Fantasy Basketball: 2024-25 Schedule Breakdown

By Raphielle Johnson

While scheduling may not impact fantasy basketball managers’ thinking in the same way that it does football, this is an essential factor to consider. There aren’t bye weeks to deal with, but there are back-to-backs, with some players being virtual locks to consistently sit out one of those games.

Another scheduling aspect that requires consideration is the fantasy playoff dates and the schedules of NBA teams during these dates. Some teams are competing for postseason positioning, while those well out of the picture may have reached a point where less established players are taking on most of the workload. Let’s look at the 2024-25 schedule breakdown and how it will impact the fantasy basketball season.

– Six teams will play a league-high 16 back-to-backs

Six teams drew the proverbial “short stick,” with Cleveland, Houston, the Clippers, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, and Washington scheduled to play 16 back-to-backs apiece. One player who immediately comes to mind here is Kawhi Leonard, whose 2023-24 season came to a premature end due to a knee injury, and he was also sent home before the United States began its quest for Olympic gold in Paris this summer. And Tyronn Lue won’t have to wait long to navigate a back-to-back, with the Clippers scheduled for their first on October 26-27 (at Denver, at Golden State).

The good news is that their next game won’t be until October 30 against Portland, but playing two difficult opponents on the road (with one at high altitude) will give fantasy managers an early answer on how the Clippers will handle Leonard’s availability. The bad news is that the October 30 game against Portland is followed by another home game against the Suns the following night. Two back-to-backs within a team’s first five games is obsence, and could put some fantasy managers in a difficult spot regarding Leonard’s availability. The Clippers will play seven of their 16 back-to-backs before the calendar flips to 2025.

Cleveland may be the most concerning team among the other five due to their injury-riddled 2023-24 season. Three of the Cavaliers’ five starters – Darius Garland, Donovan…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy-basketball-2024-25-schedule-150000686.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-24 15:00:00

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