The 2016-2017 NBA Season is just around the corner, and the schedules for the upcoming season has just been released. This season promises to be a very intriguing one, as the level of competition has risen across the league and even the Eastern Conference is now a force to be reckoned with besides the Cavs.
There are plenty of storylines to follow and dramas to focus on as a number of stars have changed teams and a lot of teams have added key pieces to upset the status quo. Here's a look at 10 games you need to circle on your calendar for the upcoming season:
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#1 Golden State Warriors @ Cleveland Cavaliers, 25 December
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Make no mistake, Stephen Curry was punked by LeBron James in the NBA Finals. He’ll be sharpening his talons, raring for another go at James and the Cavs, and we’ll witness it on Christmas eve.
There is one paradox to popularity for NBA stars on Christmas day. The best of the best don't get to spend it with their family and instead find themselves headlining the NBA Christmas Day matchup. This year, we find an NBA Finals rematch with the Golden State Warriors heading to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers.
Over the offseason, the Cavaliers became the proud owner of the league's highest payroll. There are still rumors of trading the under-appreciated Kevin Love for Kenneth Faried if that pans out it could happen before Christmas. But it is unlikely that the Cavs will tinker with a title-winning roster.
Either way, the matchup with the Warriors will give the Cavs a chance to see what the Kevin Durant-led Warriors are capable of. By December, the Warriors should have acclimated Durant into their system as well, making this a must-watch contest.
#2 New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers, 26 October
The Cleveland Cavaliers just ended a 52-year title drought by winning the championship. They will receive their rings in front of the New York Knicks, with whom they should enjoy a healthy rivalry in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks are coming off a 50 loss season and are looking to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. They have retooled over the offseason and made some key additions in the shape of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Justin Holiday and Brandon Jennings. They should add some much-needed energy to the Knicks backcourt which was hitherto been run by Jose Calderon.
They already have two franchise cornerstones in Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, and the new additions could see them give the rest of the East a run for its money. The Cavaliers will welcome the chance to test out their potential rival.
This one would be worth watching for the rings ceremony alone as the Cavaliers will enjoy a long awaited moment. Since LeBron was drafted in 2003, they had been hoping for a title. And now they will get to honor their team for bringing it home against all odds and coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals.
#3 Los Angles Clippers @ Portland Trailblazers, 27 Oct
The Los angles Clippers continue to battle the curse of the franchise which has resulted in a number of ignoble playoff exits after solid regular seasons. They were expected to steamroll the Portland Trailblazers, who had no answer for the Clippers' powerful frontcourt of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. But instead, both Blake Griffin and Chris Paul exited the playoffs early with injuries.
Paul was inconsolable as seen in the picture above, one gamble by reaching in resulted in the end of his playoff campaign vs the Blazers. And Griffin was battling injuries throughout the season, having missed most of it.
The Blazers ended up beating the shorthanded Clippers in 6 games in the first round of the playoffs. This will be the Clippers' chance to seek revenge for that exit and show what they can do when their stars are on the floor.
#3 OKC Thunder @ Golden State Warriors, 3 November
Watch this game for Russell Westbrook going supernova on the Warriors. If there ever was a setting for a revenge game, this is it. Rarely has a superstar been as scorned by a teammate as Russell Westbrook was by Kevin Durant's exit.
The Thunder were up 3-1 over the Warriors before falling, and the loss likely resulted in Kevin Durant bolting for the Warriors in the offseason. He now finds himself on a team where he'll have more open looks than he's ever had in his career, and with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson he forms the most potent shooting threesome the league has ever seen.
The Thunder added Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis in the offseason, and they should be in good shape to make it to the playoffs with Russell Westbrook taking the league by storm. Watching an unfettered Westbrook is a visceral experience.
Look for emotions to run high in this one, as both teams will be looking to grind out the other.
#4 New York Knicks @ Chicago Bulls, 4 November
The Chicago Bulls have just witnessed the loss of a former MVP to the New York Knicks in Derrick Rose. They have also lost a player who finished 4th in the MVP voting just 2 years ago in Joakim Noah. And now, two players who were the heart and soul of the Knicks find themselves on the Bulls.
