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The LA Clippers have turned their franchise around over the last decade, ousting their longtime racist owner and transforming into a legitimate, respectable organization. While they've had a lot of things going for them, they still face obstacles because of who they are and where they play. One of the cons for the LA Clippers is their lease agreements at Staples Center.
AEG, which is the current owner of Staples Center, also owns 50 percent of the Los Angeles Kings and 27 percent of the Los Angeles Lakers. That's the reason the LA Clippers always get the the short end of the stick when it comes to regular season scheduling.
The Kings have first priority at Staples Center. They're followed by the Lakers, which leaves the Clippers with the least favorable dates possible. Over the last couple decades, the Clippers have gotten the least favorable dates, but their schedule was still manageable. The upcoming 2021-22 season, however, is a travesty.
The LA Clippers have not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE sets of five games in seven nights, often referred to as a 5-in-7. Six teams have three sets of 5-in-7's, but the only team with more than three sets are the Clippers.
5 games in 7 nights breakdown.
5 sets: LAC
4 sets: 0
3 sets: CHI, CLE, DAL, HOU, POR, SAS
2 sets: DET, ORL, SAC
1 set: ATL, GSW, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYK, OKC, PHI, PHX, UTA, WAS
0 sets: BOS, BKN, CHA, DEN, IND, NOP, TOR— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) August 20, 2021
The Lakers only have one 5-in-7 set, which should come as no surprise given the priority they get in scheduling. But the Clippers getting five of them while teams like the Celtics, Nets, Hornets, Nuggets, Pacers, Pelicans, and Raptors get a combined zero is an absolute travesty of a job by the NBA's schedule-makers.
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What's interesting is that after an uptick in injuries following the 2018-19 season, the NBA vowed to reduce the number of back-to-backs, 4-in-5's, and 5-in-7's. They reduced the number of 5-in-7's from 21 in the 2018-19 season to 19 in the 2019-20 season.
The number of 5-in-7's for the 2021-22 season is 42. There are 42 sets of 5-in-7's among the 30 NBA teams, five of which belong to the Clippers.
When the 2019-20 schedule was released—i.e. last full 82-game season (or was supposed to be)—teams averaged 12.4 back-to-backs. It's up to 13.5 this season, which means it's even up over the 2018-19 average (13.3). In 2018-19, NBA had 21 instances of 5-in-7s. It's 42 this season.
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) August 21, 2021
At this juncture, the regular season scheduling appears to be a continuation of the 2021 postseason schedule. In case you forgot, that's where the Clippers went two rounds in a whole month without a pair of days off between games, the only such team to endure that despite finishing their series quicker than other teams.
Kawhi Leonard is not expected to play for a significant portion of this season, but the Clippers might opt for a more strict load management plan with guys like Nicolas Batum (32 years old), Marcus Morris (31), Reggie Jackson (31), Serge Ibaka (31), Paul George (31), and Eric Bledsoe (31).
That's where Keon Johnson (19), Brandon Boston (19), Jay Scrubb (20), Jason Preston (22), Amir Coffey (24), Terance Mann (24), Ivica Zubac (24), and Luke Kennard (25) will have opportunities to contribute.
The Clippers are scheduled to tip off their 2021-22 season on Thursday, October 21st against the Golden State Warriors. Their home opener is scheduled for Saturday, October 23rd against the Memphis Grizzlies.
