“No, we are not going to get into that, we are not circling any games or going for revenge,” Scott told Sporting News. “There are 82 games on the schedule and we’re not going to go out of our way to worry about that one.”
Apparently, neither is the NBA. The league released the highlights of its schedule on Tuesday (the rest will come out next week), and oneof the most notable aspects of the big-game slate is that it does not include the Heat visiting Cleveland. Commissioner David Stern has admitted to being a bit put off by the assemblingof the Heat’s new James-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh superteam, and apparently, he doesn’t want to showcase James’ jilting of the Cavaliers by giving Miami at Cleveland a prime spot on the calendar.
That’s not to say the Heat’s star status isn’t a major selling point on the league’s early schedule — in fact, they pop up three times, including the season opener and the marquee Christmas Day matchup. In all, 20 games were announced, and some promise to be especially intriguing.
Oct. 26: Miami at Boston. This will mark the debut of the Heat’s new power-packed trio, and they’ll go up against the defending East champs, the Celtics. There is added intrigue here, because folks with the Celtics have taken offense to the showy introduction given to James, Wade and Bosh — even coach Doc Rivers suggested that it was the first time he’d seen a championship parade before the season started.
Oct. 26: Houston at L.A. Lakers. If there is a sign that the Western Conference is in flux below the top spot, it’s the fact that the NBA chose the Rockets to go against the Lakers in the second halfof the opening night doubleheader. Houston has the potential to be very good, but with Yao Ming again returning from injury, it can’t be considered a real threat to the Lakers. But then, no one in the West is a threat to the Lakers.
Oct. 27: Portland at L.A. Clippers. At long last, it is the debut of former No. 1 pick Blake Griffin, who missed last year with a knee injury and will be considered a rookie this year. If he’s looking for someone to chat about knee injuries, Blazers center Greg Oden will be on hand.
Oct. 28: Washington at Orlando. This year’s No. 1 pick, John Wall, will make his debut. Wall is known for his ability to drive the paint, but he probably hasn’t seen a guy like Dwight Howard in the paint before.
Dec. 25: Miami at L.A. Lakers. No surprise that this is the prime game on the NBA’s schedule this year. Miami likely will get off to a good start, and you can bet that the Lakers will not be pleased with the amount of attention the Heat will draw. Expect a grudge match.
Posted: Sean Deveney
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