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

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.

Oct 20, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Joakim Noah (13) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Luis Scola (4) during first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Knicks: Joakim Noah

Many scoffed when the former Florida Gator center signed for $72 million this offseason with the new look Knicks. These doubts may have been well warranted due to Noah’s injury history and ineffectiveness last season. At the same time, the emotional center finished fourth, behind superstars Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Blake Griffin, in MVP voting just two seasons ago.

Then, in 2014-2015, Noah’s numbers declined with the addition of Pau Gasol in Chicago. He was still effective as the only NBA player to average more than eight rebounds a game (9.6) and four assists (4.7). Noah was also one of two non-guards (Lebron the other) to have more than 7.3 assists per 48 minutes.

When Fred Hoiberg came in to replace Tom Thibodeau with the Bulls, Noah’s key role vanished. He only played in 29 games due to injuries, but in those games he managed a sorry 4.3 PPG with a poor 38% from the field.

So is Noah’s career on the decline, or was he just effected by a new, possibly poor coach and injuries last season? While the first Knicks game will not give a definitive answer, it could give a good idea as to how Noah’s season will go if healthy.

If the enigmatic center is relied on mostly for defense and rebounding, a repeat of his 2015-2016 stats can be expected. Noah was at his best was when Thibs allowed the offense to run through him playing at the high post with cutters and shooters surrounding him. Starting two guard Courtney Lee can fit this role, and even Derrick Rose can fit mostly due to his experience with Noah. The rest of the Knicks key players, Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, and Brandon Jennings, may not be great fits due to their need to have the ball in their hands to be effective, but this remains to be seen.

When Joakim was allowed to have a usage percentage of 18.7%, he finished fifth in the league in value over replacement player (VOR). As a player who makes up for fundamental shortcomings with effort, hustle, and heart, Noah needs playing time and playmaking opportunities to fuel his terrific defense. If he is not given these opportunities, he is no better than any other good rebounding, bad scoring center that can be found on most other teams around the association.

Keep a look out for how many minutes Noah gets, but more importantly, how many opportunities he gets to hold the ball at the high post or elbows with movement surrounding him.

Bonus to watch: unknown bench players on Knicks with great names like Willy Hernangomez.

Oct 5, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Channing Frye (8) and forward Richard Jefferson (24) battle for a rebound against Orlando Magic center Bismack Biyombo (11) in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Cavaliers: Bench Usage

As the defending champion, one led by the best player in the game with mostly the same players surrounding him, the Cavs do not have many question marks. At the same time, the NBA season is a grueling one that stretches 82 games. How Tyronn Lue monitors his starters’ minutes over his first full year will be something to keep an eye on. It can be expected that the former NBA guard will use his bench heavily to keep his starters fresh for the stretch run, but how exactly the bench will be used will be very interesting.

Cleveland currently has a second round rookie, Kay Felder, and an over the hill Birdman as its backup point guard and center respectively. Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert, Richard Jefferson and newcomer Mike Dunleavy are sure to get minutes, but a nine man rotation will not fly all year, especially when those reserves are a combined 131 years of age. Other reserves include sharpshooting yet old James Jones, as well as youngsters Deandre Liggins and Jordan McRae, who do not even have a full season of NBA experience combined.

It can be expected that Frye will be the first big off the bench, and then one of Shumpert, Jefferson, or Dunleavy will come with him. But will Felder be running the offense when Kyrie Irving sits, or will some combo of veteran wings run the offense? Will the team run with three bigs for the majority of games with LeBron playing more power forward, or will Chris Andersen play substantial minutes? Keep an eye out for the minute distribution of the Cavs bench if this game is close, as it can be a big clue to how the bench will play out all year.

Bonus to watch: Amount of times TNT flashes back to LeBron’s block and Kyrie’s shot.

Oct 5, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder talks with guard George Hill (3) in the first half of the game against Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Utah Jazz defeated the Phoenix Suns 104-99. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

Jazz: Point Guard

Before the news came out that starting power forward Derrick Favors is out of this game with an injury, I was going to go with looking at the backup big man minutes to see how the Boris Diaw/Trey Lyles dynamic worked out. With Favors out, both men should see big minutes, and it will be hard to tell which one coach Quin Snyder favors.

Instead, let’s take a look at the point guard spot. Former Pacer George Hill was acquired for the 12th overall pick in the draft this summer. He should be expected to take the starting PG spot, but 2014 5th overall pick Dante Exum is also fully healed from a torn ACL. Exum did not prove to have a capable jump shot in his rookie year, so it should not be anticipated that he sees any time on the court away from ball handling duties. Though he is still only 21 years old, his 2014-2015 shooting was so poor that even an improvement would not warrant time on the wing.

Hill played 34.1 MPG last season and has surpassed the 29.5 MPG total each of the past four years. He is a very good defender (2.8 defensive win shares last season), and is capable of guarding a two guard, as he mostly defended the better guard and allowed Monta Ellis to hide on defense last year.

Shelvin Mack proved to be decent, and Raul Neto is still young and has shooting potential. Both should see some minutes if dressed, but the point guard battle will come down to Exum and Hill.

Make sure to watch Exum’s minutes to see if Hill slides over to the two during those times. Otherwise, the team could conceivably play combos of Rodney Hood, Alec Burks (if healthy), Joe Johnson and Joe Ingles on the wing while Gordon Hayward is out with Hill playing a lot of point guard. The blonde-haired point guard will play 30+ minutes no matter what. Whether or not he moves around positions depends on if the Jazz still view Exum as a key part of the future or not. Keep an eye out for Exum and how he plays.

Bonus to watch for: slow, lumbering Boris Diaw post ups.

