NBA Training Camps 2016: Start Dates, Schedules and Top Storylines to Watch

With summer officially over and October drawing near, the start of the 2016-17 NBA season is just around the corner.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to begin their title defense with a strong training camp, while the new-look Golden State Warriors and 28 other NBA teams start their seasons with the goal of dethroning the champions.

The Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder will report to camp earlier as they prepare to play preseason games as part of the NBA Global Games. All players can report to their teams one day before training camp officially begins for media day, physicals and such. Then the teams finally hit the court.

With that in mind, here is a look at the NBA training-camp schedule and some storylines for preseason practice. For a full list of key dates this upcoming season, check out NBA.com.

Date	Event
Sept. 23, 2016	First day for players in the preseason NBA Global Games to report to their teams.
Sept. 24, 2016	Training camp opens for all teams in the preseason NBA Global Games.
Sept. 26, 2016	First day for all players to report to their teams.
Sept. 27, 2016	Training camp opens for all teams.

Kevin Durant Begins New Stage in Golden State

While LeBron James returning home and finally bringing a championship to Cleveland was one of the sports stories of the year, Kevin Durant spurning the Thunder to sign with the Warriors made the biggest impact on this upcoming season.

After Oklahoma City relinquished a 3-1 series lead to Golden State in the Western Conference Finals, Durant decided to join the Warriors in free agency. This adds some incredible firepower to a team that won an NBA-record 73 games last season.

The Warriors led the league in scoring last season, and Stephen Curry won the scoring title. Durant has averaged more than 27 points per game in six of the last seven seasons, and Golden State looks to have a sensational shooting offense, per Yahoo Sports' Michael Gallagher:

However, how will Durant mesh with Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson? All four require ample touches, and there is only one ball to go around. Curry addressed this situation in an interview with USA Today's Sam Amick, saying he believes the team can put egos to the side and play winning basketball:

"

I think I have a healthy ego, meaning that when I’m on the court I feel like I’m the best player out there, that I can do anything I want to do, and that I want to be driven to be the best that I can be. But it’s not like a ‘Look at me, look at me,’ kind of thing. And I think that’s the same with Klay, the same with Draymond, the same with Andre and KD, which is why it jells.

We don’t have to sacrifice. I don’t think anybody has to do anything different than they already do when it comes to night in and night out. If everybody is the best version of themselves, we’ll be a pretty powerful team. But I don’t think anybody is going to be running to the podium, like ‘Yeah, I did this. I did that,’ which is where it can get a little distracting.

"

The process of putting this offense together will begin on Tuesday when head coach Steve Kerr will have his first chance to work with his slew of superstars. With so many star players on the court, expect some trouble in the preseason and early regular season as the players try to figure out how to play with one another. Nevertheless, this team looks like it could rewrite the record books again this year.

NBA Returns to China

The NBA has become a global league over the past couple of decades and will continue to establish itself overseas this preseason.

The NBA will head over to China in October for a pair of preseason games between Houston and New Orleans, marking the 10th time the league has played in the country as part of its Global Games. The games will take place Sunday, Oct. 9 and Wednesday, Oct. 12, per NBA.com. 

This year is even more special with Yao Ming's recent induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He opened the pipeline between China and the NBA when he entered the league in 2002, and the relationship between the two has grown strong.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver highlighted this relationship, per NBA.com:

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We are thrilled to bring NBA teams once again to Beijing and Shanghai. NBA fans in China are incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the game of basketball. The China Games deliver the live, authentic NBA experience to our Chinese fans and provide our teams and players an opportunity to learn more about the Chinese people and culture.

"

In addition to China, the NBA will also play preseason games in Canada and Spain and regular-season contests in London and Mexico City on Thursday, Jan. 12 and Saturday, Jan. 14 during its Global Games initiative. These events only add to the league's reach beyond American borders and provide a glimpse into places that fans may never see otherwise.

Are the Knicks Back?

Slightly overshadowed by the Durant move was the fact that the New York Knicks completely revamped themselves during the offseason.

They hired Jeff Hornacek to be the new head coach and added Derrick Rose via trade. They also signed Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee as free agents. This group will merge with New York's existing core of Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, giving the Knicks one of the more formidable rosters in the Eastern Conference.

Former New York head coach and current ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy believes the Knicks can contend in the East, per ESPN.com's Ian Begley:

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Listen, I think they're going to be 45 to 50 [wins], low 50s, in that range. I think there's a lot [of factors] that are sure things. I think Noah is going to be a sure thing as far as how he plays. [Kristaps] Porzingis is going to have a better second year than he had as a rookie. I think he'll be outstanding. [Carmelo] Anthony I think is going to be very, very good. Courtney Lee is going to be excellent as a glue type of guy in their starting lineup.

I think a lot comes down to [Derrick] Rose's health and play and then the bench. It will be interesting to see how that works out. But I certainly believe their starting lineup has the potential to be a 50-game winner without question.

"

Van Gundy is spot on about Rose's health being the key to New York's success. In Hornacek's system, floor spacing and pick-and-roll sets are huge. This plays well into Rose's strengths, as he is a slasher who prefers to create near the basket than out on the perimeter. This also opens up free shots for his teammates, as Anthony can knock down outside jumpers and Porzingis can play inside and out.

Rose averaged 16.4 points and 4.7 assists per game last season, which is far removed from the 25 points and 7.7 assists he averaged during his 2010-11 MVP campaign. He is an improvement over the point guards the Knicks had last season, but he is not the type of transcendent player who can push New York past Cleveland or even the Toronto Raptors in the East.

Still, the Knicks have a talented and versatile roster that should land them in the playoffs. New York may not be a legitimate contender to win the conference, but it looks to be in the second tier of East teams along with the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and others. 

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.