Miami Heat Schedule: Five Intriguing Games To Watch

Miami Heat fans got a chance to try and see how their team might start the season off, as Wednesday saw the unveiling of the NBA schedule for the 2014-15 season. This will give Heat fans a chance to figure out where the pit-falls may lie, and build hope for a successful season.

I’ve always enjoyed schedule releases. The NBA, much like the NFL, does such a good job of hyping these releases as big-time events. Granted the NBA schedule got leaked out little-by-little over the last couple of weeks that it takes the luster off of it, yet getting a glimpse at the Heat schedule is always enjoyable.

(Thankfully, it doesn’t bring the same depression that it does looking at the Dolphins schedule, which is usually nothing more than guessing which eight games they will win and which eight they’ll lose. These are the joys of being a Dolphins fan.)

Even with the loss of LeBron James, the Heat will appear in 20 nationally televised games – including four versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Heat will be looking to showcase to the nation that their new look roster still has what it takes to compete in the Eastern Conference.

Taking a look at the schedule, a number of games stand out as must-see. Games against the Thunder, Warriors, and Clippers will be fun to watch; the Knicks and Lakers will always have name value; upstarts like the Hornets, Raptors, and Blazers will be intriguing matchups.

Oh yeah, and there’s always those games against You Know Who.

But there are certain games that I find more intriguing than others. I enjoy a good subplot to a game – whether it’s a star returning, a Finals rematch, or just a good old-fashioned rivalry – and a storyline can go a long way to add to the feel of a game.

I didn’t pick the same team twice; I think the first matchup is always intriguing, unless the venue of the second game adds something to it. These are five different teams with reasons why they warrant a ticket to the game or a seat on the couch.