Now that the Portland Trail Blazers' 2016-17 schedule has been released, let us dissect it a bit and see what we're looking at (graphic courtesy of Trail Blazers Digital Reporter Casey Holdahl):
Television Broadcast
The team will be on the national stage 14 times— up from just five times last season. Eight of those games will air on ESPN; six will air exclusively on TNT. The picture above indicates which games are nationally televised.
- Comcast: 60 games
- KGW: 16 games
- TNT: 6 games
Month-by-Month Home/Away Splits
The Trail Blazers have a fairly even split in each month, with the exception of February and April, which are shortened by the NBA All-Star break (February 16-22) and the end of the regular season respectively.
- October: 2 Home, 1 Away
- November: 8 Home, 9 Away
- December: 6 Home, 9 Away
- January: 8 Home, 7 Away
- February: 3 Home, 6 Away
- March: 9 Home, 8 Away
- April: 5 Home, 1 Away
Total Back-to-Backs: 15
This is four fewer than the Trail Blazers had last season. In fact, no team has more than 18 back-to-backs this season, which is down from 20 last season, and 22 the season before, per Sam Amick of USA Today.
- TUE, Nov. 1: vs. GSW (7:00 p.m.)
WED, Nov. 2: @ PHX (7:00 p.m.)
- TUE, Nov. 8: vs. PHX (7:00 p.m.)
WED, Nov. 9: @ LAC (7:30 p.m.)
- THU, Nov. 17: @ HOU (5:00 p.m.)
FRI, Nov. 18: @ NOP (5:00 p.m.)
- TUE, Nov. 22: @ NYK (4:30 p.m.)
WED, Nov. 23: @ CLE (4:00 p.m.)
- WED, Dec. 7: @ MIL (5:00 p.m.)
THU, Dec. 8: @ MEM (5:00 p.m.)
- MON, Dec. 12: @ LAC (7:30 p.m.)
TUE, Dec. 13: vs. OKC (7:30 p.m.)
- TUE, Dec. 20: @ SAC (7:30 p.m.)
WED, Dec. 21: vs. DAL (7:00 p.m.)
- WED, Jan. 4: @ GSW (7:30 p.m.)
THU, Jan. 5: vs. LAL (7:00 p.m.)
- TUE, Jan. 10: @ LAL (7:30 p.m.)
WED, Jan. 11: vs. CLE (7:30 p.m.)
- FRI, Jan. 20: @ PHI (4:00 p.m.)
SAT, Jan. 21: @ BOS (2:00 p.m.)
- MON, Mar. 6: @ MIN (5:00 p.m.)
TUE, Mar. 7: @ OKC (5:00 p.m.)
- SAT, Mar. 11: vs. WAS (7:00 p.m.)
SUN, Mar. 12: @ PHX (6:00 p.m.)
- TUE, Mar. 14: @ NOP (5:00 p.m.)
WED, Mar. 15: @ SAS (5:00 p.m.)
- SAT, Mar. 18: @ ATL (3:00 p.m.)
SUN, Mar. 19: @ MIA (3:00 p.m.)
- SAT, Mar. 25: vs. MIN (7:00 p.m.)
SUN, Mar. 26: @ LAL (6:30 p.m.)
Four Games in Five Nights: 1
As seen in the list of back-to-back contests, the Trail Blazers will face the Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans, and San Antonio Spurs in rapid succession from March 11-15. This is their only stretch of four games in five nights this season.
Longest Home-Stand: Five Games
If you are looking to attend a rash of games in a short period of time, your best bet in the end of February. You've got long-time rivals, playoff competitors, cocky former champions, and a Nicolas Batum sighting to choose from.
- WED, Jan. 25: LAL (7:30 p.m.)
- FRI, Jan. 27: MEM (7:00 p.m.)
- SUN, Jan. 29: GSW (6:00 p.m.)
- TUE, Jan. 31: CHA (7:00 p.m.)
- FRI, Feb. 3: DAL (7:30 p.m.)
Longest Road Trip: Five Games (Three Times)
At times when you start to take sleeping in your own bed for granted, remember that the Trail Blazers have three 5-game road trips this season, cruising into the winter holidays as well as Spring Break for you kids out there.
- THU, Nov. 17: HOU (5:00 p.m.)
- FRI, Nov. 18: NOP (5:00 p.m.)
- SUN, Nov. 20: BKN (12:30 p.m.)
- TUE, Nov. 22: NYK (4:30 p.m.)
- WED, Nov. 23: CLE (4:00 p.m.)
- MON, Dec. 5: CHI (5:00 p.m.)
- WED, Dec. 7: MIL (5:00 p.m.)
- THU, Dec. 8: MEM (5:00 p.m.)
- SAT, Dec. 10: IND (4:00 p.m.)
- MON, Dec. 12: LAC (7:30 p.m.)
- SUN, Mar. 12: PHX (6:00 p.m.)
- TUE, Mar. 14: NOP (5:00 p.m.)
- WED, Mar. 15: SAS (5:00 p.m.)
- SAT, Mar. 18: ATL (3:00 p.m.)
- SUN, Mar. 19: MIA (3:00 p.m.)
The Easiest Stretch
The Trail Blazers finish the season with 10 of their last 12 games at home and only one back-to-back. Of their opponents in those 12 games, the only teams to make the playoffs last season were the Houston Rockets (barely) and the San Antonio Spurs. If the Trail Blazers are fatigued by season’s end, they’ll have a nice little break from the grind, which brings us to…
The Most Difficult Stretch
Do not let all of those home games in March fool you. The Trail Blazers play five back-to-backs in March, with eight of those 10 games on the road. In the roughly two week stretch between March 11 and March 26, they will play four back-to-back sets—three of which are consecutive—and 10 games total. Yeah, they’re going to need that rest in April.
This schedule is without surprises, as one might expect. Some stretches are clearly going to be a challenge, but nothing egregious has been cast Portland's way. More nationally televised games is a win. Fewer back-to-backs is a win. March is a frowny-face emoji. You get what you get. Scan for games that most interest you and mark your calendars accordingly.