The '15-16 NBA regular-season schedule is "full of big-time matchups on Christmas, exciting opening night clashes" and the customary 82 contests per side, but the biggest news may be that the league "opted to slash the number of back-to-back games and four-games-in-five-nights stretches," according to Eric Freeman of YAHOO SPORTS. These efforts "fall in line with the league's stated aim of improving player health and increasing rest days, although it's unclear exactly how these changes will affect these matters." The 82-game schedule "still runs from the last week of October to the middle of April, which means that players will be asked to play the same number of games over the same period of time" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/12). USA TODAY's Jeff Zillgitt writes even with computer programs, creating the schedule is "not easy, and the NBA continued to tinker with the schedule as late" as yesterday afternoon. NBA Senior VP/Basketball Operations Kiki VanDeweghe said, "This is the best schedule that we’ve ever produced" (USA TODAY, 8/13). ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst noted there are "only 27 cases of a team playing four games in five nights," down 61% from last season. The amount of back-to-backs has "gone from about 20 per team on average last season to 18 this season." Back-to-backs that cross a time zone have "been reduced" by 18%. VanDeweghe: "Our focus was really on players' rest and recuperation. We've worked hard with the teams, the broadcast partner and the venues to get the overall travel down and more time between games" (ESPN.com, 8/12). NBA TV's Dennis Scott said teams having fewer four-games-in-five-nights stretches will limit injuries and "will help the overall basketball play" ("NBA Schedule Release Special," NBA TV, 8/12). CSNBayArea.com's Monte Poole said the Warriors have 20 back-to-back games and "that's high for the league" ("Sports Talk Live," CSN Bay Area, 8/12).
