by Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

On each Friday, The NBA A-Z guys Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt will take on a topic or topics from around the league to discuss. This week, they talk about Christmas Day games, flopping, contenders and the dearth of true big men.

What do you like dislike about Christmas Day games

Sam: I’m all for the idea of the league’s elite teams squaring off on Christmas Day, but having a third of the league take part is just too much. It comes off like such a blatant money grab on the part of the league, with approximately 12 hours of NBA basketball in all making it feel like any other day in the league.

That’s how business has been done since 2008, as there have been five games on each Christmas Day since then. But for my money (or at least my press credential), take me back to 2007 (three games) or even 2005 and 2004 (two games). If I were playing commissioner this time around, the schedule would end after Oklahoma City-Miami and Knicks-Lakers.

Jeff: I am intrigued by your ideas Sam and want to know how I can subscribe to your newsletter. Two games on Christmas, I’m willing to entertain that idea. But only entertain it. There are no games on Monday, the day before Christmas, and I am fine with five games on Christmas. The games are spread out enough across the time zones. Fans in Mountain and Pacific time zones won’t catch much of the early game, and by time the 8 p.m. ET game arrives, fans in all time zones will be ready to relax. It’s time to leave somebody’s house or time to kindly encourage someone to leave your house. Everyone has had their fill of A Christmas Story, It’s A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Christmas Vacation and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, so a day full of hoops is fine.

The NBA has done a fine job making Christmas Day a showcase of some of the best teams and players in the league.

Front-runners and true contenders … [For more on NBA A-Z: Are there too many Christmas Day games?, click here.]