Christmas Day is annually one of the most exciting days on the NBA calendar, and this year is no exception.With an NBA Finals rematch between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors slotted into the middle of an action-packed slate and superstars squaring off across the Association, there's plenty to look forward to after gifts are unwrapped.Before breaking down this year's most compelling matchups, here's a look at the holiday slate:Matchups to WatchAnthony Davis vs. Hassan WhitesideChristmas Day action will officially get underway when the New Orleans Pelicans travel to South Beach for a showdown with the Miami Heat in a tilt featuring tremendous frontcourt talent.And in this case, it's all about Anthony Davis vs. Hassan Whiteside.Miami wields one of the stingiestdefenses around, with Whiteside anchoring the unit around the rim. According to NBA.com's player-tracking data, opponents are shooting just around 51 percent inside of six feet against Whiteside, which is roughly nine percent lower than the league average.Davis, meanwhile, is averaging better than 23 points and has flashed more range than ever. However, it still doesn't feel like he's completely broken out yet. Expectations were sky high entering the 2015-16 season, and he has yet to assert his dominance under head coach Alvin Gentry.After averaging 24.2 points on 52.6 percent shooting in November, Davis entered Wednesday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers averaging 22.1 points on 46.6 percent shooting.But despite recent production, Davis clearly has the skills necessary to step into Whiteside's domain below the free-throw line and wreak havoc. And while the Unibrow will also likely see heavy doses of Chris Bosh on defense, he should be prepared to deal with both bigs under the Christmas lights.Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant vs. Chicago's DefenseThe Chicago Bulls have been a bit of a mess lately from a chemistry standpoint, but their defense still ranks among the league's best from an advanced-analytic perspective."There are no energy issues on defense. The Bulls rank second in points allowed per possession, smothering the rim and the three-point arc using Tom Thibodeau's leftover system," ESPN.com's Zach Lowe wrote.However, the Bulls figure to have their hands full when they clash with Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second slot of the NBA's five-part Christmas Day window.Durant and Westbrook have been firing on all cylinders with their health restored, and they've wreaked havoc on some of the league's best en route to re-establishing their dominance. Take Monday's 100-99 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, for instance. Durant filled up the stat sheet with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven dimes, while Westbrook led the way by dropping 33 points to go with seven assists and three steals.In addition to spinning defenses in circles with aggressive drives to the rim and catch-and-shoot theatrics, Westbrook and Durant are the only pair of teammates to rank among the top five in pull-up points per game, according to NBA.com's stats database.The Bulls have been disciplined on defense in the face of adversity on offense, but the Thunder's unrelenting offense should pose problems aplenty.Golden State's Small Ball vs. Cleveland's SizeThe centerpiece of the Christmas Day slate pits the Warriors against the Cavaliers in a 2015 Finals rematch, and it shouldn't disappoint.The Warriors have run roughshod over opponents at Oracle Arena over the past year-and-a-half, and their trendsetting small-ball lineup has been a major reason why.Although Harrison Barnes is still nursing an ankle injury, the five-man unit consisting of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Barnes, Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green has posted a net rating of plus-69.9 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com'slineup data.Not having Barnes against the Cavaliers would certainly hurt, but that net rating in a 64-minute sample offers a glimpse at just how dominant the Warriors' small alignments can be."I call it the 'Uh-Oh Lineup,'" Curry said, per ESPN The Magazine's Sam Alipour."I know when I get in with that lineup, something good's about to happen. I have so many different options. That lineup, in one word, is about versatility. Everybody can do everything."So as the Cavaliers look to exact some revenge for last season's Finals loss, keep an eye on how they utilize size to try to stymie the defending champions.In Cleveland's Game 2 Finals win, it used big bodies like Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov to its advantage. The Cavaliers gained a 55-45 rebounding edge in the win, including a 14-10 victory on the offensive glass.Now operating at close to full strength, with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving back after postseason absences, it will be fascinating to see if the Cavaliers attempt to impose their physical will or cave in and try to replicate the Warriors' often-imitated, never-duplicated small-ball unit of doom.Stats current as of Tuesday, Dec. 22 and retrieved fromBasketball-Reference.com and NBA.com unless noted otherwise.
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