Completing an NBA yearly schedule is a difficult project that usually starts in December and is completed the following August.

Tom Carelli, Senior VP of NBA broadcasting, creates the schedule with a group of different head of departments from around the NBA.

It is a massive administrative undertaking and a cause for some sleepless nights, as Carelli explained to the Sunherald:

“Very stressful. But on the other hand, it's really fun. I may have a perverse view of fun. Really, it's an incredible challenge. It's an incredible challenge to try and get this as right as you can.”

This year Carelli is focusing on trying to reduce wear and tear on players, so he took feedback from players, league officials and team executives.

Carelli says he and his team are trying to reduce the number of back-to-back games and 4-games-in-5-nights spans next season, but with the help of new computer software opposed to the usual sheets of paper.

What exactly goes into making an NBA schedule? There are a few steps to make sure there are no conflicts of schedule during the season.

Carelli first asks teams around the league when their arenas won’t be available. That includes the circus, concerts, hockey, and college basketball games among others. Then he checks the scheduling after the NFL and NHL releases their schedules. Once those things are checked off on his list, he looks to see what NBA storylines create the best intriguing matchups for featured games, then he double checks with the leagues teams once more.

He then considers geography because traveling distance for one team might be more for another. Divisional teams in the same city can play back-to-backs easier because there is less travel. Other teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers have a longer flight than most teams in the league because of their location. The Golden State Warriors had the most miles traveled in the NBA last season.

This time Carelli’s computer software will factor in the strength of schedule and traveling distance to determine what is the most optimal schedule for all teams.

Carelli seems excited to see how the new experiment will turn out:

“This is the first year that we've really used this optimization program, and we're sort of really learning how to cook. We know we're going to end up in a great place. We're just not quite sure how and when we're going to get there”.

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