Is just too bad the Phoenix Suns squandered a relatively easy schedule the first month. This injured team had the most difficult schedule in the NBA last month and again this month according to the guys at ESPN Insider. This is from today's Insider...
Suns have no relief in sight
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Tuesday, December 30
Updated: December 30
12:19 PM ET
That smell coming out of the Pacific Division could very well be the Phoenix Suns going out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Last month, we told you that they had the toughest December schedule of any NBA team having to play 17 games in 31 days with 10 of them on the road and 10 of them in back-to-back scenarios with games stretched out between Boston, Miami, Seattle and L.A.. In all, 11 different airports would be required.
As a result, a struggling 7-8 team that nearly upset the Spurs in the first round in last year's playoffs finished a miserable 12-20.
Well, this month, we're telling you the same thing.
The Suns are again playing 17 games in 31 days, but this time it's 12 on the road, 13 against teams with winning records and 10 of them in back-to-back situations. They start out the month with a four-game road trip to as far away as Toronto and, as if that weren't enough, end the month on a five-game road trip to as far away as New York and D.C. In between, they got home games against the Spurs and Kings with another road game against the Lakers.
And if you think it's going to get much easier in February or March or April you're wrong because, well, Phoenix is still in Arizona and Arizona is still, geographically, west. The Suns may be able to cut down on their travel, but they can't change the fact that their division opponents are still the Lakers and Kings while their conference opponents include the Spurs, Timberwolves and Mavericks.
Today, it could be a game against the seventh-seeded Jazz at 17-12. Tomorrow it could be a game against the 10th-seeded Sonics at 14-14. While in the East, the Sixers lose three in a row and seven of their last 10 to just squeeze in to the eight spot in that conference at 14-17.
Take a look below.
All five of the toughest schedules belong to Western Conference teams while all five of the easiest schedules belong to Eastern Conference teams.
That's no coincidence.
That's because the East stinks and the Suns are starting to smell just as bad.
Easiest 5 January schedules
1. New York Knicks
Strength of Schedule: 12 (5 road, 7 quality)
Sure, Isiah Thomas has cap problems in New York, a demanding, unforgiving fan base and itchy bosses. But he's also got seven games in Madison Square Garden before the 16th of January with no back-to-back contests and only one road trip in between and that's to Cleveland against the 9-21 Cavs. After that, they've got road dates with the Hawks (the worst team in the league), the Bulls (the only team better than the Hawks in the Central) and the Celtics (who are only 8-8 at home). And we haven't even gotten to the home games against those very same Bulls not to mention the Magic and Heat. In all, they've got 11 home games in the next 31 days and are only four games from leading the Atlantic Division and, believe it or not at 13-19, only one game from being playoff qualified.
2. Milwaukee Bucks
Strength of Schedule: 12 (6 road, 6 quality)
Don't be surprised if Michael Redd isn't tugging on Tracy McGrady's cape come February and Allen Iverson's cornrows by All-Star break. Currently, the surprising Bucks are 15-15 without Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson, Sam Cassell and Gary Payton and are looking at the New Year with five of their six road games in January against teams with a combined record of 51-91 with home games against six teams with a combined road record of 24-70. The best Buck could very well be the best shooting guard with the best record in the East if Vince Carter isn't careful on Jan. 23.
3. Toronto Raptors
Strength of Schedule: 13 (6 road, 7 quality)
The Raptors have won more than two games in a row only once so far this season, but could very well do it again when they play the Suns, Cavs and Clippers consecutively at the Air Canada Centre between the fourth and ninth of January. Win. Rest. Win. Rest. Win. Rest. Raptors fans hope they can say it three times fast. This could be key for a team that borders on .500 with three of its wins coming in overtime with one loss to Spurs last week in San Antonio by only three and another loss last week to the Magic in Toronto by 11. Huh? Maybe they'll have it all figured out by the 10th to pick up future road wins against the Hawks and Bulls later in the month.