Next: $145 Million Commited ... to Two Bench Players

Oct 7, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Allen Crabbe (23) and Trail Blazers

Blazers: Evan Turner/Allen Crabbe

The decision to commit $145 million to two players to split time at the three seemed a bit odd at the time, but the timeshare between Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe may not be so simple. Mo Harkless projects to keep his starting spot at small forward, so neither of these $70 million men will be in the starting lineup. They still figure to play early and often.

With a lack of depth on a roster that includes undrafted rookie Tim Quarterman, second round rookie Jake Layman, second year second rounder Pat Connaughton and unproven point guard Shabazz Napier, the team does not exactly have an abundance of wing options. Instead, Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, Harkless, Turner and Crabbe could all see starter minutes as the only five players seeing time at spots one to three. At an average of 28.8 minutes, the idea is certainly possible, though Napier will likely play a bit.

Turner was best with Boston when running the offense off the bench. He had a very productive (and easy to remember) slashline of 10 PPG, 5 RPG and 5 APG in 163 games with the Celtics over the last two years. His 26% shooting from three point range is the clear weakness. Instead of standing around the wing waiting for an open shot while McCollum and Lillard do their thing, Turner would be better suited to play the majority of his minutes without Lillard, enabling him to set up shots for three-point specialists like McCollum and Crabbe.

Crabbe proved to be an effective member of the bench, averaging over 10 points a game in 26 minutes. He also did not provide much else, with just 1.2 APG and 0.8 SPG. His defensive rating of 110 was not awful, but was far from stellar.

In order to make good on his big contract, Crabbe should stick with what he is good at and not try to force anything new. He can team up with Turner on the second unit as the lead scorer and also provide another scoring option at the three position if the Blazers need to make a comeback late in a game. Look for how these players minutes are staggered or combined to see if they are being used to their strengths. With a great coach in Terry Stotts, it can be virtually assured they will be, but make sure to watch for how many minutes they play and if they are pressing after both signing big deals.

Bonus to watch: Mason Plumlee awkwardly, yet effectively, running the fast break.

Next: How the Spurs Will Fill the Tim Duncan Sized Hole in my Heart

Oct 12, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Pau Gasol (16) points as he talks with forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) against the Orlando Magic during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Spurs: Big Man Rotation

There is a lot of intrigue surrounding San Antonio entering the season, and I say that not only because I am a fan. The departure of Tim Duncan was obviously huge, but the team also saw Boban Marjanovic, David West, and Boris Diaw depart the once loaded frontcourt. On top of that, veterans Andre Miller and Kevin Martin were allowed to walk, and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili got another year closer to the scary age of 40.

The team is not exactly revamped, as it returns four starters, but the bench will look drastically different. The big man rotation will be interesting, as Aldridge will team with newcomers Pau Gasol, David West, and DeWayne Dedmon, with Kyle Anderson possibly seeing minutes at the four as well. The only traditional center out of the bench squad is Dedmon, and there is a reason the Spurs got him for less than two million: he ain’t very good.

With the league as a whole trending towards quicker power forwards who can shoot the long ball, watch out for how mastermind Gregg Popovich uses his old but skillful bigs against teams like the Warriors, who can play Draymond Green at center. Expect the defense to suffer, but watch how Pop’s big guys on the block make shorter defenders look silly. As much crap as Gasol took in Chicago, he is still an elite scoring big man that can make a six-foot-seven Green look dumb with his quick spins and head fakes.

Bonus to watch: LaMarcus Aldridge post up fadeaway mid-rangers.

Next: No Bogut, No Problem? Maybe Not

Oct 14, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) shoots the ball against Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia (27) and forward Draymond Green (23) in the first quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Warriors: Center

I know, I know. The Warriors new “death” lineup will be unstoppable with Kevin Durant replacing the disappointing Harrison Barnes. Draymond Green is the best center in the game when he has to play the five as well! That’s all fine and dandy, but Green cannot play 48 minutes a game at center, let alone play all game in general.

After playing approximately 20% of his minutes at the five last season, it can be expected the number will increase for Green after the departures of Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli. Still, the 6’7″ former Spartan will not be playing strictly center. Instead, ZaZa Pachulia, Javale McGee, Anderson Varejao, and David West will see minutes at the five.

Only Varejao has ever played for the Warriors before, but he was merely a short-term sparkplug, playing 8.5 MPG in Golden State. Don’t expect him to see any more than 10 minutes in any given game if he plays at all.

McGee is still just a big athletic body, incapable of doing much in terms of basketball maneuvering. His size continues to intrigue teams, but do not expect much out of him.

Instead, the bigger minutes will come down to Pachulia and West. ZaZa was very effective in the first half of the season in Dallas before tailing off towards the end. He is expected to start, and is a solid rebounder who does not need the ball to be effective. At the same time, he will have a hard time taking the place of Andrew Bogut. The former number one pick is a great shot blocker (5.8 BLK%), and also possesses good passing instincts (14.8 AST%).

Pachulia has neither of these qualities (0.9 BLK%, 9.7 AST%). The former Hawk still possesses rebounding and hustle, but it will be interesting to see if the lack of a shot blocker effects the Warriors defense. Sure, Draymond Green is a great defender, and the other stars can defend when they want to, but without a big man protecting the rim, teams will attack the hoop all day long, perhaps getting key players in foul trouble.

David West has the passing and playmaking abilities (15.4 AST%) of Bogut, with a sexy midrange game to boot. But, he too does not possess the shot blocking ability needed and is not a traditional center. Last season, West played 49% of his minutes at the five, easily a career high over his past high of 13%.

Keep an eye out for who is playing the majority of minutes at center when Green is not there, and how their lack of shot blocking effects the reigning Western Conference Champion’s defense as a whole.

Bonus to watch: LaMarcus Aldridge post up fadeaway mid rangers (GO SPURS).