One could be forgiven for looking at the Knicks and wondering if they are the Bulls. There was a time when it was difficult to picture Noah and Rose in any other jersey except the Bulls', yet here we are.
The Bulls themselves have made a couple of key additions in Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. It will be really interesting to see how a backcourt which struggles from downtown and needs the ball in its hands will be successful. This matchup could reignite a Knicks-Bulls rivalry which has been dormant for ages.
#5 Golden State Warriors @ Los Angles Clippers, 7 Dec
There is legitimately bad blood between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angles Clippers. The Clippers were the last team to knock the Warriors out in the postseason before the Cavs did it this year. There have been cheap shots and body checks and taunts thrown from both sides of the fence in this matchup.
It wouldn't be a stretch to say that this is the most hated rivalry in the league along with the Warriors-Cavs rivalry. The Clippers have also been eliminated by Durant's Thunder, adding more fuel to the fire in this matchup.
The Warriors have lost two of their top three instigators in Andrew Bogut and Marreese Speights, the latter of whom finds himself on the Clippers now. But there is plenty of disdain on both sides here to warrant a crackling matchup.
#6 San Antonio Spurs @ Golden State Warriors, 25 October
Had the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors met in the 2016 Playoffs, they would have set the record for a meeting of two teams with the best combined record in the regular season. The Warriors had a historical best 73-9 record and the Spurs had a 67-15 record. As it is, the two teams are probably the top two teams in the Western Conference, and this match could well be a Western Conference Finals preview.
The San Antonio Spurs have just lost their franchise cornerstone as Tim Duncan has retired after devoting 19 seasons to the Almo. One mark of his greatness can be reflected in the shape he's left his franchise in.
When Kobe Bryant retired, the Lakers entered the tanking territory. Same goes for Michael Jordan. But Tim Duncan has been taking pay cuts after pay cuts to enable the Spurs to surround him with talent. The Spurs are still in formidable shape with LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawahi Leonard and the new addition of Pau Gasol. The old guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili making a return as well.
The Warriors will field their new signing, Kevin Durant in the first match of the regular season against a formidable opponent. Make no mistake, the first match of these two teams in the regular season is not one to be missed at any costs. It is rare we get to see two such offensively gifted squads go head to head.
#7 Atlanta Hawks @ Houston Rockets, 2 Feb
The Atlanta Hawks have been on the cusp of greatness for the past couple of seasons, but the lack of a true superstar seemingly prevented them from getting over the hump. Now they have acquired a franchise cornerstone in Dwight Howard, who has returned to his hometown in Atlanta. Howard has provided plenty of fodder for rivalries by leaving the Orlando Magic, Los Angles Lakers, and now the Houston Rockets. Although back injuries have slowed him down, he is still a 25-15 threat on any given night.
The Houston Rockets imploded in spectacular fashion this year after making it to the Western Conference Finals last year. They fired coach Kevin McHale and seemed to spiral in a tailspin. They finished the season with a 41-41 record, and will be looking to improve on that. This match will mark the return of Dwight Howard to his former team, and will provide an opportunity to settle the debate between Howard and Harden once and for all regarding who's more valuable to their team.
#8 Golden State Warriors @ OKC Thunder, 11 February
The prodigal son returns to Oklahoma in this matchup. If you thought LeBron was booed by Cleveland for leaving Miami, wait till you hear what one of the loudest arenas in sports has in store for Kevin Durant. Hell hath no fury like a team scorned when holding a 3-1 lead and having its superstar bolt for the opponent even though he had plenty of support.
By February, we will near the mid-point of the season, and teams will have had ample time to iron out the wrinkles of adjusting to new rosters. Make no mistake, Russell Westbrook probably has 11 February circled in a skull, and Chesapeake Arena is going to be sold out to welcome the hero-turned-heel.
At the same time, look for Kevin Durant to go supernova and remind his former team what he is still capable of doing. This match is by far the most anticipated encounters of the upcoming season.
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