The NBA this coming season debuts its new Saturday night package on ABC, and the league's schedule release yesterday shows "an effort to make Saturday a big basketball night with numerous high-profile matchups," as it "becomes a feature on the schedule from late-January onward," according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The package starts Jan. 23 with Bulls-Cavaliers, and "other high-profile Saturday night games" on ABC include Spurs-Cavaliers, Warriors-Clippers and Warriors-Thunder. Though the season is "not being extended, the back-to-backs were reduced because TNT agreed to give up exclusivity on Thursday nights and more teams can now play that night." Also, ABC "agreed not to have exclusivity on Saturday nights." This "enabled the All-Star break to remain a week long" (ESPN.com, 8/12). USA TODAY's Jeff Zillgitt notes the teams with the most appearances on ESPN, ABC or TNT -- after the Warriors and Cavaliers' 25 each -- are the Clippers (24), Thunder (24), Bulls (23), Spurs (21), Lakers (19), Rockets (19), Pelicans (13), Heat (11) and Grizzlies (10) (USA TODAY, 8/13).
MERIT SYSTEM? In DC, Michael Lee writes the NBA is "clearly looking to build upon the momentum from a highly-rated NBA Finals," as both the Warriors and Cavaliers will be "given ample time to shine." But the Lakers, who "won a franchise-record-low 21 games last season and were spurned by every big-name player in free agency," will play 19 nationally-televised games next season. That is the "same number" as the Rockets, who reached the Western Conference Finals. The high number of nationally-televised games "says a lot about the power" of Lakers G Kobe Bryant and the league’s "most glamorous franchise." The Knicks, "another struggling big-market team, will only make seven appearances -- down from 16 last season -- and even got bumped on Christmas Day." Meanwhile, the NBA is "getting fans ready" for Pelicans C Anthony Davis’ arrival, as the team's national TV appearances are the most since in '08-09 (WASHINGTON POST, 8/13). TNT's Charles Barkley said the Knicks deserve to be on national TV this year because the club "actually got NBA players" ("NBA Schedule Release Special," NBA TV, 8/12). In N.Y., Andrew Keh notes the Warriors and Cavaliers are "each scheduled to play 25 games on national television," and their meeting on Christmas will "highlight a slate of five matchups that day." Neither the Knicks nor the Nets will "be featured on Christmas," and the Nets play only one game on national TV in '15-16 (N.Y. TIMES, 8/13).
LIVING IN THE LIMELIGHT: Zillgitt notes the Pelicans will play their "first Christmas game" since '08, and Davis, the team's playoff appearance last season and new coach Alvin Gentry "are reasons for that." The Rockets are playing their "first Christmas game" since '13, while the other eight teams "all played on Christmas last season" (USA TODAY, 8/13). In Chicago, Mike McGraw notes the Bulls will be "featured on Christmas Day for the sixth straight season" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 8/13). In Boston, Adam Himmelsbach writes the Celtics "apparently gained some respect" from national TV execs. The team, which is "coming off a playoff appearance behind coach Brad Stevens, who is viewed as a rising star," has two games on TNT and five on ESPN (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/13). In Memphis, Geoff Calkins notes the Grizzlies "have five games on ESPN, compared to one last year, and five games on TNT, compared to zippo last year." One of the ESPN games is "the MLK game" against the Pelicans. Calkins: "Good for the league. It’s embarrassing the way that game has been pushed off on NBA-TV" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 8/13). TNT's first Thursday game features Mavericks-Clippers and C DeAndre Jordan, who spurned the Mavs after originally agreeing to a free-agent contract last month. NBA TV's Dennis Scott said fans are "really excited about those fireworks" and everyone is "definitely going to be watching" ("NBA Schedule Release Special," NBA TV, 8/12).
OFF THE AIR: In DC, Jorge Castillo wrote the Wizards' national exposure "won't be the same" this season without F Paul Pierce, who signed with the Clippers (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/12). In Miami, Barry Jackson noted the 76ers, Nuggets and Pistons each "have zero appearances on the big three network rights-holders" (MIAMIHERALD.com, 8/12).
