The top 10 games of the NBA's regular season

As we approach the season, I ranked the top 10 games I am looking forward to this season. First, let’s get into some moves around the league.

Free agency moves.

I like the Klay Thompson addition for the Heat. They need shooting and he remains one of the best shooters in the league. The defense is gone but his shooting keeps him as a solid NBA player. I am not jumping for joy about the DeMar DeRozan addition for Denver. Yes, he can still score but do the Nuggets really need a bad defensive player who isn’t a three point threat and is going to take way too many midrangers? It is for the league minimum so it isn’t a big deal and he can fill in their 2nd units but I just don’t love the fit with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. The Timberwolves needed a power forward and that is the position Jonathan Kuminga plays but I don’t think he is very good. Everyone wanting him on their team so badly never made a ton of sense to me. I think LaMelo Ball could unlock part of his game, however, so maybe he breaks out with the Wolves and gets a big payday next summer. Bennedict Mathurin is a fine move for the Pelicans. He is young and they are bad so for $8 million you can see why they made this move. It is really interesting that the Clippers decided to just let him go for nothing and at this price because they are also bad. However, Mathurin is a player that some teams probably don’t like and I am sure the Clippers feel that way after he was with them after the Ivica Zubac trade in February. The Warriors signed Georges Niang and Brandon Williams. I am way more interested in the Williams signing because I think he can play and was surprised it took this long for someone to sign him but maybe I just like the player more than everyone else.

With that let’s get into my top 10 games of the regular season.

10. Spurs at Heat, February 15th at 5:30pm/EST on NBC

Giannis vs Wemby is always fun. These teams will play on January 20th so this won’t be the first time they play but on this game is President’s Day and the day after the Super Bowl with, I assume, Mike Tirico and Reggie Miller on the call, this game is the one that makes me more excited. These are going to be really good and physical teams that will be fun to watch matchup against one another. The draw of this game is, of course, to watch those 2 absolute specimens go at it on the basketball court. They are both once in a generation type of athletes who we get to watch play at the same time. Miami is going to be a team to keep an eye on as well. It will be interesting to see how Giannis and Bam Adebayo mix together as both are non-shooting big men. 

9. Thunder at Timberwolves, December 25th at 8:00pm/EST on ESPN/ABC

This is also not the first time these teams are going to face off this season but Christmas is always a special day in the NBA. I am higher on the LaMelo Ball trade than others. Yes, he has his faults but they really did not give up that much and Ball is such an offensive weapon with his passing and shooting that I think the fit with Anthony Edwards is worth the squeeze. OKC lost a lot of contributors to last year's team and will need better health than they had a season ago. They are going to need the 2025 version of Jalen Williams if they want to win another title. I am really excited to watch Minnesota’s offense against Oklahoma City’s defense because those are both going to be units ranking near the top of the NBA.

8. Lakers at Mavericks, February 28th at 3:30pm/EST on ABC

Luka in Dallas is always going to be on national TV and I am always going to fall for it. I am excited to watch the Mavericks this season. Getting Kyrie back is going to be a huge boost to their offense and make life much easier for Cooper Flagg, who is set to have a huge season. Meanwhile, the Lakers got the center Luka Doncic wanted so badly with the Walker Kessler addition. They overpaid with both draft picks and dollar amount in the sign and trade but he fills a big need and will help them. There will be a lot on his plate with their defense. Doncic and Austin Reaves are 2 of the worst defensive players in the league so Los Angeles will need him to take a leap on that end of the court. He was a very good defensive big in Utah but not a gamechanger and LA needs him to be a gamechanger.

7. Pacers at Pelicans, October 21st at 8:00pm/EST on League Pass

Tyrese Haliburton’s return not being on national TV and not being in Indiana is lunacy. Haliburton even said so himself. That doesn’t change the fact that Tyrese Haliburton’s return to the court is a big deal for the Pacers and the league as a whole. It will be interesting to see what he looks like back on the court because some guys it takes a minute to round back into form, others they don’t miss a beat when they return and some never get back to what they were. I expect Haliburton to be ready to rock and roll as the season gets started. Ivica Zubac is a big addition to a front line that was relying on Jay Huff and Micah Potter last season and he is the best pick and roll partner Haliburton has ever played with.

