What is the story about?
We have finally hit Day 3 of the NBA’s schedule release. We already knew that the Spurs would open at home against the Thunder on October 20 and get hosted by the Knicks on Christmas, as well as their NBA Cup schedule, and now we have the complete regular season schedule.
Observations
- 34 games will be nationally televised or streamed on NBC/Peakcock, ESPN or ABC and Prime, and a whopping 25 of them come in the second half of the season (game 42 or later). If you’re like me and use League Pass for local broadcasts, make sure you get to know whoever the Spurs new announcer is early, because you won’t hear him and Sean Elliott much after that.
- I count 11 back-to-backs, which isn’t bad. I also see four miniseries: their two Europe games against the Pelicans in mid January at Paris and Manchester, both games at Golden State at the end of January/beginning of February, and a home-away against the Nuggets at the end of February/beginning of March (with the “home” game being in Austin), and both home games against the Phoenix Suns at the end of March.
- Is it just me, or does it look like more away games than home? Those at’s stand out dramatically, especially since they’re so clumped together thanks to several long road trips in there. There are three four-game road trips plus the 8-game Rodeo Road Trip, with the Memphis and Denver games on Feb. 26 and 28 being in Austin. There’s also a nine-road-in-12-games stretch from December 15 through January 3, as as an 8-in-12 streak from March 14 to April 4.
- On the other hand, the Spurs only have two streaks of four or more home games in a row, with a streak of five January 2o through the 27th, and four straight to close the regular season. Speaking of which, the last three games are all against should-be playoff teams in the Cavaliers, Nuggets and Trail Blazers, which is notable assuming they’re in another battle for the top seed
- The Rodeo Road Trip itself will be no cakewalk either, with every game also being against playoff contenders except the two Memphis games. That March four-game road trip is also a bruiser as at least on paper, it could very well be against the four of the six playoff teams out of the East.
Other than that, not much stands out. It’s amazing the difference in looking a the schedule from a contender’s perspective is compared to being a bubble or bad team. Fewer teams or stretches look “daunting”, and you just expect to win
every game (knowing full well you won’t). What else stands out to you, Pounders?
