Thursday, August 2, 2007

Schedule Notes

Did you know we're just 89 days away from Sonics Opening Night? We can say that now that the NBA has released the 2007-08 schedule for the Sonics and the rest of the NBA. I looked at 12 games to watch in 2007-08 earlier, but I wanted to share some other thoughts.

SCHEDULE ANALYSIS

Back-to-backs are always one of the first things I look at with a schedule. If I'm counting correctly - always open for debate - the Sonics play 15 back-to-backs this season, which would be their lowest number in some time. Between 2001-02 and 2006-07, the Sonics averaged 20 back-to-backs per season, with a low of 17.

The Sonics will have a monster seven-game, 11-day road trip from March 2-12. All told, the team will go two full weeks without a home game. As best I can tell, the last time the Sonics played a seven-game road trip was March 1-13, 1983. If you need a reminder of how long ago that was, note the trip closed in Kansas City.

The team also has five-game trips in November and December and a pair of four-game road trips in January. Combined, those five road trips account for 25 of the team's 41 road games.

The Sonics make up for their travel with a pair of seven-game homestands, one from Jan. 23-Feb. 4 and another from March 24-April 6.

HOMETOWN HEROES

There are plenty of Washington state products in the NBA. When will they make their return home?

Detroit (Rodney Stuckey) - Nov. 11
San Antonio (Marcus Williams) - Nov. 25
L.A. Clippers (Will Conroy) - Dec. 5, April 2
Boston (Brian Scalabrine) - Dec. 27
Philadelphia (Bobby Jones) - Dec. 31
Dallas (Jason Terry) - Jan. 11, April 13
L.A. Lakers (Ronny Turiaf) - Jan. 14, Feb. 24
Houston (Aaron Brooks) - Jan. 23, April 4
Sacramento (Spencer Hawes) - Jan. 27, March 30
New York (Jamal Crawford, Dan Dickau, Nate Robinson) - Feb. 2
Portland (Brandon Roy, Martell Webster) - Feb. 22, March 24
Charlotte (Adam Morrison) - March 28