What do you think about the Toronto Raptors/Miami Heat playoff schedule? Kind of makes sense, no? Can you believe playing every other day would make for a good series, or better yet good TV?
I’ve had an issue over the last few years with back to back games in the regular season. I find it very difficult to understand how the NBA (owners) and the NBAPA (players association) have allowed this to go on for so many years. Do the owners not care about their million dollar investments? Does the player association not care about its own?
Yes this past season was marginally better than previous years with an average of 20 games in terms of how many back to backs were played… not including games that were played three in four nights, or four in five nights. This is not acceptable! If the league wants to have a tight schedule then have teams play every other day, or two games in three nights, or something similar.
In the past, back to backs were played due to associated costs with traveling and scheduling purposes. In today’s NBA this is not necessary. The only time back to backs should ever be allowed, and I begrudgingly say this, is when teams play in New York (Knicks/Nets) or Los Angeles (Lakers/Clippers). This kind of makes sense since teams are already in the area and in the vicinity where taking a plane, train, or bus does not take longer than 20 minutes to get to the arena. Even then, teams should play two games in three nights. The NBA and NHL as professional sports leagues should have no intentions to play back to back games. This is not MLB. Why risk the players getting injured? It just doesn’t make sense!
The schedule makers in the league office have a lot to deal with regarding a full 82 game schedule, times 30 teams and multi-functional arenas, however having the players best interest in the short term is having the leagues’ best interest in the long run.
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