NEW schedule?

[zocool16]

Seems pretty logical to me that the NBA will have to come up with a new schedule to fit 66 games and make sure teams play teams in their conference the same amount of times. More importantly, to balance out the number of home/road games, right?

If so, when will that come out?

[Bruno]

I think it will be:
- 2 games against other conference teams.
- 3 games against team in the same division.
- 2 or 3 games against teams in the same conference but in another division (3 games against 4 teams and 2 games against the 6 other teams) .

[Buddy Holly]

Will there be any back to back to back?

[gospursgojas]

Will there be any back to back to back?

I remember those in 99...kinda cool to watch a Spurs game 3 nights in a row.

Players probably would hate it. Im sure what they intended for the 70 games season of pushing the playoffs back will be done with this sched as well. So hopefully no b2b2b's.

[baseline bum]

I remember those in 99...kinda cool to watch a Spurs game 3 nights in a row.

Players probably would hate it. Im sure what they intended for the 70 games season of pushing the playoffs back will be done with this sched as well. So hopefully no b2b2b's.

I think we'll see them; they're playing 66 games in a span where 56 are usually played and still going through with the shitty all-star break.

[chazley]

I'd be surprised if we saw b2b2b. Instead, I'm sure we'll see a large increase in the # of b2b and 4 games in 5 days.

[Brazil]

I think we'll see them; they're playing 66 games in a span where 56 are usually played and still going through with the shitty all-star break.

They should get rid of this All Star game BS. Did they confirm it will be maintained ?

[timtonymanu]

All Star weekend will not be cancelled.

I don't want it. It's not like any of the Spurs will represent it anyway except the rookie game maybe.

[DMC]

I remember those in 99...kinda cool to watch a Spurs game 3 nights in a row.

Players probably would hate it. Im sure what they intended for the 70 games season of pushing the playoffs back will be done with this sched as well. So hopefully no b2b2b's.
Bench guys would love it.

[chazley]

All Star weekend will not be cancelled.

I don't want it. It's not like any of the Spurs will represent it anyway except the rookie game maybe.

Wish I could put money on this. I see zero chance that no Spurs get in, especially since our guys with the best chance (Manu/Tony) have been playing all summer, and should be refreshed and in game shape from the get-go. Our team should be unbelieveably exciting this year, especially from a Spurs fan's standpoint, with all the young talent we have. Neal/Blair/Kawhi/Anderson/Tiago should all play a big roll this year.

Keep in mind the Spurs are likely to be heavily involved in trade discussions around the league, judging on what R.C. said before the lockout began. The upcoming 30 days are gonna be very fun for Spurs fans.

[DMC]

There's no way any of the "young talent" on the Spurs gets into the All Star game. The rookie/soph game is different.

[chazley]

I said Tony/Manu have the best shot, said nothing about our young talent.

[Dunc n Dave]

NBA Schedule will break down like this:
-2 games vs. other conference team (15 teams X 2= 30 games)
-2 games vs. same conference (not in division teams) (10 teams X 2 =20 games)
-4 games vs. divisional opponents (4 teams X 2=16 games)

Total: 66 games

Basically, you are only cutting the 3rd and 4th games vs non-divisional opponents in your conference.
That way, there's no one crying "foul" if a team wins a tie breaker because they got the extra home game vs the other team.

Also, no team cries foul for not getting a home game against the Heat, Lakers, Bulls, etc to sell out.

BOOK IT!

[Death In June]

Keep in mind the Spurs are likely to be heavily involved in trade discussions around the league, judging on what R.C. said before the lockout began. The upcoming 30 days are gonna be very fun for Spurs fans.How many times has that ever materialized? More importantly, how many times has FA ever had a significant positive impact?

[ChuckD]

How many times has that ever materialized?
Draft day this year? Ringing any bells? Moving up like 13-14 spots?

More importantly, how many times has FA ever had a significant positive impact?

In the Duncan era?
Steve Kerr 1999
Bruce Bowen 2001
Robert Horry 2003
Gary Neal 2010

The problem with FAs is that the ones that are worthwhile are usually overpriced, and the ones that that aren't usually are not worthwhile. Not very many players can play in SAs system without being in the league for a while on some other team(s) that run a system. Most guys just want the rock, and that kind of player cannot succeed in SA.

[Trainwreck2100]

Gary Neal wasn't really a FA market thing

[YODA]

dont forget Finley

[gospursgojas]

Don't forget rasho for bonner

[chazley]

Gary Neal wasn't really a FA market thing

Yes he was

[chazley]

How many times has that ever materialized? More importantly, how many times has FA ever had a significant positive impact?

Thanks for the chuckle.

