You eat with your eyes first. It's why Michelin Star restaurants spend so much time on meticulous presentation that half the diners probably don't even notice. It's why the waiter tantalizingly describes in intricate detail exactly what's on the plate, where it came from and how it's intended to be eaten. A large part of the experience, before you even take a bite, is the anticipation.

You see where I'm going with this.

Prior to the tipoff of the 2025-26 NBA season on Tuesday night, it's time to delve into the nooks and crannies of the 30-course tasting menu that awaits us. Some dishes will look a lot better than they end up tasting -- and vice versa -- but so much of the joy of sports fandom comes from being surprised, and in order for that to happen we need a baseline.

That's what t

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