Sometimes they're an indication of what's to come, a first page that gives away the plot. Sometimes they leave a false impression, turning out to be a one-of-82 sliver that misrepresents the whole.
NBA season-openers, such as the one the Pacers have with Opening Night presented by Kroger on Oct. 23 against Detroit, can go either way. But they do have an outsized aura about them. Even most of the bad teams take optimism into the start of the season, and the anticipation that builds from the summer vacation and training camp magnifies the outcome. A good result casts a positive glow, for a while at least, and a bad one can create instant doubt.