2013-2014 Official NBA Thread

[Al Bundy]

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/ey...4-nba-schedule

With the Schedule released today, I figured it would be a good time to start the thread.

The NBA released its 2013-2014 schedule on Tuesday in a televised special on NBATV alongside a release on NBA.com and its team websites.

The season kicks off Tuesday, October 29th as Miami hosts the Chicago Bulls in Derrick Rose's expected return to the court. Then it's the Battle of LA as the Lakers host the Clippers. It could be the return of Kobe Bryant from his Achilles injury he suffered last spring, and will be the regular season debut of Doc Rivers as the Clippers' newest head coach.

It's a massive gamble by the NBA, considering Rose's struggles returning from his ACL injury suffered in the 2012 playoffs and Bryant's more recent Achilles surgery. If those players were to miss the opening night, it's going to make for a very underwhelming opening night of basketball, regardless of the markets involved for ratings.

Opening week continues on Thursday with the Bulls hosting the Knicks in what is likely to be Rose's return to the United Center in the regular season. The Knicks will be on a back to back, opening the season on Wednesday vs. the Bucks. Thursday night the revamped Warriors visit the Clippers, who are clearly the hot team, with two national appearances in the first three days.

Opening week concludes Friday with the Nets' home opener vs. the Heat, followed by another Lakers home game, this time vs. the defending Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs.

On the NBA's biggest regular season day, Christmas Day, starts with the Nets hosting Chicago, followed by the scoring-champ rematch of Carmelo Anthony vs. Kevin Durant as the Thunder visit Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks. Then in the main event, the Heat play the Lakers at Staples Center. Dwight Howard joins the Christmas fun as the Rockets travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs. And in the night cap, the Clippers visit Oracle Arena to take on Steph Curry and the Warriors.

Monday, January 20th continues the NBA's tradition of making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a huge basketball event, with four games on the schedule. Brooklyn travels across the bridge to take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, followed by the Grizzlies hosting the Pelicans, the Lakers taking on the Bulls at the United Center, and the Pacers facing the Warriors in the bay to cap off the night.

The Lakers first meet Dwight Howard on November 13th in Houston, and again on January 14th. They first host Howard at Staples Center on February 19th, and again on April 8th.

The NBA Finals rematches occur on January 26th in Miami and March 6th in San Antonio. Will Gregg Popovich rest his starters? It's not a back to back, as the Spurs face Atlanta on the 24th, but it is in the middle of a three-game road trip.

Despite the departure of Dwight Howard, the Lakers keep the max number of nationally televised (non-NBA TV) games in the league at 25, tied with the Knicks and Heat. The Clippers have 21 nationally televised games, while the defending Western Champs, the Spurs, only have 15. The Bulls jump to 24 national games, with the league banking on Rose's return to carry audiences. The Thunder also feature on national TV 24 times.

Houston, with newly-signed Dwight Howard and James Harden, feature 20 games on national television, a pretty low number given the star power. The Mavericks won the NBA title in 2011, and now have just eight national TV appearances. The Warriors meanwhile jump to 17 games, while Eastern Conference finalist Indiana only appears 10 time next season. To put that in perspective, the Denver Nuggets appear 13 times.

The rest of the schedule is at the link.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by -King-

They just have to admit the Kidd hire was a horrible decision and fire him.

yep. Sooner the better. It was so flawed from the beginning. He was out there playing against these guys for 15 years. All of a sudden they're going to "listen to him"?

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Bambi

yep. Sooner the better. It was so flawed from the beginning. He was out there playing against these guys for 15 years. All of a sudden they're going to "listen to him"?

Yeah. I've been saying this since they first rumored the hire. It just didn't make any sense. Make him an assistant coach or something. To make him head coach was just stupid.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by okcchief

I thought people bought into the Nets too heavy, but it's been even worse than I thought. They are going to be ****ed for years unless they want to keep spending astronomical anounts. I guess they could be in the lottery Oops nevermind.

The Celts should be set up nicely for the future.

The Celtics are just so freaking good it's impossible to figure out. They build up, break down, and build up over and over again….for like the last 80 years.

It's amazing. They aren't even that bad now and they got a star of a coach and will be looking at a very solid player in their years draft which will enable them to make a run right as the Heat Show is hitting the wall.

Ainge is great.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

The East is an AIDS fest.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by okcchief

I thought people bought into the Nets too heavy, but it's been even worse than I thought. They are going to be ****ed for years unless they want to keep spending astronomical anounts. I guess they could be in the lottery Oops nevermind.

The Celts should be set up nicely for the future.

I admit I did. I also thought the East would be better than the West this year. lol

The Heat know they can just sleepwalk through the regular season and first 2 rounds of the playoffs since the East is so ****ing bad.

Originally Posted by -King-

They just have to admit the Kidd hire was a horrible decision and fire him.

They should but they won't. I don't even know who they could get in to replace him.

[mschiefs1984]

Originally Posted by okcchief

I thought people bought into the Nets too heavy, but it's been even worse than I thought. They are going to be ****ed for years unless they want to keep spending astronomical anounts. I guess they could be in the lottery Oops nevermind.

The Celts should be set up nicely for the future.

I never thought the Nets would be up there with the Heat and the Pacers,but I didn't see them being this bad. And it will only help the Celtics how smart do they look now

[Bambi]

To this day I'm amazed at how Noah's career has gone in the NBA.

[dirk digler]

btw Lebron may have resurrected Beasley's career. He is probably playing the best basketball of his life.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

btw Lebron may have resurrected Beasley's career. He is probably playing the best basketball of his life.

If he could just stop acting like child he could make a real go at it.

[Bambi]

lol

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I admit I did. I also thought the East would be better than the West this year. lol

The Heat know they can just sleepwalk through the regular season and first 2 rounds of the playoffs since the East is so ****ing bad.



They should but they won't. I don't even know who they could get in to replace him.

uhh George Karl and Lionel Hollins are doing nothing? They would be massive upgrades

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by Bambi

If he could just stop acting like child he could make a real go at it.

You mean get off the weed

Originally Posted by mcaj22

uhh George Karl and Lionel Hollins are doing nothing? They would be massive upgrades

Good point. I don't know if Karl would be willing to jump into that mess but I bet Hollins would. I was thinking maybe the Nets would try to make Franks the HC but I don't know how that would work after getting embarrassed by Kidd and he was just ran out of Detroit.

[dirk digler]

Rockets have announced they want to trade Asik by December 19th.

[MIAdragon]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

Rockets have announced they want to trade Asik by December 19th.

Well thats a tad silly to announce, no?

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by MIAdragon

Well thats a tad silly to announce, no?

Probably. Though announced may not be the best word, according to ESPN that is what they are telling teams in the NBA.

The Houston Rockets are telling other teams that they intend to trade disgruntled center Omer Asik by Dec. 19, according to sources familiar with the team's plans.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Rockets began calling potential trade partners Friday to let them know they intend to deal Asik between Dec. 15 and Dec. 19.

The significance of such a specific window is two-fold. Dec. 15 is the first day players who signed new contracts in the offseason can be plugged into trades, and Dec. 19 is the last day any player acquired by Houston in an Asik deal can be repackaged with other players before the league's Feb. 20 trade deadline.