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Jared Dubin
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NBA Schedule Breakdown

The NBA released the schedule for the 2016–17 NBA season on Thursday afternoon. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of each team’s national TV games and strength of schedule.

National TV Games

Some notes:

  • All 30 teams play at least one game on ABC/ESPN.
  • Every team except the Nets and Magic plays at least one game on TNT.
  • There are 14 different teams that play nine games on NBATV.
  • Golden State leads the way with 37 national TV appearances, followed by the Cavaliers, Clippers, and Bulls with 34. The Spurs are fifth with 32.
  • Orlando has the fewest national TV appearances, with four. The Magic are followed by the 76ers (5), Nets (7), and Hornets, Grizzlies, and Bucks (9).
  • The Pacific Division leads with 116 national TV appearances, followed by the Central (104), Northwest (98), Southwest (90), Atlantic (78), and Southeast (56).
  • The Warriors (10, 13) and Clippers (10,10) are the only teams with double-digit games on both TNT and ESPN.
  • The Warriors are on ESPN 13 times. A third of the league (10 teams) has fewer total national TV games.
  • All four of the Knicks’ ABC games are at home, while four of the Warriors’ (and Clippers’) five will be played on the road.
  • All six of the Blazers’ TNT games are at home. Three of Minnesota’s four are on the road and the lone home game is against the 76ers.
  • Both of the Celtics’ road games in Cleveland are on TNT. The same is true of the Knicks. Both of the Celtics’ road games against the Bulls are also on TNT.
  • TNT has broadcasts on 33 different days. All but five feature at least one game with at least one of the Warriors, Cavaliers, Spurs, or Clippers playing.
  • Both of Cleveland’s road games in Boston are on ESPN.
  • Both of Atlanta’s road games in Cleveland are on NBATV. Both of Golden State’s games in Portland are also on NBATV. Both of New Orleans’ games in Sacramento are on NBATV.
  • The Nets and Lakers are the only teams that don’t play on the road on NBATV. The Pistons and Hornets are the only teams that don’t play at home on NBATV.

Strength of Schedule — Overall

Some notes:

  • Much of a team’s strength of schedule is accounted for by the fact that no team can play itself. The Warriors not having to play the 73–9 Warriors is the single biggest factor in their having the easiest schedule in the league. Meanwhile, the Lakers (who don’t get to play the 17–65 Lakers) play against the Warriors four times. Almost the entire difference in the two teams’ strength of schedule is made up of those four games.
  • The difference between the toughest (LAL, 0.515) and easiest (GSW, 0.480) strength of schedule still works out to only 2.8 wins over the course of an 82-game season.

Strength of Schedule — Pre/Post-ASG

Some notes:

  • The five easiest pre-break schedules belong to the Spurs, Hawks, Raptors, Pacers, and Cavaliers. The five toughest pre-break schedules belong to the Blazers, Nets, Lakers, Pistons, and Kings.
  • The difference between the toughest (POR, 0.519) and easiest (SAS, 0.467) pre-break schedules works out to 4.3 wins over the course of am 82-game season.
  • The five easiest post-break schedules belong to the Warriors, Blazers, Thunder, Celtics, and Bulls. The five toughest post-break schedules belong to the Suns, Jazz, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, and Hawks.
  • The difference between the toughest (PHX, 0.536) and easiest (GSW, 0.455) post-break schedules works out to 6.7 wins over the course of an 82-game season.
  • The most favorable pre and post-ASG differentials (i.e. post-ASG schedule is easier) belong to the Blazers, Warriors, Pistons, Thunder, and Nets.
  • The least favorable pre and post-ASG differentials (i.e. post-ASG schedule is tougher) belong to the Spurs, Hawks, Jazz, Suns, and Raptors.
  • The Lakers, 76ers, and Timberwolves play top-half schedules both pre and post-ASG. The Mavericks, Bucks, and Warriors play bottom-half schedules pre and post-ASG. Every other team flip-flops.
  • The Pelicans have the exact same strength of schedule pre and post-ASG (0.510) but it’s ranked the sixth-toughest before the break and 16th-toughest after it. (Fewer games after the break means there’s more variance in overall schedule strength.)