4. New Jersey Nets
Strength of Schedule: 14 (9 road, 5 quality)
Jason Kidd and Co. have a lot of traveling to do this month, but who can really tell the difference when you're 8-7 at home and 8-7 away? Of course, that could all change with home dates against the Cavs, Clippers and Wizards (a combined 9-35 on the road). Or it could all stay the same with road dates with the Heat and Magic (a combined 21-42 on the season). Or, it could be the difference between life and death with the two-time defending Eastern Conference Champs who have won nine of their last 12 games to scratch their way to 16-14 playing each and every one of their Atlantic Division rivals this month at least once in a race that could come down to rock, paper, scissors.
5. Indiana Pacers
Strength of Schedule: 14 (7 road, 7 quality)
The Pacers like to play at home. After all, they've got the best home record in the Eastern Conference. And it seems they don't mind too much playing on the road. After all, they've got the best road record in the Eastern Conference, too. Then can somebody explain to me why they've gone 8-8 in their last 16 games, with nearly half of them at home and nearly half against good teams. Hopefully, we'll know more this month with home-and-home matchups with both the Spurs ( the hottest team in the league having won 13 in a row) and the Hawks (the coldest team in the league having lost 9 of 10), with all four games between the 10th and 17th.
Toughest 5 January schedules
25. Denver Nuggets
Strength of Schedule: 19 (8 road, 11 quality)
The upstart Nuggets have lost only three games at home all year with each one of Carmelo Anthony's 30-point games coming at the PepsiCenter. But you'll have a hard time convincing the Spurs, Lakers, Mavs and Timberwolves of that this month. After compiling a 19-11 record to start the season, standing only a half-game away from home court in the first round, the Nuggets aren't going to surprise anyone anymore. It took them all 82 games last season to win 13 at home. With three and a half months to go in this season, they've already won 13 with victories over San Antonio, Sacramento, Dallas and New Orleans. It's just too bad they've got to go on the road at all where the Kings, Mavs and Hornets will be looking for a little payback.
26. Minnesota Timberwolves
Strength of Schedule: 20 (8 road, 12 quality)
They are currently the best road team in the NBA with a record of 12-5 away from the Target Center. If they can say that at the beginning of February, we'll add an exclamation point at the end of the sentence along with fireworks and a marching band. That's because every one of their eight road games will come against playoff contending teams in January. They'll finish December off will most likely only two losses to 11 wins but will be hard pressed to do half that well in January with trips to Dallas, New Orleans, San Antonio and Los Angeles.
27. San Antonio Spurs
Strength of Schedule: 20 (9 road, 11 quality)
Last month, the Spurs faced maybe five teams that will eventually make the playoffs and turned a 9-8 record into a 13-game win streak and counting. This month, they'll face up to 11 teams that could eventually make the postseason and will do so on six back-to-back sets (with a current record of 7-5 in such situations) after a six-game rest period to start the month. And these aren't just any playoff contenders. They'll play division leaders New Jersey and Indiana as well as Sacramento. Even more interesting could be their three matchups with Midwest foes Minnesota, Denver and Utah. The Spurs may have the longest win streak in the NBA this year, but they're only 4-4 in their own division.
28. Dallas Mavericks
Strength of Schedule: 22 (9 road, 13 quality)
Not only will the Mavs face the team with best record in the league in the Lakers this month, they'll also face the team with the second-best record in the Kings, the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference in the Pacers, the team that had the best record in the East last year in the Pistons and the second-hottest team in the league running in the Timberwolves. What makes it worse is that in the few games that they do have against non-playoff teams come on back-to-back nights. The Knicks game in New York is less than 24 hours after a trip to Detroit. The Bulls game in Chicago is less than 24 hours after a game against the Lakers. The Sonics game in Seattle is less than 48 hours after the Kings and less than 24 hours before a game against the Jazz in Utah.
