The friendlier 2015-2016 NBA schedule is out, containing less back-to-back games and more rest.
The entire NBA world anticipated for this day and finally got a new season filled with enjoyable matchups, highlighting top storylines and interesting rivalry games on important dates. Let’s skim through the entire schedule and pinpoint some of the marquee matchups and fascinating plots from the upcoming season.
First, we start off with opening night on Tuesday, October 27, which features a TNT doubleheader as the Cleveland Cavaliers pay a visit to the Chicago Bulls while the New Orleans Pelicans visit the defending champions Golden State Warriors. The following night on ESPN, the Minnesota Timberwolves head to Los Angeles to face the Lakers, a battle between the first and second overall picks of the 2015 draft, plus Kobe Bryant’s return. But before that battle, the San Antonio Spurs will play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which will be the return of Kevin Durant.
NBA on TNT returns on Thursday with the Atlanta Hawks facing the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks visiting the Los Angeles Clippers. ESPN takes over on Friday night with a doubleheader of its own, including a tangle between the new and improved Miami Heat against LeBron James’ Cavaliers, and a Western Conference Finals rematch between the Warriors and Houston Rockets.
November 4 will have the exciting rivalry between the Clippers and Warriors on ESPN, and the two teams will rematch on TNT on November 19.
Probably one of the most entertaining and story filled games will come on Wednesday, November 11, when the Clippers play host to the Dallas Mavericks, the team that DeAndre Jordan spurned this offseason. Following that game will be LaMarcus Aldridge’s return to Portland, as the Spurs face the Blazers.
The battle between the two brothers, Brook and Robin Lopez, will come on December 4 when crosstown rivals the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets tipoff a game at the Madison Square Garden on ESPN. Directly following that matchup will be a battle between LeBron James and Anthony Davis in New Orleans.
LeBron James will make his re-return to Miami on December 5, a game televised on NBATV. On December 18 the Clippers and Spurs, who played a classic first-round series that went to seven games in the playoffs, meet for the first time.
Christmas Day will, as always, feature a full slate of nationally televised games, consisting of five pleasurable contests. The day begins with Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans facing off against Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in a noon Eastern Time game on ESPN.
Following that game will be a matchup between two heavyweight teams from each conference, the Chicago Bulls versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook versus Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant versus Jimmy Butler, on ABC.
ABC’s coverage continues with a rematch of the NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. The game will be in Oakland, as James and Co. will look to get a small revenge on Stephen Curry.
ESPN picks back up with an interstate battle between the new and improved San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets, which is always an enjoyable rivalry.
To finish out the night, we get a crosstown matchup as the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers tango for the L.A. crown.
Martin Luther King Jr. day will feature 10 wonderful games, including four nationally televised ones. The Pelicans visit the Memphis Grizzlies, a game televised on ESPN, as Davis and his young crew will go up against Marc Gasol and his grit-and-grind team.
The young Orlando Magic then play host to the Atlanta Hawks on NBATV, as we will get a good look at the up-and-coming talent on Orlando’s roster and the unselfish play of the Hawks.
The night heats up when the Warriors and Cavaliers get tangled in another rematch of the NBA Finals, this time in Cleveland where the Cavs fans will be energized and ready for a frenzied battle.
To close out the night, the Rockets will visit the Clippers, a battle between two Western Conference heavyweights.
There will be plenty of other fun matchups, but one big thing to note about the new schedule is the kinder approach it has. First, the average amount of back-to-back games has been reduced from 19.3 to 17.8. Also, while last season the NBA had 70 sets of four games in five nights, this season it has just 27 sets, a 60 percent decrease which allows for more rest. Finally, the All-Star break is the same as last season, with an extended rest for each team.
Something else that will be new this season is the addition of ABC games on Saturdays. Previously, ABC only aired games on Sundays, so adding another day of nationally televised games will bring a smile to the faces of many NBA fans.
Nonetheless, we are in for one dramatic, highly entertaining season, filled with amusing storylines and interesting competitions. Thus the countdown to NBA tipoff officially begins now!
