The NBA schedule is here and we have a lot to talk about (and we needed it in the doldrums of the offseason). We’ve already broken down the 20 can’t-miss games.
Now let’s get into the details, the analytics and break down the entire schedule. Let’s see who “won” the schedule release with the fewest back-to-backs, and who is on national television the most (you probably could have guessed that last part... and sorry Thunder fans).
Here’s a breakdown of the NBA schedule.
• The league knows what people want to see — LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Here are the teams with the most nationally televised games (ESPN, TNT, ABC and NBA TV):
Lakers 39
Warriors 36
Celtics 34
Knicks 34
Mavericks 30
Suns 30
Nuggets 29
Bucks 27
76ers 27
Timberwolves 25
Thunder 25
• Remove NBA TV from the list (not everyone has that channel or the cable to get it) and go just with ESPN/ABC/TNT games, and the list shifts around a little (Boston jumps up to second). Here is that top 10:
Lakers 29
Celtics 26
Warriors 24
Knicks 24
Mavericks 23
Nuggets 22
76ers 21
Suns 19
Bucks 18
Timberwolves 18
• The league will not have teams play the day before or after “high-profile national TV games.”
• Eleven teams are tied for most back-to-backs, 16: Hawks, Cavaliers, Nuggets, Rockets, Clippers, Bucks, Pelicans, Thunder, Suns, Kings and Wizards.
• Six teams are tied for the fewest back-to-backs with 13: Celtics, Bulls, Mavericks, Lakers, Magic, Trail Blazers.
• The league average for back-to-backs is 14.9.
• Again there are zero 4-in-5 night situations.
• Positive Residual (a must for serious NBA fans) broke down the schedule based on opponents, travel, rest advantage/disadvantage games, back-to-back and more and concluded these were the five teams with the easiest strength of schedule:
Denver
Indiana
Orlando
Boston
New York
• Positive Residual’s five toughest schedules, based on that same criteria:
Portland
Los Angeles Clippers
Houston
Phoenix
Brooklyn
• Positive Residual also has the Warriors and Bulls with a league-best +4 in rest advantage games (compared to rest disadvantage games).
• The Suns are a league-worst -4 on rest advantage games (based on the same metric).
• The Suns and Clippers have the toughest first two months of the season (October and November), based on opponent’s winning percentages last season. The Suns face teams with an average .55.7 winning percentage last year, the Clippers .528.
• The Bucks have a stretch during the season with 13 consecutive games against teams that were over .500 last season.
• The most miles traveled, as always, goes to somewhat isolated Portland at 50,000 (in the coming years when the league expands and a team is put in Seattle, that will help the Blazers).
• The NBA has a triple-header of games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 20): Dallas at Charlotte, Minnesota at Memphis, and Boston at Golden State. Much like on Christmas Day, there is no Thunder on MLK day (they feel slighted by the league).
• The Clippers have zero afternoon home games this season after having double digits each of the past two years — perks of having their own building now, not being the third tenant behind the Lakers and NHL’s Kings.
• For the third straight year, there will be no games on election night, Nov. 5, as the league continues to encourage fans to get out and vote. However, all 30 teams are active the day before the election, Nov. 4.
• Other days there are no NBA Games:
Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving)
Dec. 18 (the day after the NBA Cup Final)
Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve)
Feb. 14-19 (All-Star break)
April 12 (eve of regular season finale)