Strength of Schedule — Monthly

Some notes:

  • The five easiest opening-month schedules belong to the Hawks, Warriors, Bulls, Thunder, and Timberwolves. The five toughest opening-months schedules belong to the Lakers, Mavericks, Knicks, 76ers, and Pistons.
  • The difference between the easiest (ATL, 0.437) and toughest (LAL, 0.555) opening-month schedules works out to 9.7 wins over the course of an 82-game season.
  • The five easiest December schedules belong to the Nuggets, Kings, Spurs, Raptors, and Jazz. The five toughest December schedules belong to the Blazers, Timberwolves, Celtics, Pelicans, and Bulls.
  • The difference between the easiest (DEN, 0.444) and toughest (POR, 0.587) December schedules works out to 11.7 wins over the course of an 82-game season.
  • The five easiest January schedules belong to the Pacers, Raptors, Clippers, Hawks, and Wizards. The five toughest January schedules belong to the Kings, Suns, Lakers, Pelicans, and Warriors.
  • The difference between the easiest (IND, 0.394) and toughest (SAC, 0.591) January schedules works out to 16.2 wins over the course of an 82-game season.
  • The five easiest February schedules belong to the Spurs, Heat, Bucks, Suns, and Mavericks. The five toughest February schedules belong to the Clippers, 76ers, Blazers, Nets, and Thunder.
  • The difference between the easiest (SAS, 0.391) and toughest (LAC, 0.616) February schedules works out to 18.5 wins over the course of an 82-game season.
  • The five easiest March schedules belong to the Clippers, Blazers, Celtics, Lakers, and Pistons. The five toughest March schedules belong to the Rockets, Grizzlies, Spurs, Timberwolves, and Bulls.
  • The difference between the easiest (LAC, 0.431) and toughest (HOU, 0.560) March schedules works out to 10.6 wins over the course of an 82-game season.
  • The five easiest April schedules belong to the Bulls, Warriors, Kings, Thunder, and Rockets. The five toughest April schedules belong to the Jazz, Wizards, Suns, Cavaliers, and Lakers.
  • The difference between the easiest (CHI, 0.343) and toughest (UTA, 0.659) April schedules works out to 25.9 wins over the course of an 82-game season.
  • The easiest month of the year is Chicago’s April and the toughest is Utah’s April.
  • Every team has at least one month in the 10 easiest schedules and at least one month in the 10 toughest schedules.
  • The 76ers have a top-half toughest schedule in every month except April.
  • The Clippers are the only team that has the easiest schedule in one month and the toughest in another. Those months are back-to-back.
  • The Celtics, Mavericks, Pistons, Pelicans and 76ers start with back-to-back months of .500+ opponents. The Hornets, Warriors, Thunder, Magic, Kings, and Jazz start with back-to-back sub-.500 months.
  • The Hawks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Bucks, and Suns .500+ opponents. The Celtics, Mavericks, Lakers, and Blazers close with back-to-back sub-500 months.
  • The Pacers play 13 games in January, only one of which is against an opponent that finished above .500 last season. The Kings play 15 games in January, only one of which is against an opponent that finished below .500 last season.
  • The only instance of a team facing one of the five toughest schedules in back-to-back months is the Pelicans in December and January. They face the fourth-toughest schedule in both months.
  • The only instance of a team facing one of the five easiest schedules in back-to-back months is the Raptors in December and January. They face the fourth and second-easiest schedules in those months, respectively.
  • The Warriors, Hornets, Rockets, Blazers, Spurs, Jazz, and Wizards never have consecutive months against a slate of opponents with .500+ records.
  • The Hawks, Nets, Bulls, Nuggets, Pacers, Lakers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Pelicans, 76ers, and Suns never have consecutive months against a slate of opponents with sub-.500 records.