In this unprecedented season, the Indiana Pacers are going to need every advantage they can get.
The NBA has released the first half of the 2020-21 season schedule. This season will be just 72 games instead of the traditional 82 game season. The main change is that the Indiana Pacers will only play other Eastern Conference teams three times instead of the usual four. If the schedule goes as planned, the Indiana Pacers will play 38 games from Dec. 23 to Mar. 4 before the NBA goes into what they are calling the second half of the season.
For safety and scheduling purposes, the 2020-21 season will be split into two halves so games can be rescheduled if necessary because of the ongoing pandemic. With 19 home games and 19 away games, here are some scheduling details you might have missed.
https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1334953396563038212?s=20
The Pacers have an easy-ish schedule
At least based on the records of last season, 24 of the 38 games will be against teams that had a losing record last season. This fact helps take the bite out of a five-game West Coast road trip for the team in January. Of these five teams, only the Clippers had a winning record last season. Pacer fans should hope that this will improve the team’s confidence for future road games.
However, that doesn’t mean that the Pacers will be on easy street. New Head Coach Bjorkgren will be tested early with two games against the Boston Celtics in December. Another hurdle will be a back-to-back reunion of sorts for Coach Bjorkgren when the Pacers host the Toronto Raptors in January.
Endurance will be a big factor for the Pacers
The Pacers will be taxed with one more game than most of the competition for this half of the season. With eight back-to-backs, the Pacers are going to need to work on their endurance at practice. Fans should pay a close eye to these as they will reveal a lot about Nate Bjorkgren’s coaching philosophy. How Bjorkgren will construct his lineup on December 26 against the Bulls in preparation for his game against the Celtics the next day will be interesting.
On the other hand, the Pacers have a few advantages. They’ll have a great rest advantage particularly when the Toronto Raptors visit Indianapolis in January. Playing the Raptors two games in a row will be tough, but having the luxury of sleeping at home could give the Pacers a comfortable advantage.
While the Pacers will play an equal amount of home and away games, the Pacers won’t be taxed as much while traveling. Limiting the number of frequent flier miles for the Pacers could be helpful.
The Pacers will be getting familiar with some of the competition
Don’t be surprised if it feels like the Pacers are playing the same teams every night of the season, in a way, they will be.
If you are a fan that likes to watch every minute of Pacers’ basketball, you might need to work on your endurance as well, or you might experience Deja Vu. Because of the new scheduling set up, the Pacers will play a season’s worth of games against some teams in only a few weeks.
The Pacers will play the Knicks, Celtics, Pelicans, Rockets, Suns, and Warriors during the first half of the season but will not face them again unless they meet in the playoffs. The Pacers’ three games against the Celtics could be particularly important for tiebreaking purposes.
Revenge will be a dish best served cold
If the Pacers were hoping to get revenge on the Miami Heat, they will have to wait. The Pacers will not see the Heat, Lakers, Thunder, or Wizards at all during the first half of the season. The Pacers will also make an important road trip to play the Raptors either in Tampa, Florida, or in Toronto depending on the state of the NBA during the second half of the season.
I am looking forward to the second half of the season and the NBA trade deadline. Depending on how the season goes, the Pacers could either see an awkward reunion with the likes of Victor Oladipo wearing a different uniform or they’ll be grinding for the best playoff positioning possible.
Regardless of what happens, the Pacers should get ready for anything.