The NBA has the full slate for Opening Day set. Action will kick off on Oct. 25, featuring some of the best teams the league has to offer on a three-game slate that will have something for everyone. Not only contenders will be on display but also young teams looking to join that status.
The defending champion Cavaliers will receive their rings at home in their first game of the season, a battle against the Knicks. Last year that would have been an easy win for Cleveland but the Knicks have reloaded by bringing in Derrick Rose. That's the first game of the slate, starting at 8 p.m. ET.
After that, the Jazz and the Trail Blazers will clash in a battle of up-and-coming teams which could make a leap this season. Portland already surprised last year by making the playoffs and advancing to the second round while Utah added some veterans to its promising young core. That game will only be available via League Pass and will start at 10 p.m. ET.
The Warriors and Spurs will close the night, at 10:30 p.m. ET. Those two teams were expected to meet in the Western Conference Finals last season but the Thunder pulled off the upset and eliminated San Antonio. Now with Pau Gasol taking over for Tim Duncan the Spurs will try to give the Kevin Durant-led Warriors their first loss of the season.
Here's the schedule for opening night
Knicks at Cavaliers
8 p.m., TNT
It will be a night of celebration in Cleveland, as the franchise will raise its first championship banner. LeBron James has re-signed and the same core that beat the Warriors will be ready to attempt a repeat. The first step will come against a Knicks team that missed the postseason last year but has playoffs hopes after adding former league MVP Derrick Rose to a core that already had Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony.
The Cavaliers have nothing to prove after doing the seemingly impossible and beating the Warriors after being down 3-1 in the Finals. They might come out relaxed after getting the job done. For the Knicks, however, the game on Opening Night carries some weight. A win against the reigning champions doesn't seem likely but it would send a message to the rest of the league, so expect them to come out fired up.
Jazz at Trail Blazers
10 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
The Jazz have sped up their rebuilding process by adding George Hill, Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw to one of the best young cores in the league. They are hoping to emulate the team that they will face on Opening Night, as the Trail Blazers made the leap last season behind stars Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. For Portland, this season is about proving they can remain among the league's best, and a win at home against the improved Jazz will be a good start.
Spurs at Warriors
10:30 p.m., TNT
We won't have to wait to see how good the new-look Warriors really are. They will be tested on Opening Night by a Spurs team that lost Tim Duncan to retirement but added another future Hall-of-Famer in his place in Pau Gasol. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are still around, LaMarcus Aldridge should be even better after a year in Gregg Popovich's system and Kawhi Leonard should be used to his role as first option by now. The Spurs are loaded.
Yet they don't seem as impressive when compared to the Warriors. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green should overwhelm opponents this season. That's just too much talent, but if there's one team that could make things interesting against them, it's San Antonio. The first night of the season could tell us a lot about the powers in the West.
As always, the NBA has put together an impressive slate for its Opening Night.
