No Regard Daily Previews: Opening Night

Game We Will Definitely Watch Tonight: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

Ha. I spent some time today looking for that clip from season two of "Breaking Bad" when Jesse shoots up heroin for the first time and floats up off the bed, but couldn't find it. As NBA junkies, this isn't our first time getting high, but every time a new season hits our blood stream on opening night, it's like the first time all over again.

Anyway, I'm stalling here because what is there to say about this game that hasn't already been spewed ad nauseum. Even a bananahead knows the story lines and players taking the hardwood tonight in Boston.

Miller's injury does soften the impact of this whole exercise a bit, but only because it may force Spoelstra to play some more traditional line-ups. The match-ups are still where the intrigue resides with these two teams. More specifically, which coach will bow to the size of the other? No doubt Doc Rivers will try to force the action by trotting out very tall men like Garnett and Shaquille and Jermaine O'Neal, but does he stay the course when Wade and LeBron spit in the face of conventional positions and offensive schemes and succeed at running the show like maniacs?

I'm trying to act cool and downplay this, pretend there are other things in play here, but seriously: Heat-Celtics. It's going to be incredible.

One Game We Probably Won't Watch Tonight: Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trailblazers

Nothing against these two squads, but I'm on the East Coast, and if I stay up late tonight, it's going to be for Yao Ming and Ron Artest's haircut.

But the Phoenix game should be pretty fascinating also, and maybe even a better game (the Lakers are receiving their rings tonight, and recently, teams in that position have struggled to shake off the celebratory hangover in time to win their first game). This is Nash's first opportunity to quell everyone's fears that the Sun's front office has finally put together a ragtag group of newsies too sorry for even Nash to salvage. But don't read a strong performance by him as anything more than a competitive dude excited for another season; Nash is too busy of a guy to spend time worrying about what the trees whisper about him.

Players who should come out looking to prove something are Dudley, Dragic, and the rest of the second-stringers who's play was so vital during last year's playoffs. It's one thing to respond to a challenge, but it's another rodeo altogether to be able to rope up high expectations and keep on riding hard.

As for the Blazers: Injuries, right? And Nicolas Batum. Those are things relating to that team, I'm sure of it!