Since Kyrie Irving asked out of Cleveland and was eventually shipped to Boston, the excitement for the season opener between the Celtics and Cavaliers has been ramped up tenfold. If LeBron James’ ankle keeps him out next Tuesday, however, a game already missing one great piece of the rivalry (Isaiah Thomas) will suddenly be missing the biggest piece. 

Here are the pros and cons of a potential LeBron-less season opener. 
 

They’ll for sure win. They could start Guerschon Yabusele at point guard and still probably win. A LeBron-less, IT-less Cavaliers team isn’t scary at all. 
 

Because it’s only got 10 percent of the juice! In order, the most important pieces of the Celtics-Cavs rivalry are probably LeBron, Kyrie Irving, Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. Kelly Olynyk is gone, so nobody really cares about Kevin Love. If LeBron doesn’t play, you don’t get LeBron vs. Kyrie; all you get is a star player vs. a team he didn’t want. Those games happen all the time. 
 

A Cavaliers team with just Kevin Love? LOL! Get used to it, dummies. That’s what the roster could very well look like if LeBron leaves for LA at season’s end and IT departs in free agency. They’re gonna stink!
 

I’ll be honest; the reason I’m most looking forward to this game is because I want to see LeBron when he’s the most pissed off he’s ever been. Kyrie punked him all offseason and basically said he’s better off without the best player in the world. On top of that, it’s the Celtics. If LeBron plays and is healthy, I’m pretty sure he’s going to score like 150 points. 
 

Someone's breaking that damn record. 

This is a con and a pro. At least there’s a chance Thomas will be back from his hip injury by then, which would make that Wednesday game in Boston must-see TV. Still, waiting months to see the LeBron-Kyrie showdown is cruel.