Top 10 Must-See ‘07-‘08 NBA Games

Let's face it. The NBA offseason has been an absolute disaster for NBA Commissioner David Stern and the rest of the league. The Tim Donaghy scandal has a chance to ruin the NBA indefinitely and cloud the league with suspicion for years to come, much like Len Bias' death opened up the wide use of cocaine amongst basketball players.

There have been some news-makings, however. The Kevin Garnett deal was a major player in taking the heat off of Donaghy. It makes you wonder if Stern called up Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge and said get this deal done or we're toast. Now I could spend the rest of this space to detail this trade and what it means for the rest of the NBA, but let's be honest, all this amounts to is a glorified 1996 Rockets team with Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, and Hakeem Olajuwon. They didn't win the title and neither will the Celtics.

What this deal did do, however, is boost the Celtics into national prominence again, and they were rewarded with a plethora of nationally televised games. Out of all the games that are now scheduled for the 2007-08 season, I have narrowed it down to the top 10 games that every sports fan should watch next year.

Honorable mention: Nov. 30: Los Angeles Lakers at Utah

There is not a bigger basketball town than Utah, and after last year's playoffs and what Derek Fisher did for that club with all the personal problems he was going through, you can expect this to be an emotional night. If you ever wonder what makes sports great, this game right here will give you all you need.

10) April 13: Warriors at Sonics

The lease is up for the Sonics and Oklahoma City is no longer the halfway home for the Hornets, which means this game may be the last in Seattle.

9) Dec. 6: Miami at Portland (TNT)

Greg Oden gets a test in his first game in the NBA, which you'll see later in this countdown, but I'm more excited to see him match up against Shaq. The Big Aristotle has already challenged Oden at the ESPYs, this could be a Kareem vs. Russell type changing of the guard.

8) Oct. 30: Houston at Los Angeles Lakers (TNT)

Opening night in L.A. Is Kobe Bryant still a Laker? Is Jermaine O'Neal a new Laker? Will Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum be in Staples? Oh, the drama.

7) Oct. 31: Seattle at Denver

The Kevin Durant era begins in Seattle (if only for a year).

6) Oct. 30: Portland at San Antonio (TNT)

The Greg Oden era begins in Portland (if only for a couple of decades). Who does Oden draw in his first game in the NBA? The NBA champion Spurs! It should be very interesting to see how this one goes down. I'm guessing 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 fouls for the 40-year-old-rookie.

5) March 19: Denver at Philadelphia

Most probably have forgotten, but Allen Iverson has not played in Philly since being traded last December. I hear cheers, not jeers, for the best pro athlete to play in Philadelphia.

4) Feb. 8: Boston at Minnesota (ESPN)

I hear boos for Kevin McHale and ovations for Kevin Garnett in his return to the Twin Cities. He deserves it. He didn't ask for the trade, he was sold out. What will be interesting about this game besides the homecoming is do the Celtics just play the Big Three against Minnesota and do the Timberwolves start Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, and Ricky Davis ... all Celtics at one point.

3) Nov. 6: Denver at New York (NBA TV)

It was the backpedal heard round the world. Now Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets head back to Madison Square Garden, where there hasn't been a boxing match with that much excitement since Riddick Bowe and Andrew Golota squared off.

2) Dec. 25: Sonics at Blazers (ESPN)

There hasn't been this much hype surrounding two rookies since Bird and Magic came into the league. Expect more coverage than Paris Hilton's ride to jail.

1) Jan. 31: San Antonio at Phoenix

In Game 1, Steve Nash had his nose split open. It has been suggested that the Tim Donaghy debacle played significantly in Game 3 of last year's Western Conference Semis. We all know what happened in Game 4. This is the premiere rivalry of this generation and it's the Spurs' first trip to the Valley of the Sun. Robert Horry and Bruce Bowen, beware!