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Veteran Teams To Struggle With Condensed NBA Schedule

Published: 14th Dec 11 9:21 am
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by Tony Piraro
NBA Network Manager & Featured Columnist
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Veteran Teams To Struggle With Condensed NBA Schedule
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The NBA regular season will be 66 games in 2011, following the lockout over the off-season. The lockout ate a huge chunk of the off-season free agent signing period, summer camps, training camps and trade negotiations thus forcing the NBA to shove more games into a smaller timeframe.

With the new, condensed 66-game shortened schedule to take flight this season, the older NBA teams are set to be in the most trouble. Over the course of a regular 82-game NBA schedule, the season allows for teams to rest their veterans and prepare better for the next game. However, with all the time that was missed by the NBA during the lockout, now they must cram a 66-game regular season schedule into a few months.

Instead of starting in late October and rolling the season into April and May. Now, the NBA will begin in late December, nearly two months later, and will play until late April with only 16 games docked off the schedule. That leaves zero time for recovery. And who, more than the veteran-laden teams of the NBA, need the most recovery time? Nobody. Older NBA teams like the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs will struggle this season and for good reason.

Take the Lakers for instance, as Los Angeles gets the brunt of the scheduling debacle. Kobe, Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher must come into the season prepared, as they play the first three nights of the NBA regular season.

Starting on Christmas night in LA, the Lakers will play the Bulls. Then they will head to Sacramento for a game on Dec. 26, followed by their third game in as many nights with a Dec. 27 match-up against Utah in Los Angeles. If the veteran-Lakers can make it through that stretch when their fresh, it would be impressive. Let alone making it through the super-grind of a season, moreover than ever before.

This schedule is insane and the owners love every bit of it, as they have very little time between games. However, teams like the Spurs and Celtics will be feeling the aftermath of this schedule later in the season, when the breakdowns will begin. Coaches are going to have to play veterans less and maybe even give them games off in the hopes that they can be fresh, or best prepared for a playoff push.

The younger, more athletic teams play right into this schedule’s format this season. Teams like the Chicago Bulls, Memphis, Indiana, Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Clippers will be fresh with their young nucleuses. They won’t need nearly as much time as the veterans to recover on a game-to-game basis. This could very well be the year of the youngsters. Prepare for a youth movement in the NBA during 2011.

Follow Tony Piraro on Twitter @TonyPiraro

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