Cavs, Warriors once again favored to contest finals

TORONTO — NBA teams will open a new season this week with optimism abounding but it may be false hope for all but the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors who look headed for a third consecutive title clash. LeBron James, who four months ago led the Cavaliers on an improbable comeback over the Warriors in the NBA Finals, will once again power a Cleveland team that are the class of the Eastern Conference by a considerable margin. Repeating as champions is one of the most difficult things to do in sport and while Cleveland, who open the 2016-17 season on Tuesday, will face some spirited competition, they likely won't truly be tested until the latter stages of the postseason. The biggest perceived threat to the Cavaliers' reign in the East could be the same Toronto Raptors team they needed six games to eliminate in last season's conference final. The Warriors, who were already flush with talent when they posted a record-setting 73-9 mark last season, have since added four-time scoring champion Kevin Durant to form what some consider the most lethal roster ever assembled. But Golden State will no doubt have a target on their backs each night and perhaps the only thing that could get in their way of representing the Western Conference in the Finals will be the overwhelming expectations. Golden State did well to weaken one of their challengers by signing free agent Durant, who led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 3-1 series lead over the Warriors in last season's conference final before an epic collapse. But Golden State will by no means have an uncontested road to the Finals and many feel the San Antonio Spurs have the best shot at beating the Warriors should they clash in the postseason. With Tim Duncan having announced his retirement, the Spurs are embarking on a season without the long-time face of their franchise for the first time since 1996. The Spurs replaced the five-time NBA champion with Spanish power forward Pau Gasol, who along with Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and evergreen veterans Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili should make sure San Antonio remain a threat in the West. While last season showed that nothing is certain in sports, the Warriors and Cavaliers are clearly in a league of their own and ideally positioned to deliver a mouthwatering battle for NBA supremacy in eight months. Lakers waive Chinese forward Yi Chinese forward-center Yi Jianlian has been waived by the Los Angeles Lakers after requesting to be released, the NBA club announced Monday. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said Yi had sought to be waived over concerns he would not get enough minutes on court. "Yi was productive in practices and games with us, and was a consummate professional both on and off the court," Kupchak said in a statement. "However, he felt that the minutes and opportunities he'd be afforded here were not in line with his goals and ambitions, and that he'd be better off in a different situation. We appreciate his efforts and wish him great success as he goes forward with his career." Yi, who was chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks as the sixth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, had averaged three points and 2.5 rebounds per game for the Lakers during six pre-season contests. The 28-year-old had targeted an NBA comeback after a four-year hiatus from the league. Yi signed a one-year deal in August with the Lakers for $1.14 million (1.05 million euros) which could have been worth up to $8 million with incentives and bonuses. The native Cantonese-speaking Yi played in China with the Guangdong Southern Tigers from 2012-2016 and was the cornerstone for the Chinese national team at the Rio Olympics. — Agencies