29. Phoenix Suns
Strength of Schedule: 25 (12 road, 13 quality)
See above.
Suns have no relief in sight
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Tuesday, December 30
Updated: December 30
12:19 PM ET
That smell coming out of the Pacific Division could very well be the Phoenix Suns going out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Last month, we told you that they had the toughest December schedule of any NBA team having to play 17 games in 31 days with 10 of them on the road and 10 of them in back-to-back scenarios with games stretched out between Boston, Miami, Seattle and L.A.. In all, 11 different airports would be required.
As a result, a struggling 7-8 team that nearly upset the Spurs in the first round in last year's playoffs finished a miserable 12-20.
Well, this month, we're telling you the same thing.
The Suns are again playing 17 games in 31 days, but this time it's 12 on the road, 13 against teams with winning records and 10 of them in back-to-back situations. They start out the month with a four-game road trip to as far away as Toronto and, as if that weren't enough, end the month on a five-game road trip to as far away as New York and D.C. In between, they got home games against the Spurs and Kings with another road game against the Lakers.
And if you think it's going to get much easier in February or March or April you're wrong because, well, Phoenix is still in Arizona and Arizona is still, geographically, west. The Suns may be able to cut down on their travel, but they can't change the fact that their division opponents are still the Lakers and Kings while their conference opponents include the Spurs, Timberwolves and Mavericks.
Today, it could be a game against the seventh-seeded Jazz at 17-12. Tomorrow it could be a game against the 10th-seeded Sonics at 14-14. While in the East, the Sixers lose three in a row and seven of their last 10 to just squeeze in to the eight spot in that conference at 14-17.
Take a look below.
All five of the toughest schedules belong to Western Conference teams while all five of the easiest schedules belong to Eastern Conference teams.
That's no coincidence.
That's because the East stinks and the Suns are starting to smell just as bad.
Easiest 5 January schedules
1. New York Knicks
Strength of Schedule: 12 (5 road, 7 quality)
Sure, Isiah Thomas has cap problems in New York, a demanding, unforgiving fan base and itchy bosses. But he's also got seven games in Madison Square Garden before the 16th of January with no back-to-back contests and only one road trip in between and that's to Cleveland against the 9-21 Cavs. After that, they've got road dates with the Hawks (the worst team in the league), the Bulls (the only team better than the Hawks in the Central) and the Celtics (who are only 8-8 at home). And we haven't even gotten to the home games against those very same Bulls not to mention the Magic and Heat. In all, they've got 11 home games in the next 31 days and are only four games from leading the Atlantic Division and, believe it or not at 13-19, only one game from being playoff qualified.
2. Milwaukee Bucks
Strength of Schedule: 12 (6 road, 6 quality)
Don't be surprised if Michael Redd isn't tugging on Tracy McGrady's cape come February and Allen Iverson's cornrows by All-Star break. Currently, the surprising Bucks are 15-15 without Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson, Sam Cassell and Gary Payton and are looking at the New Year with five of their six road games in January against teams with a combined record of 51-91 with home games against six teams with a combined road record of 24-70. The best Buck could very well be the best shooting guard with the best record in the East if Vince Carter isn't careful on Jan. 23.
3. Toronto Raptors
Strength of Schedule: 13 (6 road, 7 quality)
The Raptors have won more than two games in a row only once so far this season, but could very well do it again when they play the Suns, Cavs and Clippers consecutively at the Air Canada Centre between the fourth and ninth of January. Win. Rest. Win. Rest. Win. Rest. Raptors fans hope they can say it three times fast. This could be key for a team that borders on .500 with three of its wins coming in overtime with one loss to Spurs last week in San Antonio by only three and another loss last week to the Magic in Toronto by 11. Huh? Maybe they'll have it all figured out by the 10th to pick up future road wins against the Hawks and Bulls later in the month.
