The 2014-15 NBA season has officially begun and on Thursday, the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers will face off in four-time NBA MVP LeBron James' return home to Cleveland.

Both the Cavaliers and Knicks had a busy offseason, bringing in new players and coaches. The Knicks were embarrassed in their season opener against the Chicago Bulls, 104-80.

The Cavaliers have yet to play a game, but they added a lot of key players such as LeBron James and Kevin Love.

Here are five things to watch for in this Eastern Conference matchup:

1. The King Returns Home

LeBron James played seven memorable seasons for the Cavaliers. During his time in Cleveland, James won two Most Valuable Player Awards, a scoring title and led the Cavaliers to an NBA Finals appearance in 2007. James has spent the last four seasons with the Miami Heat, making it to the Finals all four years and winning two world titles in South Beach. Cleveland fans are waiting anxiously so they can see their first powder toss at the Quicken Loans Arena since 2010.

2. Knicks Offense

Point guard Jose Calderon was unable to play in the Knicks' season opener because of a calf injury. The triangle offense depends a lot on ball movement, and in the Knicks' first game, they were absolutely dreadful. Carmelo Anthony is simply playing one on one basketball with little passing, and Amar'e Stoudemire's role is questionable. Stoudemire against Kevin Love will be the No. 1 thing to watch for in this game. J.R. Smith will have to make his perimeter shots.

3. Kevin Love

Love was one of the biggest offseason additions by any NBA team. Love can give a team double-double at a higher rater than any other power forward, but his defense has been questioned. Last season, Love averaged 26.1 points per game, while averaging 12.5 rebounds per game. Love even attempted 505 three point shots last season, an extremely high amount for a power forward. This will be the first time we see Love paired with James and Kyrie Irving in a regular season game. Love is a shoot-first forward, so this should be interesting to watch.

4. Cavaliers Defense

The Cavaliers have the offense to win an NBA Championship, but can their defense hold up? All-Star and former Rookie of the Year Irving is a top-tier point guard who can pass and shoot, James is obviously an elite player and Love is the best scoring power forward in the league. But again, the defense still has question marks. James will be turning 30 years old this December, and neither Irving nor Love are top quality defenders. We will see just how much value Chris Bosh really has this season as James attempts to do without him in Cleveland.

5. Carmelo Anthony vs. LeBron James

The two best players on the court will be James and Anthony. James is the best player in the world right now, but Anthony has the regular season advantage one-on-one. In their 21 games against each other, Anthony's teams have won 11, while James' teams have won 10. If Calderon is unable to play again, this may to turn into Anthony vs. James, like a Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird type of game. If this is a one-possession game at the end of regulation, we may see a potential game-winning shot.

Schedule, Where to Watch

The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers will play each other at 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 30. in Cleveland, Ohio. The game can be watched on TNT. You can view a live game stream here.

Predictions

The Knicks still have a lot of rebuilding to do, while the Cavaliers have a solid roster. James returning to Cleveland should spell trouble for the Knicks and Anthony. Expect Love and Irving to have a good game as well. This Knicks team still has a lot of defensive issues.

Cavaliers win 102-94.

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