With much fan fare, the NBA has released it’s 2012-2013 schedule. The Knicks will have 32 of their 82 games broadcast on National TV (if you count NBA TV, which might not be available everywhere). For those of you not in the NY market and unable to get the NBA package (it’s worth it), you will still be able to see 40% of the games.
As already reported by several outlets earlier in the day, the Knicks will open the season and say hello to Brooklyn on November 1st on TNT. They will host the Heat the following night on Friday November 2nd on ESPN. Jeremy Lin will return to the Garden on Monday December 17th on NBA TV. The Christmas day game is against the Lakers.
I’m sort of surprised that the NBA didn’t schedule Lin’s return for Christmas. It would have made more sense to me if they switched some of the matchups so the Lakers play the Celtics, the Knicks play the Rockets, and the Nets play the Bulls. Considering no Christmas, I’m really surprised that the NBA would schedule Lin’s return to the Garden on a Monday, and not a Thursday, or better, a Friday with a whole day of ESPN promotions. The Monday Night Football game is Jets at Titans, so that shouldn’t do huge ratings, but any MNF game gets ratings the NBA wishes it could get. Seems like the NBA wanted this one buried a little.
Most of the games (not the dates) are set in the stone before the season starts. As an Eastern Conference team, the Knicks will play a home and home with each of the 15 Western Conference teams. They will play each other member of the Atlantic Division four times, leaving 36 games for the ten teams in the Central and Southeast. That means they will play six of those ten teams four times, and they will play the remaining four teams only three times each.
This year the Knicks have three games against the Bobcats, Hawks, Bucks, and Cavs. One less game against Charlotte is disappointing because they should easily win (lose) the race for worst record in the NBA for the second straight year. The Cavs are a likely lottery team and the Bucks are probably a 50/50 proposition to make the playoffs (although Milwaukee has given the Knicks real trouble in recent years so missing them might be real good). Even after the Joe Johnson trade, the Hawks should still make the playoffs with Al Horford playing a full season, Josh Smith motivated in a contract year, and the addition of the underrated Lou Williams. It would have been nice to have one less game against the Heat, Bulls, or Pacers, but things could have been worse because they get the Pistons, Wizards, and (Dwightless?) Magic four times.
Jason Kidd will make his return to Dallas on November 21st. The boo birds will be out for Felton’s return to Portland on March 14th. And, gone but not forgotten, Jared Jeffries returns to the Garden on New Year’s Day. That is assuming he isn’t released and makes his way back to the Knicks. Anyone else have any schedule observations?
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I agree with you about the Lin return date. This is a game that is completely worthy of being held on a Thursday or Friday night. I actually do like the Knicks going to LA for Christmas. It will be fun watching a New York Los Angeles match-up on Christmas day. Carmelo going up against Kobe, Amare and Gasol, along with Chandler and Bynum. It’s an extremely exciting match-up that will come with a lot of hype in my opinion.
I actually really like the balance of the Knicks schedule. There are a lot of consecutive away and home games. The Knicks will really be able to use their road trips to form team chemistry and bond, while being able to use their long home stretches to become a forceful and dominant home team. There is nothing better than knowing you have 4 or 5 games in a row to play at home, and given the expectations for the team this year, no game at home can be taken for granted(A.k.a not losing to the likes of the Cavs or Bobcats).
Not that it completely matters due in part that it will be the beginning of the season, but I am really looking forward to see how the Knicks come out in the first two games of the season against Brooklyn and Miami. The first game in Brooklyn is going to be legendary, and the Knicks need to set the tone from the get-go that they are New York’s team and Brooklyn will have to go through them to get anywhere before they even think about Miami. As for the second game and home opener against Miami, if the Knicks really want to prove they are capable of contending with the Heat, they are going to have to come out strong and try and steal one from the defending champs. If we can win both of these games, there is no question we will immediately be established and recognized as one of the elite teams in the East.
Thanks for the comments Zack, I like your optimism. I’m definitely excited for Knicks and Lakers on Xmas, but I wouldn’t have (and didn’t) guess that would be their opponent. And yes, they have to beat the bad teams. Losing to the Bobcats last season hurt considering that the Knicks were one game out from being the sixth seed and a much, much more favorable first round matchup.
Maybe the NBA is burying Lin’s return because they figure by December it’ll be a non-story anyway. Honestly, other than bitter Knick fans, who is going to tune in for a Houston team 10-15 games under .500 bringing one of their platoon point guards back to NY to face a team he played 30 games for last year?
Jim as in Jim Dolan? haha, just kidding. Yeah, you could be right that the NBA is just hedging their bets a little. Still, I think it could’ve made it onto ESPN instead.
Reasonable minds can disagree, but I think Lin’s return will be a big deal. I haven’t studied the rest of the NBA TV (the channel NBA TV) schedule but I am fairly confident that will be the highest rated game they have all year.
You’re probably right. I’m just trying to convince myself that Lin will not turn out to be anything special in Houston.
And no, I’m not Jim Dolan. If I was I would be swimming in my money pit – a la Scrooge McDuck – instead of surfing the internet while pretending to do work. I did enjoy the article though. I wish the season started tomorrow instead of November. Let’s Go NYK.
Ahhh, well there are rumors that Jimmy Dolan reads the blog http://knicksbricks.com/?p=2121. If Dolan is Scrooge McDuck, then Isiah has to be Launchpad, right? Anyway thanks for reading and the comment Jim. I appreciate it (even if you aren’t a billionaire).