LeBron’s Cavs, Durant-led Warriors favored
2016-2017 NBA season begins
CLEVELAND, Oct 24, (AFP): LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will celebrate their city’s first sports crown in 52 years on Tuesday, raising their championship banner as the 201617 NBA campaign opens.
The Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, will welcome superstar forward Kevin Durant to the fold as they set out to avenge their loss to Cleveland in last June’s NBA Finals after coming one game shy of back-to-back titles.
The Cavaliers and Warriors open the season as favorites to play each other in the finals for the third campaign in a row, an unprecedented feat, even as 28 rivals try to fight their way into next June’s title showdown.
Chris Paul and Blake Griffin spark the Los Angeles Clippers while LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard join guard Tony Parker and big man Pau Gasol to ignite San Antonio.
Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo unite in Chicago, Toronto will try to improve on its run to the last four last season and Russell Westbrook will try to lift Oklahoma City after Durant’s departure.
But the Warriors and Cavaliers have made Washington Wizards’ Andrew Nicholson (right), fouls Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James during the first half of an NBA pre-season basketball game on Oct 18 in Columbus,
Ohio. (AP) added 2014 NBA MVP Durant after coming up short in the playoffs.
Stephen Curry, the 2015 and 2016 NBA MVP, and fellow 3-point sharpshooter Klay Thompson will have Durant, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala up front.
With the Cavaliers making a deal earlier this month to keep guard J.R. Smith, owner Dan Gilbert will spend a king’s ransom of about $100 million — $6 million above the NBA salary cap — on the Cleveland starting five of James, Smith, Love, Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson.
Gilbert, who spent $54 million in luxury tax for going over the salary cap, will spend more for the starters than about half of the league’s teams will spend on entire rosters. Even Golden State with Durant will only have a payroll at about 75 percent of the Cavaliers.
Australia’s Andrew Bogut was sent from the Warriors to Dallas and several top reserves were released to make salary room for Durant.
Other clubs have made moves to try and join the elite. Atlanta signed veteran center Dwight Howard. Wade and Rondo moved to Chicago but the Bulls lost Gasol to the Spurs and Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose to the Knicks.
Marquee fixtures and key dates in the 2016-17 NBA season that tips off on Tuesday:
The season opens with the reigning champion Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the New York Knicks.
A rematch of the 2016 NBA finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors highlights a five-game Christmas Day slate.
The NBA goes global with the Denver Nuggets v Indiana Pacers in London and the Phoenix Suns v Dallas Mavericks in Mexico City.
Cleveland and Golden State square off for the second time in the regular season.
Former NBA Most Vauable Player Kevin Durant returns to Oklahoma City when his new club, the Golden State Warriors, visit the Thunder. NBA All-Star Game at New Orleans. The regular season concludes.
The first round of the playoffs
begins. Conference semifinals begin. Conference finals begin The NBA Finals begin.
The 2017 NBA draft.