LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers won’t open the 2014-2015 season against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs as previously reported, but the league still isn’t doing its new marquee team any favors. According to Yahoo Sports, the Cavs will face the revamped New York Knicks in their season-opener on October 30 before hosting Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls on a back-to-back. From there, James, Kevin Love, and company will kick-off a cross-country road trip by visiting the Portland Trail Blazers.
LeBron James & the Cavaliers open their season at home on Oct. 30 versus the Knicks, a source told Yahoo
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) August 13, 2014
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LeBron James and Cavaliers meet the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 31 at United Center, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) August 13, 2014
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After Knicks and Bulls to open the season, Cavaliers and LeBron James travel to play Portland, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) August 13, 2014
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The NBA’s full regular season schedule will be released at 9:00 ET on NBA TV, but its juiciest nuggets – including the full Christmas slate – have been leaking all day.
While it’s disappointing that the Cavs’ new era won’t begin by facing the champions, that seems only fair to the Spurs. Quicken Loans Arena will be absolutely rocking for James’ second debut, and San Antonio deserves to start its title-defense in the friendly confines of the AT&T Center. The league certainly did well to replace Cleveland as the Spurs’ opening-night foes with the rebuilt Dallas Mavericks, too.
The San Antonio Spurs raise a fifth championship banner on Oct. 28 against the Dallas Mavericks, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) August 13, 2014
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But the Cavaliers’ first three games are most noteworthy. It takes ample time for newly assembled basketball teams to begin to mesh, and Cleveland won’t be afforded a grace period by the Knicks, Bulls, and Blazers. While New York is hardly the caliber of Chicago or Portland, games between LeBron and Carmelo Anthony are always ultra-competitive, and the Knicks should still be riding high off promise of the new regime led by Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson.
It’s far from a sure thing the Cavs will win their season-opener, basically, and many will consider them underdogs in their ensuing two games. Don’t be surprised, then, if Cleveland gets off to a middling start this season – one not unlike the Miami Heat’s 9-8 beginning in 2010-2011.
And if that proves the case, it will also be crucial to remember how James and the Heat rebounded in their first year together to win the Eastern Conference. This game is about comfort, fit, and continuity, and the Cavaliers will need to be broken-in before reaching anything close to their full potential. Given their rocky early road of the 2014-2015 season, that could mean more difficult travels than most are anticipating.
What do you think?
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