Robb: Do Celtics Really Have Easiest Schedule In NBA?
By Brian Robb, CBS Boston
BOSTON – The Celtics are a franchise on the rise in the NBA and there was no better sign of that fact than the league's release of the regular season schedule last week. Boston increased their national television appearances by over 300 percent (7-to-22) over the 82 game slate, an indicator that both league and TV executives see them as worthy of a regular showcase.
While the franchise will be getting more of the limelight this year, the question Celtics fans should be wondering is just how tough the Celtics' schedule looks top-to-bottom. Boston's chances of starting their season on a winning note couldn't be much higher this year as the lowly Brooklyn Nets come to town on Wednesday October 26, but the rest of their success will largely be dependent on varying effects of long road trips, back-to-back games, and overall schedule strength.
How does the Celtics schedule look this year from front-to-back? What patches of the calendar can they take advantage of? Let's take our annual look at the slate and determine whether it is in fact the easiest schedule in the league, as ESPN projects:
October/November (18 games)
8 home, 10 road
4 back-to-backs
Games against expected playoff teams: 12
Games to watch: vs. San Antonio, at Oklahoma City, at Miami
Notable: @ Cleveland, vs. Golden State, vs. San Antonio
Overview: After an easy opening night, the challenges come fast and furious out of the gate for the Celtics. A trio of dates with championship contenders await in the season's opening month, as well as four sets of back-to-backs. The good news on that front is that the Celtics will be fresh, but it's unclear how well Al Horford will have meshed with the team's roster right away. The 12 potential playoff opponents indicate there will be minimal time for a learning curve for Horford and company.
December (16 games)
6 home, 10 road
3 back-to-back
Games against expected playoff teams: 10
Games to watch: vs. Toronto, vs. Oklahoma City, @ New York
Notable: The Celtics will be playing every Friday night of December at home, but incredibly they will play just one other home game during the road heavy month. There will be a pair of three-game road trips against some mediocre competition (PHI, HOU ORL) and (MIA, MEM, IND) with a couple of tough road tests (CLE, SA) sprinkled in as well. If Brad Stevens' crew can hold down the fort and play .500 road basketball during this stretch, the team could go on quite a run in the new year.
January (14 games)
10 home, 4 road
4 back-to-backs
Games against expected playoff teams: 9
Games to watch: vs. Utah, @ Atlanta, vs. Portland
Notable: Some home cooking finally arrives for Boston during the New Year, along with the lightest full month of the season. There are no road trips longer than one game over 31 days and the longest foray the team will make during that entire stretch is just a quick flight down to Atlanta. Combine that with the fact the C's toughest home opponent for the month will be the Trail Blazers and January is the month that the Celtics could get some separation from the pack in the East in the race to catch Cleveland.
February (12 games)
5 home, 7 road
3 back-to-backs
Games against expected playoff teams: 8
Games to watch: vs. LA Clippers, @ Chicago
Notable: A four-game Western Conference swing ahead of the All-Star Break highlights the month for Boston. Luckily the team will have plenty of time to recover from the trip with a eight-day All-Star break for the second straight season, sandwiched in just before the NBA trade deadline on February 23. With so many players on expiring contracts this year, that date will be one to circle as Danny Ainge may try to add some reinforcements down the stretch if the team has built upon a strong January.
March (16 games)
9 home, 7 road
2 back-to-backs
Games against expected playoff teams: 7
Games to watch: vs. Cleveland, @ Golden State, @ LA Lakers
Notable: Generally, fatigue starts to become a major factor at this point of the year, but luckily the Celtics catch a break in March with minimal back-to-backs (2) and a reduced level of competition yet again. LeBron makes his first trip to the Garden on March 1, which is promptly followed by a five game west coast trip against the likes of the Warriors and Clippers. The Celtics close the month with eight of ten games at home though, which should give Stevens plenty of time to rest the troops and get in some practice time down the stretch.
April (6 games)
3 home, 3 road
1 back-to-back
Games against expected playoff teams: 4
Games to watch: vs. Cleveland, @ Atlanta, vs. Brooklyn
Notable: Playoff positioning should come in play here as matchups with the Knicks, Hawks and Hornets await in the first week of April, all teams expected to be challenging for playoff spots. The season closes out much like it begins as well with the Nets returning to the TD Garden for the 81st game of the year. With the team's draft lottery odds potentially on the line in that contest, it will be interesting to see how Stevens will handle the Nets if the Celtics are not playing for seeding at that stage of the year.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.
