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The Cleveland Cavaliers know what it feels like to enter the season as Eastern Conference favorites.They begin this one with an entirely unfamiliar label -- defending champions.The rest of the East has spent the last six years unsuccessfully trying to unseat LeBron James from the throne. Whether he has been in Cleveland or Miami, James has led his team to the NBA Finals every year since 2011. But his crowning achievement came last season, when his Cavaliers captured the citys first pro sports championship in 52 years by defeating the record-breaking Golden State Warriors.Now the Cavaliers are wearing an even bigger target on their backs.Its the same mindset: Lets win a championship, James said. We just want to be able to put ourselves in position to do that. We have the ability, we have the personnel, but we have to work now. We cant expect for it to happen just like we didnt expect for it to happen last year. We put the time into it.The Boston Celtics finally found a star in Al Horford to team with a lunch pail group that has overachieved under coach Brad Stevens. The Toronto Raptors are back for more after falling to the Cavs in the Eastern Conference finals and Chicago and New York brought in aging stars in a desperate attempt to change the balance of power in the leagues weaker conference.James reply: Bring it on.We cant be entitled to anything weve got to go out and get it and work for it, he said. Were a team thats very driven and we look forward to all the challenges the season holds.A look at the East:---PLAYOFF BOUND1. Cleveland -- Championship hangover? No one expects that with the Cavs. There is one certainty in the NBA: LeBron will make it to the finals.2. Boston -- Horford and Stevens appear to be the perfect match.3. Toronto -- Keep doubting the Raptors. Kyle Lowry wants you to. Should be nip and tuck with the Celtics all season.4. Washington -- Heres where it starts to get dicey. Wiz are betting Scott Brooks will be able to push the buttons Randy Wittman couldnt.5. Atlanta -- The Hawks took a step back last season, then swapped Horford for Dwight Howard. Things could go either way in Hotlanta this season.6. Charlotte -- Mostly stood pat this summer after a surprising sixth-place finish last year. A healthy Michael Kidd-Gilchrist sure could make a difference.7. Detroit -- Would have picked them higher, but Reggie Jacksons injury is a concern.8. Indiana -- Pacers swapped out the underrated George Hill for Jeff Teague, traded Frank Vogel for Nate McMillan and brought in Thaddeus Young and Al Jefferson to funk things up.---IN THE MIX9. Chicago -- Dwyane Wades homecoming is a great story. But the severe lack of shooting figures to hold the Bulls back.10. Miami -- With Wade and Chris Bosh gone, its rebuilding time. Dont expect Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra to be down long, though.11. New York -- Manhattan is all excited about the star power that Phil Jackson brought in. The reality is Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah have not been completely healthy for years.12. Milwaukee -- Khris Middletons injury is a killer that prompted scrambling for wing help. The Greek Freak at point guard, thought? That will be appointment viewing.---FACING LONG ODDS13. Orlando -- Vogel landed with the Magic and he has all kinds of defensive weapons at his disposal. That will be essential because scoring may be difficult to come by.14. Philadelphia -- You have to be kidding us with the Ben Simmons injury. Hey, at least Joel Embiid is healthy. Please keep it that way.15. Brooklyn -- Move over Philly, theres a new basement dweller in the East! Sean Marks and Kenny Atkinson are well thought of, but its going to take time to get this thing turned around.---WHAT TO KNOWLEBRONS LEGACY: The last time James did not appear in the NBA Finals was 2010 when the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Celtics. James Cavaliers were eliminated in the East semifinals by the Celtics, and he signed with the Heat that summer.WALL AND BEAL: Much has been made of the chemistry, or lack thereof, in Washingtons backcourt. If John Wall and Bradley Beal are on the same page, the Wizards are dangerous. If they cant find a way to harmonize, Washington could plummet down the standings.NEW FACES: Brooks in Washington, McMillan in Indiana, Vogel in Orlando, Atkinson in Brooklyn and Jeff Hornacek in New York start their first seasons as coaches after a summer of upheaval in the conference.SCHRODER TIME: The Hawks traded Teague to Indiana to open the door for Schroders slashing game. Hes been waiting for this chance, and his ability to run the team, play defense and knock down the occasional jumper will be critical to Atlantas chances.ROOKIE WATCH: Only three of the top nine picks in the draft went to teams in the East. Youngsters to keep an eye on include Jaylen Brown in Boston, Jakob Poeltl for Toronto, Thon Maker in Milwaukee and Denzel Valentine in Chicago.---AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.---Follow Jon Krawczynski on Twitter: www.twitter.com/APKrawczynski Custom Jose Cruz Jr. Jersey . You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. Mike Cuellar Jersey . