Who has come out as the biggest winners and losers of the schedule release for the restart of the 2019-2020 NBA season?
That is the big question a lot of people have been speculating about since the schedule was released on June 26. A lot of fans and some analysts are thinking the NBA is making the road easy for teams such as the New Orleans Pelicans to keep star players in the hunt for ratings, but is that really true? Let’s take a look.
Eastern Conference Biggest Winner: Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers have the second-easiest schedule heading into the remainder of the NBA season, playing over half of their games against sub-.500 teams. Following a matchup against the Pacers, who are in the same spot as the 76ers, Philadelphia has an easy middle portion of the schedule before having to face the Raptors and Rockets to end their regular season. This schedule could give them the opportunity to move up in the standings beyond their current sixth seed. They also get the added help of a healthy Ben Simmons, who has had the opportunity to heal an injured back due to the stoppage.
Eastern Conference Biggest Loser: Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are the opposite of the 76ers, with the second-toughest NBA schedule. Currently the second seed, they are in a strong position going into the playoffs. They need to fight to keep that seed, however, with the team behind them, the Boston Celtics, having the third-easiest schedule. The Raptors have a tough start to their schedule, facing the Los Angeles Lakers in their first game. The schedule doesn’t get much easier after that: Heat, Bucks, and Nuggets. The game to watch for the Raptors will be their matchup against the Celtics in their fourth game of the eight-game slate, which will more than likely be the deciding factor in the race for the number two seed.
Western Conference Biggest Winner: New Orleans Pelicans
This has been the talk of the internet following the schedule release, with a lot of people calling foul and claiming the NBA stacked the deck for the Pelicans in order to have Zion Williamson in the playoffs. While they are the only team with a schedule whose opponents are below .500, this was not some conspiracy by the NBA; it was simply a case of keeping the schedules as close to what they would have been in the original format. In the original schedule the Pelicans had the easiest remainder of the schedule as well, with their opponents having a .442 winning percentage.
As Mason Ginsberg mentioned on Twitter, the winning percentage of the Pelicans’ opponents went up by five percent from the original schedule. Comparatively the Memphis Grizzles, who are currently eighth in the West, have had their opponents’ winning percentage go up by two percent. While this isn’t a conspiracy by the NBA, the Pelicans do have the easiest road and best chance to break into the playoff among teams on the outside looking in.
Western Conference Biggest Loser: Los Angeles Lakers
While the Lakers almost fully have the No. 1 seed locked down, up by five and a half games on the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers have a tough road going into the playoffs. The Lakers and Clippers will begin the restart against each other. A Laker win would lock up the top seed. Following the Clippers the Lakers will have to face the number two seed in the East, the Raptors, the only East team they will have to face. The remaining games do get easier, finishing with their only sub-.500 matchup, the Sacramento Kings. That may help them by allowing some of their stars to rest for the playoffs, but it will be interesting how their players handle the workload in the middle of their schedule. The Lakers will have to contend with the question a lot of playoff teams have had to answer in recent years — to rest or not to rest — in the most unique end of a season in history. A lot of questions lie in front of the favorite to win the NBA title.
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