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Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« on: July 09, 2019, 01:22:20 PM »

Offline bdm860

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Now that the dust has pretty much settled from the start of free agency, and short of any surprise trades that come out of nowhere, the league hierarchy seems pretty much set (though open for debate), so wondering who everyone sees as the marquee matchups going into next season for the Opening Night and Christmas Day games.

It's common to get two of the top teams in each conference squaring off on opening night, but the West is wide open.

It's also common to get a Finals rematch on Christmas or at least some kind of East vs West matchup, and usually it will be the teams first meeting of the season, but all that goes out the window with how everything has shaken out so far. 

This is my guess:

Opening Night
Bucks/Sixers
Lakers/Clippers

Christmas Day
Nets/Celtics - 12pm
Bucks/Sixers - 3pm
Lakers/Clippers - 5:30pm
Rockets/Warriors - 8:00pm
Blazers/Nuggets - 10:30pm


It would be kind of weird to have the same Opening Night games as the prime Christmas Day games, but with David Stern once saying his ideal Finals for ratings would be Lakers vs Lakers, there's no way the NBA isn't going to bleed the Lakers/Clippers well dry, and the East just doesn't have any other top matchups to throw out there (and also the NBA just did BOS/PHI on both opening night and prime time Christmas this last season).

Who ya'll got?
« Last Edit: July 09, 2019, 01:47:42 PM by bdm860 »
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2019, 01:23:25 PM »

Offline manl_lui

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Oepning night

Celtics vs Nets
Clippers vs Lakers
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2019, 01:31:04 PM »

Offline saltlover

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Quote from: manl_lui on July 09, 2019, 01:23:25 PM
Oepning night

Celtics vs Nets
Clippers vs Lakers

We’re not going to be opening night this year.  I’d bet Philly-Milwaukee for the game from the East.
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2019, 01:57:26 PM »

Offline fairweatherfan

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This is tough. Seems like they try to reward the best teams from the last season on opening night, moreso than pump the hot new spots. However they probably don't want small markets hosting those games and GS didn't have a good foil in the West last year. So I think it'll be a mix.

Opening Night:

Bucks at Nets Raptors
Clippers at Warriors

Christmas

Celtics at Nets (this replaces the usual unearned Knicks home game)
Bucks at Sixers
Clippers "at" Lakers
Rockets at Warriors
Pelicans at Blazers
« Last Edit: July 09, 2019, 02:36:58 PM by fairweatherfan »
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2019, 01:57:53 PM »

Offline nyceltsfan

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I would think that the way to get around the Lakers and Clippers on Christmas Day is to have the Clippers face the Raptors and to have the Lakers play the Rockets or Warriors.  The Warriors may not be as much of a draw this year.
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2019, 02:02:18 PM »

Offline HomerSapien

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Opening Night:

Philly/Toronto (ring ceremony, call back to Kawhi elimination shot)
Clippers/Lakers or Clippers/Warriors
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2019, 02:21:11 PM »

Offline designmao

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Christmas game for Lakers vs Clippers. The NBA would like the matchup to marinate a bit.

I would guess, for opening night:

Clippers vs Blazers and/or Lakers vs Rockets

Then, 76ers vs Toronto and/or Celtics vs Bucks

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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2019, 02:35:56 PM »

Offline fairweatherfan

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Quote from: HomerSapien on July 09, 2019, 02:02:18 PM
Philly/Toronto (ring ceremony, call back to Kawhi elimination shot)

Ooh this is a good point they always do ring ceremony on opening night. Gonna edit mine.
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2019, 02:36:06 PM »

Offline jbpats

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I think the Kyrie vs. Celtics Narrative is going to be beating to death this season. I'm going to guess it's opening night.

Xmas will be Celtics/Philly
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #9 on: July 09, 2019, 02:37:51 PM »

Offline CelticsElite

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Christmas
Lakers vs Clippers
Nets vs Knicks
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #10 on: July 09, 2019, 02:48:15 PM »

Offline bdm860

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Quote from: fairweatherfan on July 09, 2019, 02:35:56 PM
Quote from: HomerSapien on July 09, 2019, 02:02:18 PM
Philly/Toronto (ring ceremony, call back to Kawhi elimination shot)

Ooh this is a good point they always do ring ceremony on opening night. Gonna edit mine.

