2002-03's Top 20 Games to Watch

By John Hollinger, CNNSI.com

The upcoming basketball season has a lot to offer, and yet I know what you're thinking: 29 teams playing 82 games over 6 1/2 months can be quite a handful. Fear not. I've winnowed down the list to 20 games of the greatest interest, and even managed to get in one game from every team. Just for good measure, I threw in one game that you absolutely shouldn't watch.

Without further ado, the list, please:

Oct. 30: Utah at New Orleans It doesn't get any better than this. Not only does it mark the NBA's return to New Orleans, but also, for added effect the Hornets get to play the holders of their rightful name. Incidentally, could you imagine being one of the players 24 years ago and being told you were leaving New Orleans for Salt Lake City? No wonder they won only 24 games the next year; most of the players were probably clinically depressed.

Nov. 9: Toronto at Indiana It's no-holds-barred in the annual battle of really, really common names. Indiana's formidable surname lineup includes three guys named Miller, two Fosters and a Jones. They're still no match for Toronto, who sends two Williams, a Davis, a Peterson, a Carter, a Hunter, a Murray and a Bradley out as its top eight.

Nov. 23: Seattle at Dallas Please, please God, let these two teams meet in the playoffs. These two were born to face each other. Both shoot the lights out, neither has a care in the world about such annoyances as defense and rebounding, and each has a highlight-film dunker (Desmond Mason, Michael Finley) to jazz things up when we get tired of all the 3-pointers. The over on this game will be about 250.

Dec. 5: Minnesota at Golden State No, I didn't pick this game for the Arizona reunion between Gilbert Arenas and Loren Woods, but thanks for asking. I picked it because he's ba-aaack. Remember how Marc Jackson trashed the Warrior organization while he was nailed to their bench last year, and then threw in some parting shots for good measure when he was traded to Minnesota? Would it surprise anyone if, say, Danny Fortson or Adonal Foyle were to "remember" this transgression in a particularly personal way this year?

Dec. 13: New York at Miami The rest of the games on this list are games to watch. This is a game not to watch. These two teams were hard on the eyes even when they were good, because they were conspiring to ruin basketball, but now that they both stink it's a coma-inducing experience. As an added bonus, there's the hypnotic effect of those bright yellow seats in American Airlines Arena, practically screaming out, "Look at me. I'm empty. I've been this way for years. Help." I repeat, DO NOT watch this game.

Dec. 25: Sacramento at Los Angeles Could any Christmas present be better than getting to see Game 8 of the Western Conference finals? The Kings have had this game circled on their calendar for six months, bringing up the interesting question of why nobody ever puts a different shape on their calendar.

Jan. 2: Washington at Chicago Michael Jordan gets to show up in the city where he won six championships, school the young punks the Bulls are hoping will fill his legacy, and then skip town while Jerry Krause calmly explains one more time his theory of how organizations win championships. Like MJ's not loving every moment of this.

Jan. 14: Atlanta at Milwaukee Darvin Ham and Terry Stotts make their triumphant return to the Bradley Center. Oh, and Glenn Robinson too. After an offseason of taking swipes at each other in the press, Big Dog and Ray Allen finally get to do it in person. Perhaps by then the former teammates will have made up, and they can do that nauseating pregame kiss-at-halfcourt thing like Magic and Isiah.

Jan. 17: L.A. Lakers at Houston Yao Ming, this is Shaquille O'Neal. Welcome to the NBA. Try to stay in one piece.

Jan. 27: Cleveland at L.A. Clippers While this game has no important playoff implications and the Clippers should win easily, that hasn't stopped the folks at SportsCenter from salivating over this game for months. Darius Miles, Dajuan Wagner and Ricky Davis will match highlight reels against the Clips' Corey Maggette, Quentin Richardson and Chris Wilcox. Plus, Richardson and Miles get to re-enact that stupid fists-to-head thing one more time for the L.A. folks. Get the TiVo ready.

Jan. 27: Milwaukee at New Orleans Watch out, America, it's Anthony Mason's first visit to Bourbon Street. On a related note, my sources tell me Cops has made plans to shoot in the French Quarter that week. Be sure to check if Mase has any new tattoos when the game tips off.

Feb. 2: Cleveland at Portland Did you know that a 40-ounce beer is called a Sabonis in Lithuania? If Cleveland has its way, it soon will be called an Ilgauskas. With Arvydas Sabonis out of retirement and Zydrunas Ilgauskas ambulatory again, say labas to the return of the 7-foot-3 Lithuanian centers, grab a Sabonis and enjoy the fun.

Feb. 9: All-Star Game Sure, it's the All-Star Game and thus worth watching in its own right, but there's an added reason to watch the All-Star Game this year. If Indiana has the East's best record at the break, which is possible, it means that Isiah Thomas will get one more chance to freeze out Michael Jordan.

Feb. 13: Orlando at Detroit It's been a long time coming, but if his ankle holds up, Grant Hill finally will get a homecoming game where he can show the Detroit fans the Hill of old -- three years later. If he plays like he has in the preseason, it should be quite a show.

Feb. 16: Philadelphia at New Jersey After swapping key pieces in the offseason, the two Atlantic Division contenders go head-to-head. Somehow, it's hard to picture a newspaper with the headline "Van Horn makes triumphant return to Jersey," isn't it?

Feb. 17: Minnesota at Utah If things shake out the way pundits like me expect (rare, I realize, but humor me), then this game could end up determining the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. This is important because one streak will end: either Utah's 19 straight playoff appearances, or Minnesota's six straight first-round defeats.

Mar. 5: Indiana at L.A. Lakers There are two reasons to watch this one. First is the "Finals preview" angle, for the Pacer believers, but in truth that's a lame reason -- the Finals haven't been close in eons. A better reason to watch is the matchup of Shaquille O'Neal and Brad Miller. Shaq tried to decapitate Miller, then with the Bulls, when they met a year ago after Miller got a little too exuberant about using the Hack-A-Shaq method.

Mar. 6: New Jersey at San Antonio Tampering? What tampering? Who's tampering here? Tim Duncan will introduce Jason Kidd to a friend of his, who by coincidence happens to be his real-estate agent, while whispering soothing thoughts throughout the game on how much Kidd will enjoy the Alamo City. ("You'll love it here. It's just like Phoenix, but with humidity. And the river's so shallow you can walk across it, just like Moses. Or was it Kareem?")

Mar. 26: Memphis at Phoenix Watching up-and-coming players is most interesting when a few of them are going head-to-head. This game is unlikely to have playoff implications, but combine Pau Gasol, Amare Stoudemire, Drew Gooden, Stromile Swift and Joe Johnson, and there's some intrigue. Throw in the occasional dazzler from J-Thrill, Starbury and The Matrix, and this game should be downright entertaining.

Apr. 11: Denver at Sacramento If any game has a chance to break the record for "biggest blowout in league history," this is the one. Picture Denver, playing for ping-pong balls (but certainly not admitting it), sending out its backcourt of T.R. Dunn and Bill Hanzlik, playing on the road against a Kings' team that needs to win to secure home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and is finally healthy after getting Mike Bibby back from his foot problem. Predictions, anyone? Does 143-78 seem unrealistic?

Apr. 16: Detroit at Boston These two teams met in the Eastern Conference semifinals last year, but both will have trouble getting that far again this season. In fact, this game could end up being for the East's last playoff spot. The loser may get a more coveted prize -- a ping-pong ball that might have LeBron James' name on it.