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NBA: Adam Silver Scores Again With New Schedule

By Jameson Miller

Feb 3, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addresses the media before the game between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addresses the media before the game between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the full 2015-16 NBA schedule now making its way around desktop backgrounds, fridge magnets and “games to watch” lists the world over, it would seem there are no bigger winners than the tired legs of the league’s players currently participating in the U.S. men’s basketball team minicamp in Las Vegas.

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Even for those who aren’t exerting themselves in the name of American athletic triumphalism, the regular season schedule released on Wednesday by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the league office is a major positive. With the latest iteration of the NBA itinerary, the league took another step toward striking an optimal balance between preserving the hallowed 82 game slate and keeping the season the same calendar length, all while reducing wear and tear on the bodies of the talent that makes it all possible.

Courtesy of USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt, here’s a handy list of some of the highlights of the NBA’s new and improved regular season slog:

  • Back-to-backs have been reduced to 17.8 per team for 2015-16, down from 19.3 last season, and no team has more than 20 back-to-backs this season.
  • Long-distance back-to-backs have been trimmed from 111 last season to 85 this season; back-to-backs that cross a time zone have also been cut from 194 last season to 160 this season.
  • Four games in five days have been reduced to .9 per team for 2015-16, down from 2.3 per team last season.
  • The NBA reduced the number of miles traveled per team by 2%.

However, reading through all those fancy bullet points does beg the question: what took so long? While it’s true that with each passing day we’re entering uncharted waters of technological advancement—with the proliferation of athletic data via SportVU player tracking and specialized sleep and dietary studies, there has never been more information at our disposal than there is now—there really isn’t anything too high-tech about recognizing that players who get more rest and travel less are less susceptible to otherwise preventable injuries.  So, what gives?

The easy target here is David Stern, and with YouTube clips of his lockout era authoritarian dogma only a click away, it’s easy to rekindle feelings of resentment toward the long-tenured former commish. Though blaming Stern for the NBA’s slower-than-desired progress in optimizing the schedule may be convenient, it’s not entirely fair.

First, Stern took immense pride in the athletic prowess and global appeal of his league and its players, and to demonize him after the fact for not expediting this seemingly straightforward solution would undermine the exponential growth the NBA enjoyed under his watch. Secondly, one of the major roadblocks to getting a more rest-heavy schedule done has always been the exclusivity demanded by the NBA’s TV partners, which limited the amount of games scheduled on certain nights so as not to interfere with viewership of nationally televised contests. While it’s unclear exactly whose back Silver had to scratch to get some movement on this issue, it appears changes are finally coming.

Thursday nights have long been a two-game affair, allowing TNT to stand alone in the spotlight and reap the ratings rewards of being the only show in town, so to speak. Starting next season however, there will be instances of four, six and even eight game slates on Thursday evenings. Additionally, ABC will showcase eight of its sixteen national games during primetime slots on Saturday, per Zillgitt’s report.

While the temptation to lavish praise (or blame) onto a monolithic office like NBA commissioner in situations like this can sometimes undermine the nuances of change brought about by collective efforts, it’s hard to ignore the positive developments that keep piling up under Silver’s still young tenure. Aside from some dubious rhetoric regarding the league’s financial situation during a press conference earlier this summer, Silver’s impressive résumé already includes (among other things): banishing Donald Sterling, doing away with divisional playoff seeding, inviting an open discourse on legalized gambling and now, a player-friendly schedule.

With the threat of a lockout in 2017 looming, the days of lionizing Silver’s progressivism may be numbered. In the meantime, continuing to build up equity with fans and players by tailoring the league to fit their best interests isn’t a bad way to at least partially soften the blow his image would take in the event of a potential work stoppage.

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