6. Celtics at Knicks, April 4th at 7:30pm/EST on NBC

This is the third year in a row that the Celtics and Knicks will play during the last week of the regular season at Madison Square Garden and the last 2 games have been awesome. This will be the fourth and final time these teams play this season but it is the one I am most excited for. It might be the last time they play in the regular season but it may not be the last time they play all season. Boston is gearing up for 82 games of Jayson Tatum and with Jaylen Brown’s departure, they’ll be leaning into their style of play even more this season. Boston is going to be built around their defense and former Knick Mitchell Robinson is going to be a big part of that. The Knicks look to defend their title and Boston is one of the teams they’ll need to go through to do so. 

5. Spurs at Knicks, December 25th at Noon EST on ESPN/ABC

An NBA Finals rematch on Christmas Day, what could be better? Well if it wasn’t a noon tipoff but other than that, this is awesome. The Finals were a 5 game series but all 5 games were close. The Spurs just proved that they were not ready to win at the highest level and weren’t ready to beat New York. They’ll be coming back this year with a vengeance. New York is looking to be the first team to go back to back since the Warriors did in 2017 and 2018. One of the keys to the series was the Spurs not having enough guys, adding Tobias Harris solves a big chunk of that issue. They needed a floor spacing 4 and a wing with size Harris fits that role perfectly. New York exposed that they were not deep enough and they tried to fix that problem by adding Harris. 

4. Pacers at Thunder, February 5th at 9:30pm/EST on Amazon Prime Video

A 2025 Finals rematch over the 2026 version? Well, this is as much about Tyrese Haliburton’s return to the sight of his torn achilles as anything. Haliburton should have his footing back and be used to playing every night by the time this game comes around. The 2025 NBA Finals were an all-time series and the return of Tyrese Haliburton makes this game that much more exciting. They played opening week last season in a great game and hopefully we will be treated to another good one in this game. This isn’t the first time these teams will play but it is the first time Hali will play in the building where the Pacers 2025 title chances and his career changed in an instance. I am so excited to watch Tyrese Haliburton play this season and his return to OKC will be a big milestone in his season.

3. Thunder at Spurs, October 20th at 9:30pm/EST on NBC

We are really looking forward to all of the games that these two teams will play but opening night is the first time they will take the floor. The Western Conference Finals were an all-time slug feast. Both teams likely feel they are in a better position to win the west this year than they were a season ago. The Jalen Williams injury loomed larger in that series than I am sure Spurs fans would like to admit and the Spurs Tobias Harris addition gives San Antonio more size and shooting on a roster that badly needed both. These are the two best teams in the Western Conference as we enter the 2026-27 season and probably the two best in the league (though the NBA champion Knicks might have something to say about that). Any time they match up it is going to be fun and opening night will be no exception.

2. 76ers at Knicks, October 20th at 7:00pm/EST on NBC

The NBA gave us an awesome opening night slate with Spurs-Thunder and the Jaylen Brown and LeBron James Sixers debuts on ring night in New York. Philly went all-in this summer with the Jaylen Brown trade and LeBron James following by signing as a free agent was the cherry on top. They are going to be really good. The Knicks are the champs for a reason, however, and should still be seen as the favorites in the Eastern Conference. Jalen Brunson is one of the 10 best players in the NBA and played such a huge role in getting the Knicks to where they wanted to be. I am interested to see how Philly guards Brunson, Jaylen Brown or VJ Edgecombe is probably their best answer at the position but how effective will those guys be in guarding the Finals MVP? There are a lot of questions about this matchup and we will get some answers on opening night.

1. 76ers at Celtics, January 21st at 7:30pm/EST on Amazon Prime

The Jaylen Brown return to Boston was always going to be emotional. Added that he plays for the 76ers and they signed the hated LeBron James and the Sixers first game in Boston is the best on the calendar. I think the Celtics have a chance to be really good. Jayson Tatum looked a lot like Jayson Tatum in his return to the court at the end of last season and getting him back for the full 82 games is a huge deal for Boston. Meanwhile, you know Brown is going to have a massive chip on his shoulder any time these two teams play and especially in his first game back in Boston. He is going to want to prove to the Celtics that they made the wrong choice in trading him and there is no better time to do that than in your first game back. It is going to be an emotional night for everyone involved and add the fact that both these teams believe they can win the east, it is going to be a lot of fun to watch.