The NBA started on Christmas day last season as the result of a lengthy labor stoppage. The timing was apropos, as Christmas marks the beginning of the season for the casual NBA fan. Today five games will be played on national television, including a double-header on ABC. There is basketball on all day long; the only sport to be played on a day that most people have off. It was a wise business move for the league, and is quickly becoming a December 25th tradition, somewhat akin to how families structure Thanksgiving dinners around football games.
It occurred to me today, while watching “The First 48″ marathon on A&E that a lot of people watch basketball the same way I watch football. I only watch football because it is available on basic cable during the weekend (or, more available than basketball on the weekend, RIP NBA on NBC). In that case today is the opening tip-off for the casual fan of basketball, who just finished losing in the semi-finals of his fantasy football league for the third straight season.
In tune with the spirit of the season, our gift to the NFL fan who is tuning in to the NBA today because it is the only sport on TV, and might start watching the Friday night ESPN game before they go out for the night (or pregaming in preparation for, amirite?) is this football-themed Christmas Day viewing guide. You’ve got five great games to look forward to, and we’re happy to have you aboard.
Merry Christmas from your two Jewish Diss Editors,
JG & KD
Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets @ 9:00 a.m. PT (ESPN) – Pittsburgh Steelers vs Dallas Cowboys
The Celtics are a veteran-laden team who has won a championship fairly recently (2008), but with a 13-13 record, father time may have caught up with them. The Nets moved into a state of the art arena this year (think Cowboys Stadium) to great fanfare and hype, but the results haven’t necessarily materialized. They will likely make the playoffs, but a championship run is probably beyond them. Like a Steelers-Cowboys matchup this season, the names on the front of the jerseys are bigger than the ones on the back.
New York Knicks vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 12:00 p.m. PT (ABC) – Atlanta Falcons vs Green Bay Packers
Before the season, most pundits pegged the Knicks to make the playoffs, but not do much more. Instead, behind the play of newly reborn offensive savant Carmelo Anthony (Matt Ryan) and a long-range attack, the Knicks are wildly exceeding expectations. Still, questions remain as to whether they can succeed or not once they actually reach the playoffs. Like the Packers, the Lakers are an institution, an won the first ever NBA championship. They won their 15th championship three years ago, but have since been unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs early. This struggled to begin the season (at various points the Packers were 0-1, 1-2, and 2-3) before righting the ship to become the team we all expected them to be.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Miami Heat @ 2:30 p.m. PT (ABC) – New England Patriots vs Denver Broncos
Simply put, these teams feature the two best players in the league (Kevin Durant and LeBron James), who met in the NBA Finals last year. LeBron may have prevailed, but the league is all set up to have them battle for titles for the next ten years, just like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning spent the last ten.
Houston Rockets vs Chicago Bulls @ 5:00 p.m. PT (ESPN) – Minnesota Vikings vs 2008-09 New England Patriots
As James Harden goes, so do the Houston Rockets: when he scores 30 points or more they are 7-1, but when he scores under 30 they are a pedestrian 7-10. Like the Vikings without Adrian Peterson, the Rockets without Harden are not a very good team. The Chicago Bulls, on the other hand, are almost perfectly playing out the Patriots 2008-09 season, the one where they lost Tom Brady to Bernard Pollard’s hit and finished 10-6 behind Matt Cassell. 2010-11 MVP Derrick Rose has yet to play for the Bulls this season, and it is unclear when he will get back on the court. Backup PG Kirk Hinrich has played okay in his stead, but they need their talisman back, and soon.
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 7:30 p.m. PT (ESPN) – Philadelphia Eagles vs Houston Texans
The Denver Nuggets were strong contenders to begin the season, and are probably the most athletic team in the league. Unfortunately, that athleticism hasn’t always translated into useful basketball skills. Unlike the Eagles, however, at least these Nuggets have some time to turn their season around. The Clippers are an absolute juggernaut, winning their last thirteen in a row by an average of 16 points! Like the Texans, the Clippers are solid across the board, with no obvious weaknesses. Like Gary Kubiak, Clippers fans aren’t sure if coach Vinny Del Negro is actually a competent coach.