After a long NBA offseason featuring the draft, free-agent signings, summer league and trades, the new season is finally here. That's right, we've made it to NBA opening week, which means we get to watch real, meaningful basketball again. Starting with opening night on Tuesday, the league-packed opening week with all sorts of big matchups. All the stars, exciting rookies and great teams will be front and center on national TV. 

Ahead of the games, here's a look at the key matchups from opening week, and how you can watch them.

NBA 2018-19 opening week schedule

Tuesday, Oct. 16:

Wednesday, Oct. 17:

Thursday, Oct. 18:

Friday, Oct. 19:

Saturday, Oct. 20:

  • 7 p.m. ET: Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards, NBA TV
  • 10:30 p.m. ET: Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN

Sunday, Oct. 21:

  • 8 p.m. ET: Houston Rockets at Clippers, NBA TV

Analysis

This schedule is just beautiful. On opening night you have a potential Eastern Conference finals preview with Sixers vs. Celtics, followed by two fierce rivals going at it on ring night in Thunder vs. Warriors. 

The next night we get the new-look Pelicans taking on the new-look Rockets, followed by the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, Luka Doncic, going up against No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton in the first game for each player. 

Just 24 hours later we get LeBron James' debut with the Lakers in what should be a raucous atmosphere in Portland. Then on Friday we have another potential Eastern Conference finals preview in Celtics vs. Raptors, followed by a heavyweight Western Conference battle between the Warriors and Jazz. 

And that's not all, as the weekend give us not only an interesting matchup between the Raptors and Wizards -- a rematch of their first-round playoff series last season -- but also the Rockets traveling to Los Angeles for LeBron's home debut with the Lakers. 

Just awesome.