The dog days of the NBA season are almost over.
It’s time to dream.
The month of August is usually a dead time where players, coaches and executives have a moment to breathe, even as they reflect on their to-do lists for the upcoming season and try not to become too complacent and overjoyed after last season.
When September arrives in a few days, we can all say that the season starts next month and we can all start drooling. And hoping. And dreaming.
For some, like the Mavericks, the dreams are a little more concrete than ever after their trip to the NBA Finals in June, when they faced a Boston Celtics team on a mission.
Having secured a playoff run as tasty as 2024, the Mavericks have even bigger goals to aim for. Their appetites have been whetted. With an older, wiser team and a flashy new addition in Klay Thompson, the Mavericks have a potentially glorious season ahead of them.
With that in mind, we’re going to get in the championship spirit and select 10 regular season games we’re excited about, which will be the juiciest snippets of a season of Wagyu beef.
SAN ANTONIO, October 24 – Of course, Opening Night is on this list. And not just because it will be Thompson’s debut as a Maverick. That’s also when we’ll see what San Antonio looks like in Victor Wembanyama’s second season and with new veterans Harrison Barnes and Chris Paul. There will be a lot of subplots in this game. Plus, it’s the first time since 2019 that the Mavericks’ first game of the season will be at the American Airlines Center.
IN MINNESOTA, October 29 – We don’t usually get excited about early-season games, but the first rematch of the Western Conference Finals is different. In fact, there are several exciting games in the first month of the season. The game in Minnesota will feature a Wolves team that has already excelled in the three-point game and has added sharpshooters Joe Ingles and rookie Rob Dillingham. The Wolves, Thunder and Nuggets are considered the biggest contenders that could dethrone the Mavericks in the West.
IN THE GOLDEN STATE, November 12 – Thompson was a Warriors hero for eleven seasons. 
Fans in the Bay Area adored him and his magnetic personality. They even liked that he occasionally took his boat out on the bay like any other guy. He loves the “Nordic Knife,” as he calls it (“Splash Express” is its middle name), so it’s going to be a great and emotional night when he and the Mavericks arrive at Chase Center for the first time.
DENVER, November 22 – There is a section of the population that believes the Mavericks got a free pass to the NBA Finals by getting out of the Nuggets game last spring. But the truth is that the Mavericks have gone 5-5 against the Nuggets in the regular season over the last three seasons. And in all three seasons, one of those teams reached the West Finals and twice they were in the NBA Finals. The Nuggets, of course, won it all in 2023. This game will be a good early season benchmark for both teams.
OKLAHOMA CITY, January 17 – This will be Game 42, the official kickoff to the second half of the season. And doing so against the team many consider Dallas’ biggest rivals to regain control of the West is a treat for fans. The Thunder have one of Luka Dončić’s few rivals in the MVP race in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Chet Holmgren will get some reinforcements on defense in Alex Caruso, who the Thunder reportedly brought in to back up Luguentz Dort against the backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Dončić. The teams will also meet again six days later in OKC.
BOSTON, January 25 – This is the first of two rematches in 15 days between the teams that played for the NBA championship in June. The Mavericks will have no motive for revenge. Nothing, and certainly no regular-season game, can make up for the loss. 
title for the Celtics. But it will still generate plenty of excitement and by this point in the season we will have a good idea of whether one or both of these teams have any chance of returning to the Finals.
GOLDEN STATE, February 12 – This will be Thompson’s former team’s only visit to Dallas this season, unless they are called in for the additional two NBA Cup games to be decided in December. The dynasty that won four championships in eight seasons, the last in 2022, has begun to unravel. Thompson is in Dallas now and his Splash Brothers partner Steph Curry, while still impressive, won’t last forever. It will be interesting to see how the Warriors reposition themselves. And if this is one of the last visits from Curry’s Warriors gang, then it should be enjoyed.
PHILADELPHIA, March 16 – Why Philadelphia? Because there aren’t many more interesting teams, if only because they keep trying to find the magic potion around Joel Embiid. They’ve cycled through Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Markelle Fultz, James Harden and Buddy Hield. Now they’ve brought in Paul George and Eric Gordon to pair with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. There’s never a dull moment with the Sixers, making their only visit to AAC a can’t-miss lunchtime event.
ATLANTA, April 2 – I know what you’re thinking. Atlanta? What the heck? Why should anyone be paying attention to them in the final days of the regular season? Their year could be over long before then. But maybe not. Plus, we can only hope they still have something to win, because Trae Young is always fun to watch, and it would be our first look at No. 1 draft pick Zaccharie Risacher. And hopefully by then we’ll all have learned how to spell and pronounce the Frenchman’s name.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS, April 9 – It’s become an annual event. LeBron James is one of the best players of all time. Maybe even the best, depending on your point of view. But remember: Father Time is undefeated. One day James will retire. He turns 40 on December 30th. Whether it’s his last trip to the AAC or not, cherish the opportunity to see the graybeard. It’s been a privilege to watch and write about him for more than two decades.
X: @ESefko
