10 things to watch for during the NBA's Christmas Day marathon

It's the most wonderful time of the year -- because Christmas Day means NBA marathon time. On Friday, we'll be treated to five consecutive basketball games, which will give you plenty of cover to duck out and watch some hoops if things start to get a little awkward at your family gatherings.

All of that basketball is a wonderful thing, but it can also be a little overwhelming. With 10 teams in action and narratives galore playing out, you might not be sure what's important. We're here to help with 10 things you should be keeping an eye on when you're not pounding eggnog.

1. Can the Cavaliers prove they can hang with the Warriors?

Cleveland doesn't necessarily need to beat Golden State in a rematch of last season's NBA Finals. But it does need to prove it belongs. With Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving now healthy, the Cavaliers should be much better equipped to deal with Golden State than they were last season. A blowout loss, even in December, would be crushing to the collective ego of the Cavaliers, even at this extremely early stage of the season.

2. Will the Black Mamba continue his recent nostalgic turn?

Kobe Bryant was amazing on Tuesday night, helping the Los Angeles Lakers to a comeback win as he poured in 31 points and hit the dagger in the final minute. Can he keep it up on Christmas? It looks like he's finally getting his legs back after missing so many minutes over the last two seasons. Obviously, he's still a bit rusty on some nights, though, and we don't blame anyone who's waiting for the other shoe to drop for Bryant. Hopefully, though, Lakers fans will get the best gift of all -- a vintage performance against the LA-rival Clippers.

3. The Beard meets the Claw

The Houston Rockets are 2-9 when James Harden scores fewer than 25 points this season. That's bad news for Houston because there's a good chance its best player will spend a majority of this game matched up against San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard, the league's best defender and one of its best all-around players. It's a fascinating one-on-one battle that will likely decide which team wins the war.

4. A little bit of recognition for a future Hall of Famer

The Miami Heat have been flying under the radar as a legitimate contender in the East, in part because people seem to be writing off Dwyane Wade as a real threat. Truth is, Wade has looked better at times this season than he has in years. With a big game from him against the Pelicans in the national spotlight, people might start to jump back on the bandwagon.

5. An unstoppable force meets an immovable object

When Russell Westbrook has the ball, there's only one prudent defensive decision: Get out of the way. Yet we don't expect Chicago Bulls wing Jimmy Butler to heed that advice if he finds himself locked on the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard. The Bulls don't really have an answer for Kevin Durant, especially with their rotation in tatters. But watching Butler and Westbrook go back-and-forth should mean fireworks on Christmas. It's not traditional, but it should be fun.

6. Is a heel turn in the cards for the Warriors?

For those unfamiliar with wrestling parlance, a "heel turn" is exactly what it sounds like: A fan favorite flips sides and becomes a hated foe. There are already rumblings about the brash Golden State Warriors and their exuberance in wins. Might their enthusiasm rub people the wrong way on Christmas Day? It's a possibility, we suppose, but the counterbalance is pretty hefty. People love the Warriors -- children especially. As a general NBA audience tunes in, they might simply find more to love with Stephen Curry and the rest of the defending champions.

7. A turning point on the horizon in Houston

After going from the Western Conference finals to a 5-10 start that cost them their head coach, the Rockets have quietly started to improve. Houston is 10-4 in its past 14 games, a stretch that's been filled mostly with soft opponents but that does include victories over the Clippers, Hornets and Mavericks. The big test will come when the Rockets host the Spurs. Can they prove they've dug themselves out of the ditch? Or have the past three-and-a-half weeks just been cover-up on a pimply season?

8. Can one rookie head coach reign supreme in Oklahoma City?

Both Billy Donovan and Fred Hoiberg came into the NBA with hype. Donovan was supposed to bring his winning ways from Florida to OKC, Hoiberg from Iowa State to Chicago. Each team has been successful since the change on the bench, but at times, it's been in spite of the new coaches. Both have struggled to nail down solid rotations, Hoiberg more so than Donovan, and the Thunder offense has really struggled with its late-game play-calling, the main source of criticism from when Scott Brooks was still running the show. Meanwhile, Hoiberg's star player, Jimmy Butler, has already called him out publicly. This hasn't been the smoothest of transitions for either coach so far. NBA teams might want to think twice now before bringing in college coaches to run things from the sideline.

9. A halted rise looks to gain momentum

Suffice it to say that 2015-16 has been a far worse season than Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans had in mind. Davis was a popular preseason choice as an MVP candidate, but we can't imagine most basketball fans are intimately familiar with his play in New Orleans. His numbers have dipped slightly this year as the Pelicans have installed new schemes on both ends of the floor, and injuries to his teammates have limited Davis' productivity, too. He's not a prototypical star who can create his own shot. Like Tim Duncan, Davis needs someone who can get him the ball. If any of his guards are up to the task on Christmas, we're hoping the Brow can earn some of the attention we thought he'd have received by now.

10. Can the Clippers show up on national TV?

The Clippers are 2-8 in nationally televised games this season, with their two wins coming against their weakest opponents -- the Mavericks and Kings. In all likelihood, the Clippers are going to beat the Lakers. Probably by double digits. But for a team that has struggled to put together any signature wins this season, a 30-point-plus drubbing of their hallway rivals would be a nice start.