Upcoming slate easier on players
Back- to- backers cut; earlier starts
The 2019- 20 NBA schedule is a little bit easier on players.
Fans might be catching a break — and some more sleep — as well.
The league announced its upcoming schedule, featuring another dip in back- to- back games for teams and a major change in the number of nationally televised games starting at 10: 30 p. m. in the East. Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers will start several games a half- hour earlier than usual, while broadcasters ESPN and Turner are going to earlier start times on many of their midweek doubleheader nights.
Such a change has been on NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s mind for some time, especially since roughly half of the nation’s television homes are in the Eastern time zone — but now, a number of the league’s biggest stars play on the West Coast. It wasn’t uncommon for nationally televised midweek games to end around 1 a. m. or even later last season, and that was not good for ratings.
“It’s something that I think we have to address,” Silver said in May.
And changes are definitely coming.
ESPN’s Wednesday doubleheaders — mostly at 8 and 10: 30 p. m. last season — will begin at either 7 or 7: 30 p. m., followed by a second game at either 9: 30 p. m. or 10 p. m.. TNT had nine Tuesday doubleheaders last season with the second game starting at 10: 30; this season that number is down to two, with the second game now mostly starting at 9: 30 or 10 p. m.
In all, there were 57 games on national television starting at 10: 30 p. m. last season. That number falls to 33 this season, a dip of 42 percent.
Meanwhile, players might be getting a touch more rest this season as well. For the fifth consecutive year, the NBA has found a way to lower the average number of times a team has to play on consecutive days. The league average is 12.4 back- tobacks this season, down from 13.3 last year and 36 percent down from the average of 19.3 five years ago.
Other highlights from the schedule:
• Toronto will get its rings on Oct. 22 ( opening night), when it plays host to New Orleans and No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson. The Lakers — now featuring Anthony Davis to play alongside LeBron James — will play at the Clippers — now featuring Kawhi Leonard and Paul George — in the second half of that doubleheader, and that will be one of the 10: 30 p. m. televised midweek games that will otherwise be largely avoided this season.
• Toronto gets to play host to a Christmas game for the first time, playing at noon against Boston. The other Christmas matchups: Milwaukee at Philadelphia, 2: 30 p. m.; Houston at Golden State, 5 p. m.; Clippers at Lakers, 8 p. m.; New Orleans at Denver, 10: 30 p. m.
• There are 14 games scheduled for Jan. 20, the day honoring the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including the traditional home games for Atlanta ( against Toronto) and Memphis ( against New Orleans).
• There is a Jan. 24 game in Paris between Milwaukee and Charlotte.
• The regular season ends April 15 and the playoffs start April 18.