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The schedule of each NBA team can be considered as a factor in determining how successful it will be through a particular stretch of the season. Having fewer back-to-backs and more home games throughout a month can help a struggling team get back on track, while the opposite can cause even a strong team to lose more.
Besides that, facing more top-tier teams in a single month can potentially cause a squad to rack up more L's. On the other hand, going through a stretch of games against teams at the bottom of the standings is a good time to add more games in the win column, provided they don't drop their guard.
For each team, a combination of an easy month and good health can determine which teams will have homecourt advantage in the postseason, which teams will compete for a play-in spot and which teams will be out of the playoffs by the time the season wraps up.
Also read: 5 NBA teams most affected by injuries in 2023-24 season so far
5 NBA teams with the easiest schedule this month (December 2023)
With November wrapping up an interesting and exciting start to the season, it is time to look ahead to the upcoming month. As per the NBA's schedule and in no particular order, these are the teams who can potentially have an easy month, provided that they can capitalize on their advantageous schedules.
#1 OKC Thunder
OKC was expected to have a decent season under the leadership of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren. It is safe to say that they have exceeded expectations and are the number two team in the Western Conference with a 13-6 record.
They also have a chance to pull further away from the teams who are beneath them in the standings, and perhaps seize the number one spot this month with only one back-to-back and more home games in December.
#2 New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans have had a strong start to the season, going 4-1 in their first five games. Unfortunately for them, they were unable to sustain their early success and now have an 11-10 record.
However, they have a chance to climb higher in the standings this month if they can find the groove they had at the beginning of this campaign.
Luckily, they are going to be helped by an easy schedule. They only have one back-to-back for the whole month and most teams that they will be dealing with have a losing record. Additionally, if CJ McCollum becomes healthy this month, they could breeze through December with more wins.
#3 Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns have an opportunity to climb higher in the Western Conference this month thanks to their easier schedule. More than half of their games will be played against teams that are below .500 with most of those games taking place at home.
They do have two sets of back-to-backs, but also one of the most interesting roster of players who can get things done. It helps that they have the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant, who is third in the league in points per game (31.0), and Devin Booker who has turned into one of the league's most reliable playmakers with a career-best 8.4 assists per game.
#4 Miami Heat
The Miami Heat have sort of been stuck in the middle this season. They are 11-9 in the standings and 5-5 in their last 10 games. Neither, have they excelled at protecting their home court (5-3 at home), nor on the road (6-6 away record). Thus, it has been hard to tell whether they are a good or a bad team based on the standings.
This December, they have a solid chance to establish themselves as one of the better teams in the league. More than half of their games will be played against those who are entering December with a losing record.
Additionally, they only have to play a back-to-back one time, and have three more home games than road games with eight.
#5 Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid and his squad are entering December on a lower note than they expected, loosing six of their last ten games. Despite that, they remain at the upper echelon of NBA teams with a 12-7 record.
However, they will have a chance to redeem themselves after performing under expectation in their last ten games thanks to an easier schedule than other NBA teams.
The 76ers have the second-easiest schedule in the league in terms of facing opponents with a losing record, and they only have two back-to-backs. While they do have more road games (8) than home games (6), the difference is small and they aren't too bad when playing in front of a hostile crowd (5-4 record on the road).
