2024-25 NBA common season schedule launched

Thursday was one other huge day on the NBA calendar, with the league revealing 80 of the 82 regular-season video games every staff will play. The 2 video games that aren’t included depend upon the outcomes of the Emirates NBA Cup (previously often known as the In-Season Match), which can influence Week 8 of the schedule.

Twenty-eight of the 30 groups will play two video games that rely for fantasy (and league report) functions throughout that week, with eight advancing to the quarterfinals on December 10 and 11 and the opposite 22 enjoying video games in opposition to opponents that the league will decide. The semifinals will likely be performed on December 14 in Las Vegas. Additionally, there’s a little bit of a twist that will likely be of curiosity to fantasy managers who’ve Knicks or Raptors gamers rostered.

These two groups will meet on Monday, December 9, in a sport that isn’t a part of the NBA Cup. Which means the Knicks and Raptors will play three video games that rely towards fantasy basketball that week, whereas the remainder of the league will get two. The championship sport is scheduled for Tuesday, December 17, and that sport will (as was the case final season) not rely towards league win/loss information or statistics.

Listed below are some takeaways from the schedule reveal and the way fantasy basketball will likely be impacted.

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– The champion Celtics solely play 13 back-to-backs

The league common for back-to-backs per staff rose barely in comparison with final season, with that quantity shifting as much as 14.9. One staff that got here in under that quantity is Boston, which could have 13 back-to-backs to navigate. That will likely be necessary for the staff’s frontcourt, as Kristaps Porzingis will miss 5-6 months after present process left leg surgical procedure this summer time. Add that Al Horford didn’t play each ends of any back-to-backs final season, and the veteran heart’s fantasy worth might have been preserved to a sure extent. Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr. could have added worth on nights when Porzingis and Horford are unavailable.

– Eleven groups are scheduled to play 16 back-to-backs

Eleven groups will play 16 back-to-backs, and the Clippers could be the most regarding fantasy-wise as a consequence of Kawhi Leonard’s medical historical past. He did play in 68 regular-season video games in 2023-24, however lingering knee points in the end sidelined him for the stretch run. With Paul George not within the image, Leonard staying wholesome is of even higher significance to a staff that hopes to contend within the West. Having a brand new enviornment to name their very own might not have given the Clippers the schedule increase they could have hoped for. Among the many different ten groups enjoying 16 back-to-backs are Denver and Phoenix, with the latter being a bit regarding as a consequence of previous well being points for Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker.

– Lakers amongst seven groups with 13 back-to-backs

Contemplating the workloads they’ve been anticipated to shoulder for the Lakers, this can be a fairly huge deal for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Coming off of an Olympic gold medal, restricted back-to-backs ought to work of their favor, particularly when contemplating how grueling the West initiatives to be this season. Additionally receiving a league-low 13 back-to-backs have been Boston (as famous above), Dallas, Detroit, Chicago, Orlando, and Portland. The Magic, one of many league’s rising younger groups, has handled accidents to a number of rotation gamers previously; may the schedule make Jonathan Isaac somebody value rolling the cube on within the late rounds of drafts?

– Seven groups play a league-low 10 video games in Weeks 23-25

Except you’re in a league that runs in live performance with the NBA’s common season schedule (ending with Week 26), Weeks 23-25 (Basketball Monster has a pleasant grid proper right here) will likely be playoff time in head-to-head leagues with three rounds. The video games rely is crucial, and 7 groups will play 10 video games (as a substitute of 11 or 12) throughout that stretch.

Denver, Detroit, Houston, Minnesota, New Orleans, Portland, and Utah are these groups, with the Nuggets (Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray), Timberwolves (Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Cities), and Pelicans (Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray) being probably the most notable. Of these seven, Denver, Houston, Portland, and Utah solely play three video games in Week 25, whereas the others will play 4 apiece.

On the flip facet, the Lakers, Knicks, Kings, and Wizards are scheduled to play 12 video games throughout these three weeks. Managers trying to find streamers throughout these playoff matchups might scour these rosters earlier than they appear elsewhere.

– The removing of stretches wherein groups play 4 video games in 5 nights

Tim Reynolds’ tweet above notes that no staff is scheduled to play 4 video games in 5 nights. And that sound you hear is fantasy managers cheering, as this could (in idea) increase participant availability. Whereas it needs to be comparatively “simple” by this level to determine which gamers usually tend to get an evening off than others, not having to account for this could assist in the constructing of fantasy rosters.

Additionally of word is that groups aren’t scheduled to play the day earlier than or after a “high-profile nationally televised sport.” Which will have been achieved with the league’s tv companions in thoughts, however that is additionally excellent news for fantasy basketball. The Lakers (39 video games, together with NBA TV) and Warriors (36) prepared the ground in nationally televised video games. Video games proven on NBA TV don’t qualify as “high-profile” nationwide TV video games, which might drop the Lakers and Warriors to 29 and 24 such video games, respectively.