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(Sports Network) - No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers will commence the 2011-12 NBA season tonight with a showdown versus the Toronto Raptors at Quicken Loans Arena. Toronto will play four of five road games to kick off the campaign and has missed the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. It went 22-60 last season and named Dwane Casey the teams new head coach back in June. Casey spent the last three years as an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks, who won their first NBA title over the summer. The Raptors needed a replacement for Jay Triano and Casey vows the team will improve. "We will get better," Casey stated. "The roster has a good talent base. The experiences Ive had... all that has helped what I stand for, what I plan to instill in our guys and staff." The Raptors hope to have a healthy season from Andrea Bargnani and the rest of the roster in order to compete in the talented Atlantic Division. Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan and Jamaal Magloire are all solid pieces to work with as the Raptors move forward in their quest for success. Toronto also added forward Rasual Butler and center Aaron Gray to the mix this offseason. Toronto won two of three meetings with Cleveland last season, but the Cavs have prevailed in 17 of the last 22 matchups between the teams. The Raptors have lost 13 of 16 games at the Q. Irving is not expected to start in his NBA debut, but has tremendous upside coming into his rookie campaign. Irving played in 11 games as a freshman for Duke last season, averaging 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 27.5 minutes per game. He shot 52.9 percent, including 46.2 percent from three- point range over that span, but missed the majority of the season with a right toe injury. The Cavs had reached the postseason in five straight seasons until finishing with a dreadful 19-63 mark a year ago, and were able to snag two top picks in the 2011 NBA Draft. Along with Irving, forward Tristan Thompson was plucked with the fourth-overall selection and earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors last season, averaging 13.1 points and team highs of 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 30.9 minutes per game in 36 games with Texas. Cleveland made some moves in the offseason, including waiving veteran guard Baron Davis and dealing forward J.J. Hickson to Sacramento in exchange for guard/forward Omri Casspi and a protected first-round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Thompson is likely to see more time right away with Hickson gone for head coach Byron Scott. Antawn Jamison, Ramon Sessions and Anthony Parker will lead this young group of players, while Jamison posted a team-high 18.0 ppg in 56 games a year ago for the Cavs, who will play three of five games at home to start the season before embarking on a seven-game road trip. Cheap Jerseys . 1 date, according to The New York Times. The newspaper, citing the contract agreed upon by the league and the University of Michigan, says the NHL can back out on game day because of a work stoppage "arising from the lack of a collective bargaining agreement. Cheap Jerseys From China . -- Canadian Steve Nash knew the scene was more than a bit surreal when he stood in the Los Angeles Lakers training complex, grinning and holding up a gold No. http://www.dancewithmeusa.com/hot.html . -- The San Jose Sharks have re-signed defenceman Justin Braun and forwards Tommy Wingels and Andrew Desjardins.TOKYO -- FIFA will introduce goal-line technology for the first time at the Club World Cup in an effort to accurately judge when balls cross the goal line. The magnetic-field-based system of GoalRef will be used at Yokohama Stadium while Toyota Stadium will be equipped with the camera-based Hawk-Eye system. The seven-team tournament begins on Thursday when New Zealands Auckland City faces Japans Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Yokohama Stadium. "Tomorrow will be the first time that goal-line technology will be officially used in a game," FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke said Wednesday. "The tests are done; and the installation tests were successful." Hawk-Eye is a British camera-based system already used in tennis and cricket. GoalRef is a Danish-German project using magnetic sensors to track a special ball. Before each match, officials will test the system is working in both goals. The referee will continue to have full autonomy in making any final decision during the match, using goal-line technology as an additional aid. The data fromm the Club World Cup will be used to help FIFA decide, by the end of March, which technology it will use for the six venues at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil.ddddddddddddThe Confederations Cup system will then be used at the 2014 World Cup. "The referee has the final decision," Valcke added. "The technology wont change the speed, value or spirit of the game. There is no reason to be against this technology." FIFA decided to introduce both systems after they won "unanimous" support from the International Football Association Board panel. FIFA president Sepp Blatter was a member of the IFAB panel. Blatter was initially opposed to the idea of using goal-line technology but changed his stance two years ago when he saw England denied a clear goal by midfielder Frank Lampard against Germany at the 2010 World Cup. Two days later, Blatter said FIFA must reopen the debate, though insisted it must involve only goal-line decisions. Video replay remains off limits for judgment calls, such as penalties or offside. ' ' '