Are Lengthy NBA Homestands A Byproduct Of Economic Conditions?

Cavs Will Go A Record 20 Days Between Road Games

Long homestands are "new" to the NBA this season, and "some of it is a scheduling quirk, but much of it could be due to the economic pressure on teams this season," according to Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. The Cavaliers are in the midst of a seven-game homestand, and because of a "number of off days and the All-Star break, the Cavs will go a record 20 days between road games." That marks the Cavaliers' longest homestand in 15 years and, "in terms of days, the longest in team history." A similar stretch, "especially in the number of days, once was rare," but it "seems to be part of a unannounced league-wide trend this season." The Suns and Warriors also have seven-game homestands this season, while the Heat and Bobcats have had six-game homestands. Cleveland State Univ. professor Renjun Bao, who helps make the MLB schedule, said "given the current economic condition, teams are putting having weekend home games first instead of worrying about road trip arrangement." Weekend games are "often in the highest demand," and because some teams are "having trouble selling tickets, maximizing the amount of weekend games affects the way schedules are made." Teams are "willing to have schedules with extended road trips as a tradeoff to get the most home games possible on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays." As a result, teams "seem to have groups of home games arranged so they can take advantage of multiple weekends." On the Cavaliers' current homestand, three games are "prime TNT Thursday broadcasts against high-profile opponents," and the "two others are on the weekend" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 2/2).