[Dunc n Dave]

Yes he was

He was a summer league guy that played his way into a contract offer. It's not like we got into a bidding war for his services with 2-3 other NBA teams. We just liked what we saw from him in summer league and decided to sign him up before another team caught wind of his ability.

[ChuckD]

He was a summer league guy that played his way into a contract offer. It's not like we got into a bidding war for his services with 2-3 other NBA teams. We just liked what we saw from him in summer league and decided to sign him up before another team caught wind of his ability.

An unknown FA is still a FA. Bowen was 30 and had bounced all over the place and had one second team All D on his resume when we signed him. Teams weren't exactly breaking his door down, either.

BTW, if a bidding war is your criteria, we'll never sign a FA. We can't compete in that arena. We have to be smart and find guys other teams don't know about, like how we draft.

[Dunc n Dave]

An unknown FA is still a FA. Bowen had bounced all over the place and had one second team all D on his resume when we signed him. Teams weren't exactly breaking his door down, either.

BTW, if a bidding war is your criteria, we'll never sign a FA. We can't compete in that arena. We have to be smart and find guys other teams don't know about, like how we draft.

Bowen was already an established NBA player. Apples & oranges to Gary Neal...

Signing a summer leaguer is not the same as signing an established player during free agency. The Spurs RARELY get much from the latter. A past-his-prime Finley was probably their biggest signing, which doesn't bode well for the Spurs in this free agency period.

[ChuckD]

Bowen was already an established NBA player. Apples & oranges to Gary Neal...

Signing a summer leaguer is not the same as signing an established player during free agency. The Spurs RARELY get much from the latter. A past-his-prime Finley was probably their biggest signing, which doesn't bode well for the Spurs in this free agency period.

My question is, so what? We don't have cap room, so why are you gripping about this?

FA isn't the way to build your team anyway. Exactly one team in the last 15 years, the Lakers, has won the LoB based on a primary player FA signing, Shaquille O'Neal in 1996. That's how long it's been since there has been a major FA signing that has led to a championship. You build through the draft, or you trade well.

[Nathan89]

An unknown FA is still a FA. Bowen was 30 and had bounced all over the place and had one second team All D on his resume when we signed him. Teams weren't exactly breaking his door down, either.

BTW, if a bidding war is your criteria, we'll never sign a FA. We can't compete in that arena. We have to be smart and find guys other teams don't know about, like how we draft.

According to someone on the CBA thread Portland offered bowen like 4 mil but he took a significant pay cut to come to SA.

[Dunc n Dave]

My question is, so what? We don't have cap room, so why are you gripping about this?

FA isn't the way to build your team anyway. Exactly one team in the last 15 years, the Lakers, has won the LoB based on a primary player FA signing, Shaquille O'Neal in 1996. That's how long it's been since there has been a major FA signing that has led to a championship. You build through the draft, or you trade well.

True, we don't have cap room, but we do have the mid-level. Problem is, so does almost everyone else. And the 2nd problem is the Spurs are a team that has fallen from contention with aging stars.

If you are a mid-level free agent, San Antonio is way down ther on your list of free agent destinations, that's the problem. We also don't have much to trade to get an impact player that will make us a contender again. If we trade Parker, we have NO POINT GUARD, and Duncan and Manu ain't going nowhere. Everyone else is just a role player-for role player trade chip.

I'm all for building through the draft, but the window is TOO small for that now. We need to win now before Duncan and Manu are gone, then worry about building throught the draft.

[ChuckD]

True, we don't have cap room, but we do have the mid-level. Problem is, so does almost everyone else. And the 2nd problem is the Spurs are a team that has fallen from contention with aging stars.

If you are a mid-level free agent, San Antonio is way down ther on your list of free agent destinations, that's the problem. We also don't have much to trade to get an impact player that will make us a contender again. If we trade Parker, we have NO POINT GUARD, and Duncan and Manu ain't going nowhere. Everyone else is just a role player-for role player trade chip.

I'm all for building through the draft, but the window is TOO small for that now. We need to win now before Duncan and Manu are gone, then worry about building throught the draft.

Psst. The window is closed. We'll be a good/playoff team until Duncan hangs them up, THEN we can rebuild. Relax and enjoy. There's nothing to be done until we suck badly for 2-3 years, and THEN build through the draft. It's the way the system is designed. Good teams don't stay good forever, although we've had a run that dwarfs almost all other teams in NBA history, making the playoffs every year since 1989, with the exception of 1997. That's 21 years out of 22, if you're counting.

[mavsfan1000]

Just push the playoffs back to fit the normal schedule of an 82 game season.

[Sean Cagney]

Draft day this year? Ringing any bells? Moving up like 13-14 spots?