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. http://www.customastrosjersey.com/custom-cionel-perez-jersey-large-1236y.html . General manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch on Friday that he wants to see Gaboriks contributions go beyond the scoresheet before considering a long-term deal for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. Abraham Toro Jersey . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. Aledmys Diaz Jersey . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4.OXNARD, Calif. -- DeMarcus Ware dreams about rushing the passer. The sack specialist for the Dallas Cowboys constantly works on technique -- with coaches, fellow defensive ends, even some of his offensive linemen. Hes trying moves in hallways at the teams training camp hotel. And other places. "I probably pass rush when Im coming out of the bathroom stall," Ware said. "I cant get enough of it." He wont have to worry about getting his fix in the new Dallas defence. The Cowboys are scrapping the 3-4 theyve used since the year they drafted Ware and turned him into a pass-rushing outside linebacker. The ninth-year pro is a hand-on-the-ground end now in the more traditional 4-3, and his marching orders are simple: Get the quarterback. Thats not to say Ware wont occasionally drop back in coverage the way he did more frequently under former defensive co-ordinator Rob Ryan the past two years. In fact, he was doing it during camp practice Tuesday. But theres no question new defensive co-ordinator Monte Kiffin and new line coach Rod Marinelli want Ware to focus on what he does best. Wares had seven straight double-digit sack seasons and has 111 sacks for his career, just three shy of Harvey Martins team record from three decades ago. "His passion for pass rushing is really something," Marinelli said. "Guy lives it every day. You just want guys to live this stuff. To live it and be able to wake up in the morning and youre getting up and, Man, I get to go rush today." Ware was waking up sore every day by the end of last season. He started every game for the seventh time in his eight pro seasons, but he wasnt himself because of a shoulder injury as the Cowboys dropped their final two games and missed the playoffs for the third straight year. The four-time All-Pro still led Dallas with 11.5 sacks, but it was a drop of eight from the previous season. He had a career-high 20 in 2008. "I feel like it wasnt enough because I didnt have an opportunity to get to the end," Ware said. "I wasnt effective enough. This year I feel like a solid, solid player, ready to go out there and play and ready to get it." Ware had off-season shoulder surgery, and he gets a year older during training camp because his birthday is in late July. He pointed out on his own last week that he was turning 31, which maybe was his way of saying he has quite a few years lleft.dddddddddddd "Just turn the practice tape on and let that carry over into the game and proving a point to yourself day in and day out that you still can do it," Ware said. "The age might be going up, but the experience and the maturity, Im still young." Ware is more than halfway to Bruce Smiths sacks record of 200 in less than half the 19 seasons that Smith played. His season average is three sacks better than Smith. He knows what the number is, and he shares a piece of paper with a goal on it every day "just to give me something to shoot for." But its not necessarily Smiths number. "I never usually think about a record, because a record has a ceiling to it," Ware said. "Why not shoot to something a little higher than that and then you might end up where you need to be?" Ware has long been one of the most marketable Cowboys. During the off-season he joined Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at a news conference announcing a new partnership with an insurance company. He essentially adopted a Dallas-area high school team for the playoffs last year, spending a day with Lancaster players before the team made a run to a state championship game. The closer he gets to Smiths record, the more his personable demeanour will get play nationally. His only rival for goodwill in the community is Jason Witten. Coach Jason Garrett would argue theres a reason Ware and Witten are the next two players in the Hall of Fame conversation after last weekends induction of offensive lineman Larry Allen. "Hes quick, hes fast, hes explosive, hes strong, hes long," Garrett said of Ware. "I can keep going and going and going but what makes DeMarcus Ware great is the same thing that makes Witten great. The kind of people they are. Thats where the conversation starts for me." For Ware, the conversation about pass rushing starts just about anywhere. NOTES: CB Brandon Carr missed practice Tuesday for the birth of his child. The other starter, Morris Claiborne, left practice briefly after jamming his left knee but said he was fine and would return Wednesday. ... The Cowboys signed DE Jabari Fletcher and G Dennis Godfrey and released P Spencer Benton and DE Monte Taylor. ... WR Terrance Williams has a concussion, and his status for Fridays second preseason game at Oakland is unknown. Williams helmet hit the ground hard in practice Friday. ' ' '