NBA schedule for 2014-15 offers several early presents

 

 

MANILA, Philippines – August is the dullest month on the NBA calendar. November to April is composed of the regular season. May has the Playoffs. June is for the Finals and NBA Draft. July is free agency month, which has become a 24/7 series of refreshing for news on Twitter. Training camps open in September. Preseason games take place in November.

August usually becomes interesting in years where Team USA has an international tourney to join, like this year’s FIBA World Cup. But in other seasons, the NBA news is at a minimum in the eighth month of the calendar.

However, NBA geeks and die-hard hoop junkies always circle a certain day every August. It’s when the league releases its regular season schedule. This year that day was last Thursday (PH time), August 14.

What’s certain is that each club will play 41 games at home and 41 games on the road, totaling 82. Sixteen teams will make the playoffs. Only one will become champion. However, the NBA schedule plays a huge role in determining all of these.

One game can spell the difference between seeds come playoff time. 

Had the Brooklyn Nets not lost their season finishing game for the 2013-2014 NBA season, it would have been Brooklyn taking on Chicago in the first round of the Playoffs in the #4 vs. #5 matchup, while the Washington Wizards would have had to take on Toronto in the #3 vs. #6 series. Who knows if these clubs would have still advanced to the second round had they faced different adversaries.

Other factors of the schedule also involve road trips, home stands, the strength of schedule to start and finish the season, and many more. What if the Spurs’ eight-game road trip features them taking on multiple playoff contenders in the process, while the Thunder’s eight-game road trip is composed of mostly subpar squads?

The NBA schedule also gives avid fanbases the chance to mark their calendars in advance for certain matchups they would not want to miss. Certainly, Miami Heat supporters will want to know when their former MVP will come back to town, back with his hometown team.

Opening Night

Opening Night is annually a day to celebrate the defending champions, as they lift their title banner to the rafters of their home arena and bask in the glory of conquering the NBA the previous year for at least one more time before embarking on a championship defense journey.

Which is why it was infuriating to most San Antonio Spurs fans when they heard reports indicate there was a possibility Tim Duncan and company would open the NBA season on the road in Cleveland, to face the Cavaliers and the returning LeBron James.

However, the NBA opted to go a different route, and rightfully so. 

The Orlando Magic and New Orleans Pelicans will kick things off on October 28 at 8 pm EST (October 29, 9 am PH time), but most of the attention will be at The Alamo as San Antonio opens their bid for a sixth franchise title against the new and improved Dallas Mavericks at the same time. 

The Spurs kept most of their core intact, with only Patty Mills missing action due to a shoulder injury he suffered last season. Signs point to Manu Ginobili being healthy for the match, though the stress fracture in his leg might hinder his performance.

Dallas, on the other hand, will have the returning Tyson Chandler, who spearheaded the Mavs’ defense in their 2011 run to the NBA title. Another new face wearing the Mavericks’ jersey will be Chandler Parsons, who Mark Cuban signed off restricted free agency a few weeks ago, weakening the roster of a Western Conference rival as well in the process.

This was a great choice by the NBA. Dallas was the only team to take San Antonio to seven games in the latter’s championship run in 2014. Gregg Popovich and Rick Carlisle, coaches of the Spurs and Mavs, respectively, are two of the most genius mentors in the league today. Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki have been rivals since the turn of the century, putting up classic battles after another to their collection. Opening Night should offer the same.

Following the Dallas-San Antonio and Orlando-New Orleans matches, the scene shifts to Hollywood where the Lakers host the Houston Rockets. The contest’s theme may as well be about players facing their former squads, which is the case for quite a number of guys that will be in action, discounting potential injuries: Jeremy Lin, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, Jordan Hill.

There’s also the Kobe vs. Dwight saga, which stemmed after the one horrific season in 2012-2013 both guys spent with each other while in Lakers jerseys. In the four games between LA and Houston last NBA season, Bryant was absent for all due to his Achilles and knee injuries. A Rockets-Lakers encounter featuring the two is something many have waited close to 18 months for, and having it on Opening Night is an eye-catching move by the league.

Christmas Day

If the National Football League owns Thanksgiving Day, the National Basketball Association commands the most attention on Christmas. As usual, this year’s set of X-Mas Day games don’t disappoint.

It all starts at 12 pm (December 26, 1 am PH time) when the Washington Wizards – headlined by John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Paul Pierce – spend their holiday in the city that never sleeps to take on the New York Knicks.

Following the match is a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals when the Spurs and Thunder meet for the first time in the 2014-2015 NBA season. The main event of Christmas will take place after, as LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, and the Cavaliers take their talents to South Beach to face Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Luol Deng, and the Miami Heat.

