NBA Opening Day: Picking the Winner of Every Game on Christmas
NBA fans will unwrap the 2011-12 season on Christmas Day with a quintuple-header of action. These five teams will win the first five games of the season, and while it's very early in the season, every game has playoff implications.
After a lockout that rivaled the 1998-99 NBA lockout, the season is back, and the first day features some of the league's best stars.
Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Rajon Rondo and the Big Threes of the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will be on display with a number of other stars.
The amount of pure talent we will see later today is unbelievable, and tipoff can't come soon enough.
However, in the hours leading up to the season's start, these are the final predictions for every game today.
Boston Celtics at New York Knicks
1 of 5Time: 12:00 noon
Channel: TNT
When the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks meet in Madison Square Garden, we will see the first game of the year with two playoff teams competing for the first win of the season.
The Celtics are an older, more experienced team. Their Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are 34, 35 and 36-years-old respectively. They have been wearing down for years, and this could be the year we see them collapse.
Boston also has Jermaine O'Neal at center, and at 33 he is their second-youngest starter. Rajon Rondo is only 25, and he is the most important player on this team in my mind. However, when the Celtics went after Chris Paul, Rondo was obviously insulted, as it showed how little faith the Celtics have in him.
The question for the Celtics will be whether or not they can keep up with the Knicks in terms of stamina, and I don't think they can.
The Knicks are a great offensive team, and they scored the second-most points per game last season at 106.5. Unfortunately, they were pitiful on defense, allowing the third-most points per game at 105.7.
The Knicks still have Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire to dominate teams on the offensive end, and their first-round draft pick, Iman Shumpert, was the best man-to-man defender in the draft. Shumpert can shut down just about any guard in the NBA, and he will gain the fans' confidence today.
The Knicks are still a great team, and with their defensive issues being improved, they will walk away with the first win of the season at home.
Prediction: Knicks win by four
Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks
2 of 5Time: 2:30 p.m.
Channel: ABC
In a rematch of last year's NBA Finals, the Miami Heat travel to Dallas, where the Mavericks will be having their post-championship celebrations. This will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of the Heat, and they will be looking for revenge.
The Heat didn't mesh well at the beginning of last season, but after a full year together, they should be ready to dominate as we originally expected them to. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are all in the top 10 for the most hated players in the NBA because they have joined forces, and they will show why this year.
The Mavericks beat the Heat last year, but they won't stand much of a chance this year. A 34-year-old Vince Carter and a 32-year-old Lamar Odom do not make up for the losses they have sustained, and they won't be as good this season.
Additionally, Dirk Nowitzki is entering his mid-30s, and Jason Kidd turns 39 in May.
This will be a classic situation of a bitter team taking revenge on the reigning champions as they raise their banner.
Prediction: Heat win by eight
Chicago Bulls at Los Angeles Lakers
3 of 5Time: 5:00 p.m.
Channel: ABC
Derrick Rose leads the Chicago Bulls to take on a Los Angeles Lakers team that really wishes they had Chris Paul.
Rose's Bulls were the best team in the NBA last year and could be even better this year. With Rose becoming more experienced, he can lead this team better (which is hard to do after already winning an MVP award), and the rest of the team is very solid.
Rose and his teammates are well-rounded and make up one of the best teams in the league.
The Bulls can certainly beat a Lakers team with an aged and injury-prone Kobe Bryant. While I still respect the Black Mamba as a player, I do not believe that he can keep up with Rose anymore.
While the Lakers are still a good team, they are not great, while the Bulls are, and they will show that today. This will be the third year in a row that the Lakers lose on Christmas.
Prediction: Bulls win by seven
Orlando Magic at Oklahoma City Thunder
4 of 5Time: 8:00 p.m.
Channel: ESPN
In a game featuring Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard, the Oklahoma City Thunder will trump the Orlando Magic.
The Magic have a starting five that could have been one of the best in the NBA at one time, but they have declined since those days. Howard is the heart of this team and if OKC can take him out of the game, they can cruise to victory.
The Thunder are already the better team with Kevin Durant being next to unstoppable and Russell Westbrook being one of the best point guards in the NBA. Combine that with their huge home-court advantage and we could see the Thunder pull away from the Magic in the later stages of this game
Prediction: Thunder win by 11
Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors
5 of 5Time: 10:30 p.m.
Channel: ESPN
After winning the Chris Paul-sweepstakes, the Los Angeles Clippers now have one of the best inside-outside combos in the league with Blake Griffin and CP3.
The Clippers may in fact be the best team in LA with Paul and an improving Griffin. This team will be one of the most exciting to watch, and adding Chauncey Billups to kick in 15-20 points per night will help them greatly.
The Clippers are ready for the playoffs at this point, and don't be surprised to see them be one of the best teams in the West once they mesh.
The Warriors, on the other hand, rely on their backcourt of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis to handle most of the work, while Dorrell Wright can also contribute a good amount of points.
The Warriors are not ready to hang with the Clippers yet, and that will become apparent.
Prediction: Clippers win by nine
Josh Schoch is an aspiring sportswriter dedicated to bringing you everything related to the NBA, NFL, MLB, college basketball, college football and much more. Follow him on Twitter.
