NBA Christmas Day Schedule: What the league got right and wrong with the 2021 slate
Exploring what the NBA got right and wrong with the 2021 NBA Christmas Day slate.
The entire 2021-22 NBA season schedule is slated to be released later this week, but the league threw a bit of a teaser to what we could expect in a few days with the official release of the 2021 NBA Christmas Day slate.
Before digging too much into NBA schedule talk, I took a quick glance at this year’s Christmas Day slate and here is what I believe the league got right and wrong with it:
What the NBA got wrong with the Christmas Day schedule
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Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks – With all due respect to both of these teams, I simply don’t see a lot of intrigue in this matchup. That said, I get the decision. Trae Young and Madison Square Garden. That’s the appeal here. However, I feel like we could’ve gotten a more intriguing matchup for the Knicks, assuming the NBA was going to be in New York on Christmas Day one way or another.
It’s not a terrible matchup but not one that I feel HAS to be featured on Christmas Day.
Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks – I hate this matchup for so many reasons. For one, the NBA could’ve both had them play on Christmas Day but it doesn’t work against each other. The Bucks deserve a Christmas game. You can make the case for the Celtics too. But there are so many other intriguing matchups that the league could’ve selected that feature both these teams.
Secondly, do we really want to see a Celtics team that has taken a step back since making it to the Eastern Conference Finals a couple of seasons ago against the defending champs? We’re just going to waste the defending champs on the Celtics?
I don’t get this one at all.
What the NBA did right with the Christmas Day schedule
Dallas Mavericks vs. Utah Jazz – Even though this may seem like a ho-hum matchup on paper, the NBA had to do everything it could to have Luka Doncic on national television on arguably their biggest day of the year.
That’s exactly what they accomplish by having the Mavs and Jazz face off. Add in the star power of Donovan Mitchell and the likelihood that both of these teams will be fighting for a playoff spot, and you can see why this is a pairing that could provide some late-Christmas Day entertainment.
Perhaps right around the time you’re sneaking into some leftovers.
Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns – This is a matchup that I absolutely love. The old champion Warriors looking to make their mark once again in the Western Conference facing off against the new sweethearts of the conference that just made a run to the NBA Finals.
Devin Booker and Chris Paul vs. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Throw in budding stars Deandre Ayton and James Wiseman and this is a matchup that many will grow intrigue in.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers – This is probably the best possible matchup that the league could’ve selected. It’s the NBA Finals that we all wanted to see (for the most part) and one that we could very well see this season.
There’s nothing more than a primetime game between the NEts and Lakers that will feature LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. This is the most star-studded matchup of the day and one that will likely offer the most intrigue – unless injuries ruin it.
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There’s no question that the NBA got this one right.