Hey, look: I know it’s the middle of August, and the last thing you want to think about is cold December (although … maybe not given how much people dislike August?).
But there’s also the fact that nothing’s going on in the NBA right now beyond the Brooklyn Nets drama, so let’s dive into the report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania that the league’s Christmas Day schedule has been decided and there are five games we’ll look forward to that day (although there will be three NFL games, too!).
So let’s take a minute and rank the games by watchability as of right now:
5
Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks
I get why the Knicks are on the schedule due to the New York market, but … gah. Even as a Knicks fan, I might be flipping to the NFL game that’s on whenever this one is played.
4
Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks
Not as bad as it looks on paper with Luka and LeBron facing off, and you know Bron will give us a show on Christmas. But there are better actual games since Dallas is probably winning this one by double-digits.
3
Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets
Nothing wrong with this one, it’s a matchup of two top West teams packed with star power. I just see two better options.
2
Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors
This and the next one are 1A/1B. I love this rematch of the 2022 Western Semis, and I’m a believer in this Grizzlies team. I just have one reason why the next game tops it by thismuch.
1
Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics
So: What if Kevin Durant is a Celtic? That would make this game 50 times more intriguing, right?
But what if he’s not? Then you get the defending Eastern champs against the title-holders a year ago. You get Giannis and Tatum. You get two of the most balanced teams in the league facing off on one of the biggest stages. The Griz and Dubs will be similarly good, but it’s this game that will probably be the most entertaining of the bunch.
