The NBA released full schedules on Tuesday, and the Miami Heat will get a chance to feast on some of the league's bottom-dwellers in the first month of the season.
As previously announced, Miami will open the season with a Christmas Day matchup against the team that defeated them in the NBA Finals last June, the Dallas Mavericks. But following a home opener against the Boston Celtics two days later, Miami plays only two of its next nine games against teams that finished with a winning record in 2011.
It is conceivable that by the time the San Antonio Spurs and LA Lakers visit the American Airlines Arena in mid-January, the Heat could be 11-1 or 10-2. That would be a far cry from the start of last season, when Miami floundered out of the gate and opened with a 9-8 record.
The lockout shortened the season to 66 games, but in order to fit those games into four months each team will have to play a series of back-to-back-to-back games, something that never happens under normal circumstances. The Heat lucked out in the schedule-making process, only receiving one such stretch on February 12-14 against Atlanta, Milwaukee and Indiana (all on the road).
Among the Heat's most anticipated home dates are the above-mentioned names against the Celtics, Lakers and Spurs, as well as the Mavericks' trip to South Florida on March 29 and a second visit from the Celtics on April 10. Eastern Conference runners up Chicago will come to Miami on January 29 and April 19.
LeBron James will return to Cleveland yet again on February 17 to take on the Cavaliers, and the Heat will go to Toronto on March 30 to face Chris Bosh's former team the Raptors.
The compressed schedule means the Heat will play some Western Conference once instead of twice. Unfortunately for the Heat, they do not get a break against the Lakers, Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder, the only three Western Conference teams they play twice.
Miami plays Eastern Conference bottom-feeders Cleveland, Washington, Detroit and Toronto three times, but gets four matchups against the Bulls and Celtics.
Miami plays a home-and-home set with the Orlando Magic in preseason action on the 18th in Miami and 21st in Orlando.
