espn announced it this morning
The new NBA superpower in Miami will definitely have its hands full to start the season as the New Big 3 takes on the Old Big 3. Welcome to being the hunted, ring or no ring. The Boston Globe reports that the NBA season will kick off October 26th with the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics hosting the Miami Heat. If this report and the Orlando Sentinel report regarding the game against Orlando on the 28th are correct, it means two things.
One, Miami will immediately be under fire to produce wins. Starting the season off 0-2 would mean almost nothing in terms of their capacity as a team, but would result in a cataclysmic fire of negative press that would follow them until the notched several significant wins. Knocking off the Pacers on a Tuesday will not help things if they start off winless against the two best teams in the East outside of Miami, both of which have been to the Finals the past two seasons.
Two, the Heat will not open their own arena until at least Friday or Saturday, meaning it doesn't look like the NBA trusts the Miami market to create a particularly rowdy atmosphere, compared to what greets the Big 3 on opening night. Two road games against the two other top East teams? Baptism by fire, super-friends. Baptism by fire.
Meanwhile, the revelation that the season kicks off with Miami and Boston leads us to wonder what team the defending champion Lakers will face. Rampant speculation has suggested Oklahoma City, which would certainly bring the most high profile game for the Western second game of the expected double-header. Other possible options include the Suns, Nuggets, Spurs, and Mavericks.
We'll have more on the opening night matchups when the NBA officially releases its opening night, Christmas Day, and MLK day schedule tonight on NBATV.
The new NBA superpower in Miami will definitely have its hands full to start the season as the New Big 3 takes on the Old Big 3. Welcome to being the hunted, ring or no ring. The Boston Globe reports that the NBA season will kick off October 26th with the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics hosting the Miami Heat. If this report and the Orlando Sentinel report regarding the game against Orlando on the 28th are correct, it means two things.
One, Miami will immediately be under fire to produce wins. Starting the season off 0-2 would mean almost nothing in terms of their capacity as a team, but would result in a cataclysmic fire of negative press that would follow them until the notched several significant wins. Knocking off the Pacers on a Tuesday will not help things if they start off winless against the two best teams in the East outside of Miami, both of which have been to the Finals the past two seasons.
Two, the Heat will not open their own arena until at least Friday or Saturday, meaning it doesn't look like the NBA trusts the Miami market to create a particularly rowdy atmosphere, compared to what greets the Big 3 on opening night. Two road games against the two other top East teams? Baptism by fire, super-friends. Baptism by fire.
Meanwhile, the revelation that the season kicks off with Miami and Boston leads us to wonder what team the defending champion Lakers will face. Rampant speculation has suggested Oklahoma City, which would certainly bring the most high profile game for the Western second game of the expected double-header. Other possible options include the Suns, Nuggets, Spurs, and Mavericks.
We'll have more on the opening night matchups when the NBA officially releases its opening night, Christmas Day, and MLK day schedule tonight on NBATV.
<TABLE width="100%" align=center><TBODY><TR><TD class=vaLabel vAlign=top rowSpan=5 width=100 align=middle>
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Report: Celtics appear close to signing Shaq </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Shaquille O'Neal - C - CLE - Aug. 3 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>The Celtics appear close to signing Shaquille O'Neal, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet.
The move makes sense as the Celtics are going to be without Kendrick Perkins (knee) for a significant period of the season and Jermaine O'Neal is a constant injury risk. Shaq would have to be willing to accept a minor offensive role and a salary near the veteran's minimum to make it work. He'd also be a low-end fantasy option as he's unable to log significant minutes anymore and would be the fifth or sixth scoring option at best. Still, Shaq's size is something that the Heat can't match up with as we look way down the road toward next year's playoffs.
Source: A. Sherrod Blakely on Twitter
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Report: Celtics appear close to signing Shaq </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Shaquille O'Neal - C - CLE - Aug. 3 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>The Celtics appear close to signing Shaquille O'Neal, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet.The move makes sense as the Celtics are going to be without Kendrick Perkins (knee) for a significant period of the season and Jermaine O'Neal is a constant injury risk. Shaq would have to be willing to accept a minor offensive role and a salary near the veteran's minimum to make it work. He'd also be a low-end fantasy option as he's unable to log significant minutes anymore and would be the fifth or sixth scoring option at best. Still, Shaq's size is something that the Heat can't match up with as we look way down the road toward next year's playoffs.
Source: A. Sherrod Blakely on Twitter
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Shaquille O'Neal - C - Cavaliers
The Celtics have told Shaquille O'Neal that he has to come off the bench next season, a source tells NBA.com's David Aldridge.
Shaq has never come off the bench in his career, and reportedly disturbed the chemistry in Cleveland last year when he started over Zydrunas Ilgauskas and J.J. Hickson. If Shaq goes to Boston, he'll be asked to back up the oft-injured Jermaine O'Neal. If anyone can make this work from a locker room standpoint, Doc Rivers can. The deal isn't done yet, but Aldridge confirms that it is "close." Aug. 3
Source: NBA.com
The Celtics have told Shaquille O'Neal that he has to come off the bench next season, a source tells NBA.com's David Aldridge.
Shaq has never come off the bench in his career, and reportedly disturbed the chemistry in Cleveland last year when he started over Zydrunas Ilgauskas and J.J. Hickson. If Shaq goes to Boston, he'll be asked to back up the oft-injured Jermaine O'Neal. If anyone can make this work from a locker room standpoint, Doc Rivers can. The deal isn't done yet, but Aldridge confirms that it is "close." Aug. 3
Source: NBA.com
