The 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 2019-20 schedule on Monday, 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. on the East coast. 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 Silvers mind for some time, especially since roughly half of the nations television homes are in the East time zone but now, a number of the leagues biggest stars play on the West coast. It wasnt uncommon for nationally televised midweek games to end around 1 a.m. or even later last season, and that was not good for ratings.
Its something that I think we have to address, Silver said in May.
And changes are definitely coming.
ESPNs 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. in the East. 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 straight 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-to-backs 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 2019-20 schedule:
OPENING NIGHT
Toronto will get its rings on Oct. 22, 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. Eastern nationally televised midweek games that will otherwise be largely avoided this season.
CHRISTMAS
Toronto gets to host a Christmas game for the first time, playing host to Boston at noon Eastern. The other Christmas matchups (all times Eastern): 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.
