NBA Rewards Fans With Actually Interesting Christmas Matchup, Hornets Versus Magic

One of the best things about last season was the fact that so many teams were good that you didn't expect. The bad thing was that they all played in small markets, and therefore were only on national television for about a second and a half before returning you to your regularly scheduled Lakers versus Mavericks game. Well, apparently the NBA is going to go ahead and try something different after last year's disastrous Greg Oden vs. Kevin Durant Christmas Day matchup. That game lost its luster of course due to Oden's injury and that the fact that the Sonics were worse than watching your alcoholic uncle fall off the wagon and face first into the spiked eggnog for the third year running. That left us with quite the bad taste in our mouths, but this year, we get a unique treat.

New Orleans.com has gotten a copy of the Hornets's 2008 schedule and is reporting that the Hornets will face off against the Orlando Magic next year on Christmas Day. The game is expected to be held the night of Christmas Day and most likely on TNT. I would expect the usual Lakers ratings blowout in the early game, and possibly another crack at Oden vs. Durant in the afternoon. But the nightcap, hoo boy.

This development isn't really a change of attitude for the league in marketing what it believes will sell the absolute most. Instead, it's due to the fact that the game features two of its best and most marketable young stars, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Still, we as fans reap the rewards, as this is an absolutely terrific matchup between two exciting teams. The Hornets' alley-oop business is limited by Howard's presence inside, and the Magic's slashing ability is countered by New Orleans' tough defense. Throw in a high number of quality shooters and David West versus Rashard Lewis, and you've got an absolute homerun for the League's television schedulers. It's July, and I already can't wait.