NBA Tip-Off

The season officially gets under way tonight with Cleveland and Boston in what could most likely be a preview of the eastern conference finals (with all due respect to Orlando). There are 4 games on the schedule tonight, the Rockets at the Blazers being the most interesting to this Portland-dweller. The Blazers come into this season with ridiculously high expectations and the Rockets with almost none. I'm worried that the Blazers might not live up to those expectations; but outside of the Spurs, there is no team I watch or enjoy more.

The Spurs season kicks off tomorrow, and I hope to be back later tonight with a more comprehensive preview. Of note, David Thorpe was the only ESPN analyst who picked us to win the west and to win it all. Good. I don't like being the favorite.

I don't normally like to shill for things, but if you're a serious hoops junkie and/or live outside of the SA area and don't get local coverage of the Spurs, I highly recommend getting the NBA Broadband League Pass. For $150 ($135 for the next week or so) you can watch EVERY NBA game this season on your computer, save for any games on National TV or in your local coverage area. So living in Portland, I don't get any of the Blazers games, because I can watch them on TV. But i'll get to watch every Spurs game that isn't on National TV. Also, you can rewatch the game later if you miss it for any reason. And you can watch any other game that looks interesting. I like to keep an eye on scores, and if I see a game is close at the end, I'll usually watch the last few minutes to see how it plays out. It really is a fantastic deal and a way to stay connected with your favorite team and the league.