4. New Jersey Nets
Strength of Schedule: 14 (9 road, 5 quality)
Jason Kidd and Co. have a lot of traveling to do this month, but who can really tell the difference when you're 8-7 at home and 8-7 away? Of course, that could all change with home dates against the Cavs, Clippers and Wizards (a combined 9-35 on the road). Or it could all stay the same with road dates with the Heat and Magic (a combined 21-42 on the season). Or, it could be the difference between life and death with the two-time defending Eastern Conference Champs who have won nine of their last 12 games to scratch their way to 16-14 playing each and every one of their Atlantic Division rivals this month at least once in a race that could come down to rock, paper, scissors.
5. Indiana Pacers
Strength of Schedule: 14 (7 road, 7 quality)
The Pacers like to play at home. After all, they've got the best home record in the Eastern Conference. And it seems they don't mind too much playing on the road. After all, they've got the best road record in the Eastern Conference, too. Then can somebody explain to me why they've gone 8-8 in their last 16 games, with nearly half of them at home and nearly half against good teams. Hopefully, we'll know more this month with home-and-home matchups with both the Spurs ( the hottest team in the league having won 13 in a row) and the Hawks (the coldest team in the league having lost 9 of 10), with all four games between the 10th and 17th.
Toughest 5 January schedules
25. Denver Nuggets
Strength of Schedule: 19 (8 road, 11 quality)
The upstart Nuggets have lost only three games at home all year with each one of Carmelo Anthony's 30-point games coming at the PepsiCenter. But you'll have a hard time convincing the Spurs, Lakers, Mavs and Timberwolves of that this month. After compiling a 19-11 record to start the season, standing only a half-game away from home court in the first round, the Nuggets aren't going to surprise anyone anymore. It took them all 82 games last season to win 13 at home. With three and a half months to go in this season, they've already won 13 with victories over San Antonio, Sacramento, Dallas and New Orleans. It's just too bad they've got to go on the road at all where the Kings, Mavs and Hornets will be looking for a little payback.
26. Minnesota Timberwolves
Strength of Schedule: 20 (8 road, 12 quality)
They are currently the best road team in the NBA with a record of 12-5 away from the Target Center. If they can say that at the beginning of February, we'll add an exclamation point at the end of the sentence along with fireworks and a marching band. That's because every one of their eight road games will come against playoff contending teams in January. They'll finish December off will most likely only two losses to 11 wins but will be hard pressed to do half that well in January with trips to Dallas, New Orleans, San Antonio and Los Angeles.
27. San Antonio Spurs
Strength of Schedule: 20 (9 road, 11 quality)
Last month, the Spurs faced maybe five teams that will eventually make the playoffs and turned a 9-8 record into a 13-game win streak and counting. This month, they'll face up to 11 teams that could eventually make the postseason and will do so on six back-to-back sets (with a current record of 7-5 in such situations) after a six-game rest period to start the month. And these aren't just any playoff contenders. They'll play division leaders New Jersey and Indiana as well as Sacramento. Even more interesting could be their three matchups with Midwest foes Minnesota, Denver and Utah. The Spurs may have the longest win streak in the NBA this year, but they're only 4-4 in their own division.
28. Dallas Mavericks
Strength of Schedule: 22 (9 road, 13 quality)
Not only will the Mavs face the team with best record in the league in the Lakers this month, they'll also face the team with the second-best record in the Kings, the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference in the Pacers, the team that had the best record in the East last year in the Pistons and the second-hottest team in the league running in the Timberwolves. What makes it worse is that in the few games that they do have against non-playoff teams come on back-to-back nights. The Knicks game in New York is less than 24 hours after a trip to Detroit. The Bulls game in Chicago is less than 24 hours after a game against the Lakers. The Sonics game in Seattle is less than 48 hours after the Kings and less than 24 hours before a game against the Jazz in Utah.
29. Phoenix Suns
Strength of Schedule: 25 (12 road, 13 quality)
See above.
