The schedule for the 2024-25 NBA season was revealed last night, and it had some interesting details. In the schedule, fans got to look at which teams will have nationally televised games next season. LeBron James and the Lakers lead the pack with 39, followed by Stephen Curry and the Warriors with 36. The full list is available below for our readers.
Los Angeles Lakers – 39
Golden State Warriors – 36
Boston Celtics – 34
New York Knicks – 34
Dallas Mavericks – 30
Phoenix Suns – 30
Denver Nuggets – 29
Milwaukee Bucks – 27
Philadelphia 76ers – 27
Minnesota Timberwolves – 25
Oklahoma City Thunder – 25
Los Angeles Clippers – 21
San Antonio Spurs – 21
Memphis Grizzlies – 17
Cleveland Cavaliers – 16
Indiana Pacers – 14
Miami Heat – 13
New Orleans Pelicans – 13
Sacramento Kings – 12
Houston Rockets – 11
Orlando Magic – 9
Atlanta Hawks – 8
Charlotte Hornets – 7
Utah Jazz – 7
Brooklyn Nets – 5
Chicago Bulls – 5
Washington Wizards – 5
Detroit Pistons – 4
Portland Trail Blazers – 4
Toronto Raptors – 4
The Lakers and Warriors being ahead of the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics, and the Western Conference champions Dallas Mavericks is certainly interesting. It speaks to the star power of players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry, being arguably greater than that of the franchises in the NBA itself.
The Lakers and Warriors are not expected to make waves in the Western Conference, as they are one of the few teams that have not upgraded their roster to a higher level during the offseason. On paper, their rosters are far behind some of the big players in the West like the Mavericks, the Timberwolves, and the Nuggets.
Celtics, Knicks, And 76ers The Favorites In The East
In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics, who are the reigning NBA champions, having the same number of nationally televised games as the Knicks speaks to how good the Knicks have become over the last few years, especially since the acquisition of Mikal Bridges from the Nets.
The Knicks and the Celtics, along with the 76ers, are considered the favorites to reach the NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference. It would take a lot from teams like the Bucks, the Heat, or even the Cavaliers to usurp them and take their spot at the top of the Eastern Conference.
The list and allocation of nationally televised games from the NBA is usually a good indicator of how the league sees each team. Teams that are expected to do well, and have a lot of star power are allotted more national games, whereas teams that are expected to underperform or tank, are allotted fewer games, as they will not play exciting basketball that will satisfy the fans.
It will be interesting to see whether any of the underserved teams on this list will make some big waves when it comes to the postseason. While unlikely, there is always at least one team that exceeds expectations, and it could end up surprising both the league officials and fans of the NBA in the coming year.
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