Based exclusively off the developments of the offseason, there are countless games to look forward to, but some jump off the page more than others.
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The Warriors lead the league in appearances while the Nets and Magic will only be featured on national TV once. Russell Westbrook might go for 50 points – in the first half. That will change this year, as those teams will combine for 12 appearances.
The top five can’t-miss games of the Warriors’ 2016-17 regular season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed small forward Chris Wright to a “partially guaranteed deal” on Wednesday as the team tries to “fill the gaps along the frontline” with the huge void left by Kevin Durant’s departure to the Golden State Warriors this summer.
The Warriors return to the site of one of their most dramatic and important postseason wins in franchise history, playing in Oklahoma City for the first time since Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. The No. 5 pick of the 2003 draft plays in Miami as a visitor for the first time on November 10, less than a week after Rose goes back to his old home for the first time as the Knicks visit the Bulls on November 4. It could be a critical stretch for a young, revamped team looking to establish its footing without Durant and Serge Ibaka. Eighteen of Boston’s first 29 games will come on the road, including trips to San Antonio and Cleveland. That road run is part of eight road contests in nine games from January 13-31.
On Wednesday, October 27 (Thursday, Manila time), ESPN will broadcast its first game of the National Basketball Association season when the Philadelphia 76ers, led by number one overall pick Ben Simmons, play host to Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The season ends April 12. The degree of difficulty tapers off considerably in the final month with five of seven against sub-.500 teams from a year ago.
He played in four games with the Red Claws before he was signed by the Warriors in December 2011. The series kicks off on Martin Luther King Day with the Hawks visiting the Knicks and the Pelicans visiting the Pacers. Tip-off for the late game is 10:30 p.m.
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Other marquee games during the holiday include the Knicks hosting the Celtics, the Thunder hosting the Timberwolves, the Spurs hosting the Bulls, and the Lakers taking on the Clippers. In another three-day span in February, the Thunder hosts James on Feb. 9 before Durant and the Warriors on the 11th. On the Warriors’ side, Zaza Pachulia will do battle against Dallas after almost getting voted in as an All-Star as a member of the Mavericks last season. That’s in addition to four games each against division members Portland, Utah and Minnesota – who are all projected to improve.
