Many basketball fans are starved for something to sink their teeth into on the heels of the draft and free agency, and the NBA will whet their appetites Wednesday night in the form of the league's annual schedule release.
All 30 teams and their fans will learn what the 2015-16 regular season holds, and there is no shortage of excitement since every franchise is on equal footing at this point. That will certainly change once the campaign begins, but hope springs eternal for the time being.
Here is a rundown of all the information you need to know in order to prepare yourself for the NBA's schedule-release special, as well as an advanced look at some of the top games that are expected to be announced.
2015-16 NBA Schedule Release Information
When: Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 6 p.m. ET
Where: NBA TV
Anticipated Announcements
Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day
The Cleveland Cavaliers' season ended on a sour note when they fell to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, but they are in line to get a shot at redemption on Christmas Day.
According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the reigning world champs are penciled in to host the Cavs in 2015's Christmas headliner.
Although the San Antonio Spurs could ultimately have something to say about it, most consider the Dubs and Cavaliers to be the best teams in their respective conferences, which means that a Finals rematch in 2016 isn't out of the question.
The result could be much different, though, if Cleveland manages to stay healthy. The Cavs were without forward Kevin Love for the entire Finals series and without point guard Kyrie Irving for all but one game.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr admitted that their absences changed the complexion of the series, via David Cassilo of Cleveland.com: "You know, I mentioned it earlier, the injuries they suffered were just too much. This would have been a different series with Kyrie and Kevin Love. They had a phenomenal year. ... We had good fortune with our health most of the year, and that was big."
Provided LeBron James, Love and Irving are all healthy and ready to play on Christmas Day, their clash with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Co. could be the game of the year.
Speaking of Green, he didn't hesitate to add some fuel to the rivalry between the Warriors and Cavs during Golden State's championship celebration, as seen in this Vine courtesy of the Oklahoman's Anthony Slater:
There tends to be bad blood between teams when they go at it with so much on the line, which could manifest on the happiest day of the year.
It doesn't get much bigger than LeBron vs. Steph, so it is tough to argue with the NBA's scheduling decision, if confirmed.
Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans on Opening Night
The NBA season's official start is usually marked by the reigning champions' receiving their rings in front of their home crowd. Early indications are that the Warriors will do precisely that before a matchup with the up-and-coming New Orleans Pelicans.
According to Ted Lewis of the Advocate, the Dubs will host the Pels on Oct. 27 before Golden State travels to New Orleans a few days later.
The Pelicans are an interesting choice, since they aren't yet a high-profile team, but it makes sense for a couple reasons. Big man Anthony Davis is already among the best players in the league, and facing the Warriors in the season opener will give him some much-deserved exposure.
Also, new Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry was an assistant on last season's Warriors championship team, which means he'll be able to receive his championship ring in what promises to be a cool part of the pregame ceremony.
New Orleans has a chance to be a top team in the very near future, and beating a team of Golden State's caliber on a big stage would be a big step in the right direction.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers on Christmas Day
In addition to the clash between the Cavs and Warriors, the NBA's stacked Christmas slate is expected to include a battle for L.A. supremacy between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
The Lakers are set to be the home team in a game that could be a great litmus test in determining the progress of their rebuilding efforts. After drafting D'Angelo Russell, trading Roy Hibbert and presumably getting back both Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle after injury layoffs, the Lakers should be an improved team in 2015-16.
The Clips may be better as well after managing to retain center DeAndre Jordan and bringing in the likes of Paul Pierce and Lance Stephenson. They'll almost certainly be substantial favorites in the contest, but both teams figure to be up for a rivalry game on Christmas.
One person who is especially excited about the game is rap star Iggy Azalea, who is engaged to Lakers wingman Nick Young:
The Lakers have become the "other team" in L.A. due to the Clippers' development into one of the NBA's top squads. That isn't likely to change in 2015-16, but the Lake Show can make a big statement on Christmas Day.
If the Lakers jell and progress in the months leading up to the game, as many hope they will, their meeting with the Clips could be one of the regular season's biggest highlights.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.
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Source: Mike Chiari http://ift.tt/1P6XBLu
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