NBA Opening Night: What to watch for in each match-up

Oct 19, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks center Joakim Noah (13) grabs the ball against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 19, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks center Joakim Noah (13) grabs the ball against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 7
Next
Oct 19, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks center Joakim Noah (13) grabs the ball against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 19, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks center Joakim Noah (13) grabs the ball against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

Christmas is coming two months early for NBA fans, as the season opens October 25 with three big games. What should you be watching for in each match-up?

Opening Night has arrived. The games are as follows:

New York Knicks @ Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. TNT

Utah Jazz @ Portland Trail Blazers 10:00 p.m. League Pass

San Antonio Spurs @ Golden State Warriors 10:30 p.m. TNT

For those wanting to watch the Blazers and Jazz instead of the Spurs and Warriors, remember that League Pass is free for the first week of the NBA season. Take advantage, as after that time it’ll cost you $200 to watch any game you want.

Most of the time, TNT or ESPN will show the best game on, but if you are a big Jazz or Blazers fan not living in either area (or any other team that is not on national TV a lot), League Pass is a great tool. If you are like me and do not want to suffer watching a whole game of your favorite team (Spurs) losing to a bunch of soft three-point shooters, you can always turn to League Pass for a break.

Getting back to the actual games, the beginning of a team’s season is a great time to see what players a coach likes and what positions he prefers to play certain guys. Let’s take a look at one thing to watch for on each team playing tonight.