I've heard Toronto is a hassle to go to with customs and all, and I think I've heard it said before that most of their national TV games they end up as the away team because of it and also because TV rights are different in Canada (though don't know if it's true or not).  They're not dead in the water without Kawhi, but it'll be interesting if they get that prime coverage.

Last time a championship team was dismantled before the next season was the '98 Bulls, but that next year was a lockout shortened season and the TV coverage has obviously changed in the 20 years since.

It will be interesting to see if this ring ceremony thing is enough to get them opening night.  Is it tradition they won't break from or has just been convenient with recent history?


Quote from: fairweatherfan on July 09, 2019, 01:57:26 PM
Bucks at Nets Raptors

And you'd go with Bucks/Raptors instead of Sixers/Raptors even after that great 7 game series with the epic ending?  If Raptors get the opening night nod, I think it's got to be against the Sixers.
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #11 on: July 09, 2019, 02:52:57 PM »

Offline fairweatherfan

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Quote from: bdm860 on July 09, 2019, 02:48:15 PM
Quote from: fairweatherfan on July 09, 2019, 02:35:56 PM
Quote from: HomerSapien on July 09, 2019, 02:02:18 PM
Philly/Toronto (ring ceremony, call back to Kawhi elimination shot)

Ooh this is a good point they always do ring ceremony on opening night. Gonna edit mine.

I've heard Toronto is a hassle to go to with customs and all, and I think I've heard it said before that most of their national TV games they end up as the away team because of it (though don't know if it's true or not).  They're not dead in the water without Kawhi, but it'll be interesting if they get that prime coverage.

Last time a championship team was dismantled before the next season was the '98 Bulls, but that next year was a lockout shortened season and the TV coverage has obviously changed in the 20 years since.

It will be interesting to see if this ring ceremony thing is enough to get them opening night.  Is it tradition they won't break from or has just been convenient with recent history?

It's enough of a tradition that it'd pretty much be a slap in the face to Toronto to not give them the Opening Night game.

Not that the NBA would be above that but if they want to try and build on last year's momentum to solidify their popularity in Canada I think it makes some sense to do. The lack of a marquee player or a sellable opponent that doesn't feel like "the NBA is letting you get revenge on these Kawhi-less scrubs" is a big sticking point though.

Maybe they'll try and split the baby and televise the ring ceremony live during the pregame then put the actual game on NBATV while TNT gets Sixers-Nets or whoever.


Quote from: bdm860 on July 09, 2019, 02:48:15 PM
And you'd go with Bucks/Raptors instead of Sixers/Raptors even after that great 7 game series with the epic ending?  If Raptors get the opening night nod, I think it's got to be against the Sixers.

Could go either way, my feeling was the MVP/highest regular season record/conference final opponent would get deference. Wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if it was the Sixers.
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #12 on: July 09, 2019, 03:26:58 PM »

Offline manl_lui

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Quote from: saltlover on July 09, 2019, 01:31:04 PM
Quote from: manl_lui on July 09, 2019, 01:23:25 PM
Oepning night

Celtics vs Nets
Clippers vs Lakers

actually is there really a set team that appears on opening night? usually the defending champs i assume? and i assume it's usually a same conference game?
We’re not going to be opening night this year.  I’d bet Philly-Milwaukee for the game from the East.
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #13 on: July 09, 2019, 03:41:04 PM »

Offline PhoSita

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Clips Lakers is a lock.

Sixers Bucks would be my guess for the other.
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Re: Predict Opening Night/Christmas Day Games
« Reply #14 on: July 09, 2019, 03:44:19 PM »

Offline slamtheking

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Lakers vs Clippers seems like low-hanging fruit but I'll go with that for opening day.

Christmas:
C's vs Nets
Mil vs Phil
Hou vs Den
Lakers vs GSW

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