The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to open their title defense in the 2016-2017 NBA Season against the new-and-improved New York Knicks at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 7:30 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru the NBA League Pass.
Preview
New York begins their season with the hardest Eastern Conference opponent that they could prepare for in Cleveland. The team hopes that their new head coach, Jeff Hornacek, will be able to make them ready enough to topple the defending champions right on opening day.
Aside from Hornacek, other notable new faces in the Knicks' lineup are former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Courtney Lee, who are all making their regular season debuts with the Big Apple squad.
However, the Knicks are set to rely on two players from last season's roster, Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, to lead their teammates in a still unfamiliar triangle offense.
Hornacek reportedly said that he wants the Knicks to be "angry and inspired" when they see the Cavs receive their championship ring right before their game at the Q, the New York Daily News reported.
The coach hopes that what they will see will "tick them off" and question themselves why they are not the ones doing it.
Meanwhile, the Cavs are going to hoist a championship banner "for the first time in franchise history", as per Sports Chat Place.
Head coach Tyronn Lue's squad must then avoid getting overconfident, which most teams become after the players receive their championship rings prior to a match.
Cleveland was able to keep their championship core intact after re-signing JR Smith to a contract that he likes while Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert, and Richard Jefferson are all back.
Of course, LeBron James will be the ex-factor for the Cavs however which way anyone wants to see it. Lue said that he will limit James and Irving's minutes in the regular season and it would be interesting to see if he starts it with his opening game against a hungry Knicks squad.
Prediction
The Cavs win the opening game via a wide margin as they stamp themselves as still the team to beat this season. The Knicks, especially Rose and Noah, will need more time to get comfortable with the triangle offense, but it will come.