In the Duncan era?
Steve Kerr 1999
Bruce Bowen 2001
Robert Horry 2003
Gary Neal 2010

The problem with FAs is that the ones that are worthwhile are usually overpriced, and the ones that that aren't usually are not worthwhile. Not very many players can play in SAs system without being in the league for a while on some other team(s) that run a system. Most guys just want the rock, and that kind of player cannot succeed in SA.

Kerr did little in 99, Elie did alot more! Forget him? Jackson in his second year here! Jackson was a starter and was huge in our 03 title run forget that? Derek Anderson in 01, for just one year but had a huge impact! ALL were signed, good looks on Bowen and Horry and maybe Neal, but you forget the guys above mentioned.

Finley did well in 06 as well, faded a little in 07 but made timely shots in his time here! He was a key to 07 title if not for his 8 threes alone! He killed DENVER in that key game.

[DPG21920]

http://i1130.photobucket.com/albums/m524/jjutd/sched.jpg

[Fireball]

Lets hope the Spurs only have to play 3 times in three nights once.

And give them the scrub teams of the east ...

[Dunc n Dave]

Lets hope the Spurs only have to play 3 times in three nights once.

And give them the scrub teams of the east ...

What are the odds on the Lakers getting most of the scrub teams in the East? Sure, for TV ratings, they will play the Big Three in the East, but I'm sure the games vs the Bulls, Celtics, Heat will be in L.A...

while their eastern road games will be New Jersey, Washington, Toronto, etc. Gotta protect the ca$h cow...

[Duncan2177]

Report: Out of conference games limited

The NBA's season will run Dec. 25-April 26, a league source told ESPN.

The 66-game season will include 48 conference games, down from 52 last season, according to a Sunday report in The New York Times. With only 18 games against teams from the other conference, teams will not visit every NBA city.

Teams will play about two more games per month, the report said, and each team will play on three straight nights at least once, but no more than three times.

Off days in the second round of the playoffs will also be limited.


http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7287323/nba-season-run-dec-25-april-26-source-says

[Mel_13]

A compressed schedule was always going to have a smaller percentage of inter-conference games than an 82 game schedule. I had figured out some possible scenarios based on 50/16, 48/18, and 46/20. I'm not surprised that the 48/18 option was chosen, as it allows for more of the national TV games that the NBA would want.

I believe it will break down as follows.

18 inter-conference games:

3 opponents x 2 games= 6
12 opponents x 1 game= 12

48 intra-conference games:

w/in division:

4 opponents x 4 games= 16

outside division:

2 opponent x 4 games= 8
8 opponents x 3 games= 24

Now, how to decide which opponents get the extra games?

Take a cue from the NFL and use last season's standings. A first place team will play one extra game against the other five first place teams. Second place v. second place and so on.

This ensures that the Lakers will have 2 games each against Boston, Chicago, and Miami.

As an example the Spurs would face:

Division opponents 4 times each (16)

Lakers and Thunder 4 times each (8)

All other conference opponents 3 times each (24)

Boston/Chicago/Miami 2 times each (6)

All other Eastern Conference teams once each (12)

[Jacob1983]

When do you think the NBA will have a revised schedule done?

[DPG21920]

After the new CBA is voted on and accepted.

[Fireball]

What are the odds on the Lakers getting most of the scrub teams in the East? Sure, for TV ratings, they will play the Big Three in the East, but I'm sure the games vs the Bulls, Celtics, Heat will be in L.A...

while their eastern road games will be New Jersey, Washington, Toronto, etc. Gotta protect the ca$h cow...

Thats exactly what I fear. L.A. already has it easier with playing the Clippers in their own building twice a season.

Hopefully the schedule makers find a good balance. Regarding the number of b2b games the Spurs were pretty lucky the last years ...

[Fireball]

After the new CBA is voted on and accepted.

Perhaps earlier ... I mean they published the normal schedule despite the lockout.

[pookenstein]

http://www.nba.com/2011/news/11/27/schedule/index.html



2011-12 NBA Schedule Breakdown
Regular Season Start Date: December 25, 2011
Regular Season End Date: April 26, 2012
Playoffs Start Date: April 28, 2012
Last Possible Finals Date: June 26, 2012
Individual Team Schedule Breakdown
Conference Games: 48
• Play 6 teams 4 times (2 home, 2 away)
• Play 4 teams 3 times (2 home, 1 away)
• Play 4 teams 3 times (1 home, 2 away)
Non-Conference Games: 18
• Play 3 teams 2 times (1 home, 1 away)
• Play 6 teams 1 time at home
• Play 6 teams 1 time away
Back to Back to Backs: All teams with at least 1; no more than 3
Playoff Back to Backs: Possible in second round

[Dex]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nba-lockout-confusion-surrounds-supposed-comfort-of-66-game-season/2011/11/28/gIQAMRfL6N_story.html?tid=pm_sports_pop

NBA lockout: Confusion surrounds supposed comfort of 66-game season
By Michael Lee, Published: November 28

Probably for the first time in 13 years, NBA players, coaches and executives face a time when there is so much confusion surrounding comfort. Owners and players reached a tentative agreement over the weekend that will allow teams to hold training camps and free agent signings beginning Dec. 9 and kick off a 66-game game season on Christmas.