Way before James became a national villain by transferring to the Heat and then earning back the adoration of the public by “going home” to the Cavs, he and Wade had multiple duels when their teams would meet up in the early stages of their careers, such as this one:

 

It’s highly possible both guys put on another show for the ages on the league’s most significant day of the regular season, providing a present for everyone in the process.

The Lakers take on the Bulls after Cleveland-Miami, which is the second time in four years the two teams go head to head on Christmas. The last time it happened was in 2011 – it also happened to be on the same day of that year’s Opening Day for the league, due to the lockout – which ended as Derrick Rose, when his knees were still fine, hit a floater that served as a game-winner.

The nightcap of the holiday will see the Golden State Warriors visit the Los Angeles Clippers. Both clubs took their rivalry to a higher level last NBA season, including an X-Mas matchup where both squads nearly got into a brawl after the game’s physical play escalated. A few months later, both franchises played each other to a memorable seven-game series, involving numerous clutch shots down the stretch, exciting individual performances, and the Donald Sterling saga, which Los Angeles wound up winning.

Other games to watch out for in the first few weeks

Bulls vs. Knicks, October 29 – Chicago opens their season, while Rose concurrently makes his second return, against the team their target in free agency, Carmelo Anthony, chose to stay with – the Knicks. Both teams always put on an entertaining show, and adding the entire Melo-almost-going-to-the-Bulls drama only makes the contest more enticing.

Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies, October 29 – Andrew Wiggins, the top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, makes his league debut, assuming the proposed trade between Minnesota and Cleveland pushes through.

Thunder vs. Trail Blazers, October 29 -“ We respect this team. They respect us. But we don’t like them and they don’t like us,” were the words uttered by Kevin Durant after his Thunder beat the Trail Blazers on February 11, 2013. 

“We don’t care to like them,” Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Alridge responded after.

It’s safe to say OKC vs. Portland is a brewing rivalry right now, one that has many All-Stars involved as well. So what better way for both teams to open their season than to play one another?

Knicks vs. Cavaliers, October 30 – James plays his first game back wearing a Cavaliers jersey, in Cleveland, and he takes on his good friend and rival Anthony while doing so. Also, LeBron reserves some of his best performances for games against the Knicks, so this will be one eye-catcher to certainly watch out for. 

Thunder vs. Clippers, October 30 – Both teams had a controversial six-game series in last playoffs’ Western Conference semis. Chris Paul vs. Russell Westbrook. Kevin Durant. Blake Griffin. Dunks. A lot of them. There are way too many aspects that make this first meeting between both teams a must-see.

Cavaliers vs. Bulls, October 31 – The two favorites of the Eastern Conference face for the first time on this day, which should gauge which team is higher in their conference’s echelon to start the NBA season. Furthermore, while Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler, and the rest of the Bulls may respect James, there’s no questioning they hate him, or at least that’s what’s visible every time “The King” visits the United Center. Whoever wins, the drama won’t be lacking.

Heat vs. Hornets, November 5 – The Miami Heat and Lance Stephenson aren’t exactly the best of friends. The Heat eliminated the Bobcats in the 2014 NBA Playoffs, and despite the series ending in a sweep, it was much more competitive than perceived. Josh McRoberts, a former Charlotte player, also makes his return, though this time with the enemy.

Grizzlies vs. Suns, November 5 – Memphis was the team that essentially eliminated Phoenix last NBA season. Do the Suns want revenge? Most likely.

Spurs vs. Rockets, November 6 – Houston actually swept San Antonio in their regular season series last year. In a matchup between two Western Conference powerhouses, the ending should be fun while providing a test for both clubs.

Knicks vs. Nets, November 7 – The first Battle of the Boroughs for the season. 

Grizzlies vs. Thunder, November 7 – OKC has a lot of rivals in the West, though none more than Memphis, which has faced the Thunder thrice in the last four NBA Playoffs. In 2014, their series went all the way to seven games.

Spurs vs. Clippers, November 10 – Another duel to watch out for between Western Conference foes, which also provides a gauge to see the pecking order in the West early on.

Pacers vs. Heat, November 12 – These two squads obviously don’t like each other, as the Heat have eliminated the Pacers in three straight Playoffs. A healthy Paul George would have made this a much more attractive encounter, though David West, Roy Hibbert, and George Hill will certainly put up a good fight.

Suns vs. Clippers, November 15 – The rising team in the Pacific Division taking on the team that currently owns the Pacific Division. It should definitely be fun.

Rockets vs. Thunder, November 16 – James Harden returns back to Oklahoma City to take on his former teammates. Also, expect another heated exchange between Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook, considering the history of the two.

Spurs vs. Cavaliers, November 19 – LeBron James’ history vs. the Spurs is well documented. In this preview of a potential Finals matchup, it will be interesting to see which club comes out on top first. Furthermore, both teams have the most loaded rosters on paper compared to the rest of the league.

– Rappler.com