NBA PREVIEW LOVE: SI has their list of the Top 20 Games you should watch in the upcoming season. It's SI though, they say weird things sometimes in trying to appeal to a bigger audience, like:

Oct. 30: Utah at New Orleans It doesn't get any better than this. Not only does it mark the NBA's return to New Orleans, but also, for added effect the Hornets get to play the holders of their rightful name. Incidentally, could you imagine being one of the players 24 years ago and being told you were leaving New Orleans for Salt Lake City? No wonder they won only 24 games the next year; most of the players were probably clinically depressed.

Or this:

Nov. 23: Seattle at Dallas Please, please God, let these two teams meet in the playoffs. These two were born to face each other. Both shoot the lights out, neither has a care in the world about such annoyances as defense and rebounding, and each has a highlight-film dunker (Desmond Mason, Michael Finley) to jazz things up when we get tired of all the 3-pointers. The over on this game will be about 250.

Every Mavs game is a must-see game, they're like the Rams when the Rams were a travelling roadshow of fun fun fun. But all is forgiven when the writer, John Hollinger, says:

Dec. 13: New York at Miami The rest of the games on this list are games to watch. This is a game not to watch. These two teams were hard on the eyes even when they were good, because they were conspiring to ruin basketball, but now that they both stink it's a coma-inducing experience. As an added bonus, there's the hypnotic effect of those bright yellow seats in American Airlines Arena, practically screaming out, "Look at me. I'm empty. I've been this way for years. Help." I repeat, DO NOT watch this game.

Knicks/Heat jokes always work with me, it's half of the fun of Bill Simmons columns. Anyhow, it's kind of a goofy list, more of a vehicle for comments about the NBA than a compilation of Games You Should Watch. We can agree on this one:

Jan. 17: L.A. Lakers at Houston Yao Ming, this is Shaquille O'Neal. Welcome to the NBA. Try to stay in one piece.

But, really, any Mavs game should be watched. As well as any Kings/Lakers game or any Blazers/Lakers game. Watch the Spurs and Clippers too, and check in on the beloved Nets to see how Dikembe's working out, and the Rockets as we track Yao Ming's progress. And check in on the hated Knicks for the latest debacle.