But until the players reconstitute their union, dismiss their antitrust lawsuit against the NBA, finish the final details of a new collective bargaining agreement with the league and a majority of players and owners accept the deal, the lockout remains in effect.

A person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the litigation said Monday that the lawsuit settlement and union re-formation likely won’t occur until the middle of this week or later.

“There is a lot of work to be done in a lot of places, with a lot of committees and player groups. . . but we are optimistic that it will hold and we will have ourselves an NBA season,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said last Saturday.

Uncertainty abounds, as it did in 1999, when the league had less than a month to stage a 50-game season because of another owner-imposed lockout. Teams don’t know how long training camps or preseason will be, but the league is telling teams that they will have two regionally based preseason games against the same opponent. In 1999, the Wizards played a home and home preseason series against Philadelphia. Teams remain in the dark about the schedule that they will play once the season begins. As it stands, only the six teams scheduled to play on Dec. 25 know where their seasons will begin.

But with an unofficial deadline approaching, players and coaching staffs can’t sit idly by until the final terms are resolved. Wizards Coach Flip Saunders and the rest of his coaching staff — Randy Wittman, Don Zierden, Sam Cassell, Gene Banks and Ryan Saunders — are scheduled to meet at the practice facility at Verizon Center on Tuesday. They will map out the game plan for a shortened season and a possibly condensed training camp. The group has come together to watch film and discuss strategy several times during this protracted offseason, and Saunders has also had individual meetings with each one of his assistant coaches.

Players still don’t have access to team training facilities, so they remain on their own as it relates to working out and getting in basketball shape. Former Wizard Roger Mason Jr. and local trainer Joe Connelly organized a mini-training camp this week at Capital Sports Complex in District Heights.

Mason has invited several players, including the Wizards’ John Wall, Andray Blatche and Hamady Ndiaye, former Wizards Brendan Haywood and Jared Jeffries, and Baltimore natives Josh Selby of the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs guard Gary Neal. They are expected to trickle in throughout the week. The next two weeks could be wild and become more intriguing if the pool of free agent talent is deepened from players waived through an amnesty clause that allows team to waive someone currently under contract and have their contract removed from the salary cap.

“It’s going to be crazy. You saw what happened with football [after the NFL lockout],” Mason said. “It should be a frenzy, but I think it’ll be good for our league.”

Schedule breakdown


Though the NBA likely won’t release its new schedule until early next week, the league released a general breakdown of what should be a grueling pace that matches the nearly four games per week that were played in 1999.

With the league still planning to have a four-day All-Star Weekend in Orlando, teams will have to squeeze in all their games in the span of 119 days, meaning that each team will have at least one stretch in which it plays three nights in a row. They won’t have more than three back-to-back-to-back sets.

The regular season will end a week later than usual on April 26 and the Finals could end on June 26 — just two days before the draft.

The Wizards will play 48 of their 66 games against Eastern Conference teams and 18 games against Western Conference teams. They will play only three teams from the other conference twice (one at home, one away) and six other teams at home and the six other teams on the road. They will also play six teams in the conference four times, four teams three times (two at home, one away) and the four other teams three times (once at home, two away).

The first 25 games on the Wizards’ schedule have been wiped out, leaving them with 57 dates set for games and nine games likely to get plugged in for any available gaps.

With so much of the schedule depending on arena availability — and Wizards among several teams that share a building with an NHL team — the league likely won’t deviate much from the dates already in place, but the teams may change.

Sounds like the B2B2Bs will be back. :dizzy

And Mason better not rub off on Neal, dammit! :pctoss

[Seventyniner]

If Pop is going to sit Tim and/or Manu on the second night of a back-to-back, then a B2B2B isn't much different. He'll just sit them for the middle game.

[Fireball]

If Pop is going to sit Tim and/or Manu on the second night of a back-to-back, then a B2B2B isn't much different. He'll just sit them for the middle game.

Thanks for being the first one to mention this :toast

Still you have to look at the rotations of the other players too if they have to play three times in three nights ...

[pookenstein]

Thanks for being the first one to mention this :toast
There you go.... :wakeup