The NBA released its schedule on Monday afternoon in a new fashion, using ESPN’s The Jump as a platform for a release show. For Pelicans fans, a handful of games were already known before Monday’s official announcement with games on opening night and Christmas Day having leaked in the weeks prior.
The Zion Williamson Effect continued to manifest itself along with the acquisition of another popular young player in Lonzo Ball as the Pelicans figured in as one of the more popular teams in the league, featuring in many of the highlight nights for the NBA.
With the help of Positive Residual as well as some facts floating around the Internet and Twitter, here’s a more in-depth look at the Pelicans 2019-20 schedule.
1. National TV Draw
The Pelicans will feature on national television 30 times between ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV next season, the ninth-most appearances in the league. The Lakers will feature the most on national television at 43 appearances while Golden State (42) and Houston (38) follow behind.
Interestingly, the Pelicans will appear twice on ABC and 11 times on ESPN. The two ABC games will be on Saturday, Jan. 18 against the Clippers at home and Sunday, Feb. 2 against the Rockets in Houston.
All four match-ups against the Lakers will be on national television with three of them being on ESPN. The team’s trip to Madison Square Garden on Jan. 10 will also be on ESPN while the first meeting against the Grizzlies will be on TNT on Jan. 20.
Interestingly, though, the Pelicans will appear on national television on March 11 and won’t again the rest of the season. In fact, just one of the team’s final 22 games will be on national television.
2. Strength of Schedule
Not surprisingly, considering the conference and division they play in, the Pelicans have one of the tougher schedules in the NBA. Based on Las Vegas’ over/under lines, the Pelicans are tied for the fourth-toughest schedule in the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Broken down even more in detail, the Pelicans have the toughest pre-All-Star game schedule but third-easiest post-All-Star game schedule, setting themselves up for a potential strong playoff push.
New Orleans has the second-easiest month of April and the 24th-toughest month of March, giving them plenty of chance to make a late run. In fact, the team’s April schedule is the fourth-easiest month for any team in any month this season.
If the team can hang around through the opening months of its schedule, which includes the third-toughest October/November and fifth toughest December and February, the team could have a legitimate chance at the playoffs.
3. Travel Time
As a team not located on one of the coasts, the Pelicans unsurprisingly also are near the top of the NBA in travel distance. The 49,822 miles traveled this season is eighth-most in the league. The Utah Jazz are highest in the league with 53,489 miles.
However, the Pelicans will actually have a rest advantage in 24 games this season, second-most in the league and tied with the Denver Nuggets. Only the Clippers, Knicks and Suns at 25 rest advantages will have more. Orlando and Indiana have the fewest at 13.
On the flip side, the Pelicans will be at a rest disadvantage 18 times next season, by far the most common number in the league. Eight teams are tied with the Pelicans at 18 rest disadvantages. Chicago has the fewest at 10 while the Clippers and Hornets have the most at 25.
4. Back-to-back
The NBA has continued to curve back-to-backs and those are at an all-time low this season. On averages, teams will have 12.4 back-to-backs this season. The Pelicans sit just below that average at 12 back-to-backs. Cleveland and Atlanta both have 14 this year to lead the league.
The toughest back-to-backs for the Pelicans will be on Nov. 16 and 17 against the Heat on the road and Warriors at home, at Utah on Nov. 23 and at the Clippers on Nov. 24, versus Indiana and versus Houston on Dec. 28 and 29, at the Knicks and at Boston on Jan. 10 and 11 and at Utah and at the Clippers on March 13 and 14.
The longest rest period not around the All-Star game for the Pelicans will be after the team’s game against Houston on Dec. 29 when they have four days off before hosting the Lakers.
5. Homestands and road trips
The Pelicans will not have a long homestand this season but also won’t have a long road trip either. In terms of games, the longest roadtrip will be from Dec. 18 through Dec. 25, a four-game span. The Pelicans will have another four-game road trip from March 29 through April 5.
After the latter road trip, the Pelicans return home for a four-game homestand, the longest of the season, ranging from April 7 through April 15 leading up to the season finale against the Spurs on the road to close the season.
