San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker of France (L) dishes off past Miami Heat's Chris Bosh during the first quarter in Game 4 of their NBA Finals basketball series in Miami, Florida, June 12, 2014.
San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker of France (L) dishes off past Miami Heat's Chris Bosh during the first quarter in Game 4 of their NBA Finals basketball series in Miami, Florida, June 12, 2014. REUTERS

It's opening night in the NBA! And what better way to usher in the 2014-2015 basketball season than to feature the last two Western conference teams to capture the Larry O'Brien trophy? The 2014 winners San Antonio Spurs and the 2011 champions Dallas Mavericks square off in tonight's matchup that will be preceded by the banner-raising and ring-giving ceremony for the Spurs.

The Spurs brought back everyone from last season's champion team and added a hardworking rookie in Kyle Anderson. While all hands are on deck for the rest of the year, some players will be sidelined early. Recent Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is projected to miss the game with a pink eye while Australian pointguard Patty Mills is still recovering from his shoulder ailment as is Brazilian Tiago Splitter who is out with a calf injury.

Coach Greg Popovich has been effective in using the full strength of the roster, even at times resting the oldest Big Three in the league: Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. The drive and draw, read and react system of the Spurs has been emulated by some of the teams in the NBA, but nobody but Popovich has mastered the sharing of the ball. With pundits yearly predicting the demise of this squad due to Father Time's calling and year in and out the team has defied odds, the safe bet is to count on the five-time champions to continue to compete atop the grueling Western Conference.

The Dallas Mavericks, on the other hand, loaded up for one more run in the Dirk Nowitzki era. The splashy move of the summer included snatching restricted small forward Chandler Parsons from Texas rival Houston Rockets. The Mavs are also brining back beloved rim protector Tyson Chandler along with new additions Jameer Nelson, Raymond Felton, Devin Harris, Al-Farouq Aminu and possibly JJ Barea through waivers. The departure of veterans Jose Calderon, Shawn Marion and Vince Carter through trades or free agency will sting a bit, but the team is expected to do fine with the able guidance of Rick Carlisle.

The Mavericks surprisingly posed the biggest threat to the Spurs' run last season, taking the champions to the full seven games in their first round matchup. Carlisle directed his players to switch on all Parker pick and rolls, and it would be interesting if he would employ the tactic in the first game of the season.

With the way the rosters are built, expect this game to be competitive and close. The matchup to watch for will still be the Duncan versus Dirk pairing with Leonard out. Monta Ellis will still exhibit his usual slashing and acrobatic layups. Also, watch out for the debut of Parsons in the blue uniform as he is the ace in the sleeve that the Mavericks are counting on.

Projected Lineups:

Dallas Mavericks

Point Guard: Jameer Nelson

Shooting Guard: Monta Ellis

Small Forward: Chandler Parsons

Power Forward: Dirk Nowitzki

Center: Tyson Chandler

San Antonio Spurs:

Point Guard: Tony Parker

Shooting Guard: Danny Green

Small Forward: Marco Bellinelli

Power Forward: Tim Duncan

Center: Boris Diaw

Don't miss NBA's opening night! Watch the live streaming of the game between the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks at NBA League Pass and TNT Overtime.