It's always exciting for a few of us schedule geeks when the schedule comes out. I know I care, but really, should I? It's the same 82 games as everyone else, right? Well, I don't think so. The highly marketed teams get special treatment. In fact you cannot deny that the marquee match-ups by the biggest teams with the brightest stars are the very games that the REST of the 30 team NBA schedule is even built around. From top down it's about the money, as the NBA is a business. And my business as a Utah Jazz fan is to look at what we have, see if it is fair or not, and then see how good we are going to be. Last season I felt like the schedule was very fair, more fair than we usually get. I accepted it gladly knowing that we may get a screw job in a year or two if we don't get a star player to re-balance the scales.
Anyway, last year in July I predicted 45 wins, and after March I looked at all the data we had then and re-adjusted my prediction to 43 wins. The team finished last season with 43 wins, so I guess I was lucky. Or maybe I figured out this whole schedule thing for at least one season? I'll stick with luck.
Well, we have a new season coming up and the official schedule will be released on August 6th. (You can watch the special on NBA TV when it happens) Of course there are leaks that happen before the 6th that we'll get and I'll add it to the spread sheet. As for now, here's the preseason schedule announced by the Utah Jazz which you can find info on from their homepage.
Here's what we have to look forwards to!