reeeeeady for some basketbaaaaaaall???

The 2011-2012 schedule has finally been released, and the madness about to ensue is going to be legendary. Playing 66 games in a little over four months, including back-to-back-to-back games on occasion, will be pure madness.

The crammed schedule guarantees fans games essentially every day of the week, and there are going to be marquee matchups all the time.

Right off the bat, there are games that fall in the “must-see T.V” category. It will be our first chance to gauge which teams are ready to go and which ones are still shaking off the rust.

There are certain early season games that will set the tone for the rest of the season. Here are the top five must-watch games of the first week. 

5. Chicago Bulls at LA Lakers, December 25

The Bulls cruised through the regular season last year as MVP Derrick Rose established himself as a top-10 player in the league. The Bulls are one of the favorites to win the title, and beating teams like the Lakers on the road is a good start.

LA, on the other hand, is going to be one big question mark.

Will they have Dwight Howard? Will they have Chris Paul? Will they have both?

Who knows what starting five will be trotting out at the Staples Center on Christmas Day?

4. Boston Celtics at Miami Heat, December 27

Have we already witnessed the changing of the guard?

The Celtics are running out of time, and setting the tone early in the Eastern Conference is imperative. Is Boston a serious contender? Can they still compete with Miami? Or is the jig up?

The compressed schedule sure is going to take a toll on the legs of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

A Heat blowout is going to be extremely disheartening to the egos of the Celtics right off the bat. 

3. Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder, December 29

In a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals, I personally can’t get enough of Dirk Nowitzki vs. Kevin Durant.

The two forwards are among the purest scorers in the game and have the deadliest jumpers in the league for men of their size. They are very unselfish players that get all of their teammates involved.

This is a great game for basketball purists that prefer ball movement and teamwork without all of the one-on-one isolation plays.

With the incredibly loud Thunder crowd rocking, expect this one to have playoff-like intensity to it. 

2. Boston Celtics at New Orleans, December 28

This one is about two players.

When Rajon Rondo gets in his defensive stance to defend Chris Paul, is he guarding his replacement?

Rumors are running rampant that the Celtics are actively pursuing CP3, with Rondo as the main trade bait. The one-on-one matchup between the two is going to be worth the price of admission on its own.

When you factor in that this is the first home game for Paul and the Hornets since CP3 laid out his demands, it’s going to be extremely intriguing to see how the New Orleans faithful treat him.

Are boos on the way for the man that helped rebuild the morale of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina?

1. Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks, December 25

The game of the year comes right off the bat.

LeBron James is going to have all the motivation in the world to stomp the same team that gave him the longest offseason of his career. He won’t be able to erase fans' memories of his epic choke job in one game, but he can remind us all why he’s the most talented player in the NBA.

Establishing their dominance over the rest of the NBA starts on Day 1.

The Mavericks might be without Tyson Chandler and JJ Barea, and this will be our first chance to see if they have enough juice left in the tank to keep up with the top talent in the league.

How exhausted is Dirk? Does Jason Kidd have another solid year left in him? Can Brendan Haywood fill in for Chandler?

Plenty of question marks surround the champs.