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The 2021-22 NBA season will be starting in only a few weeks from now. It is common for fans to be excited for every upcoming season after a long wait. This time, though, there is something special. The league will now compete in its full capacity and unlike the 2020-21 season, the 2021-22 season will not be shortened or cut.
Fans from around the world are ecstatic as the NBA prepares for its latest season. The schedules have obviously caused an exciting uproar among the basketball community. We have incredible matchups lined up. Teams that are hungry for the top seeds will start setting up ambush plans for the existing top seeds.
Five teams with the easiest NBA schedule
Today we will take a look at five teams that have the easiest schedules in the coming season. These teams will enjoy the perfect balance between home and away games and will not be burdened by hectic routines or tough matches one after the other.
Please note that this list is based on Strength of Schedule (SOS) metric calculated by Positive Residual.
#5. Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns had one of the best season runs in their history. The team that has never won a championship has also rarely appeared in the finals. With Devin Booker-Chris Paul combo, Valley of the Suns made it to their third NBA Finals and became a legitimate threat to championship vying teams.
In the coming season, the Suns will enjoy the fifth easiest schedule in the NBA league. Phoenix will start its season on October 20 against the Denver Nuggets and have their first road game on October 22 against the LA Lakers. They will also appear in 15 back-to-back games, have a five-game longest homestand, and five-game longest road trip.
#4. Brooklyn Nets
The Super Team will begin its 2021-22 journey with an opening night match against the defending champions, the Milwaukee Bucks. They are also slated to meet the LA Lakers on Christmas Day for one of the most highly anticipated matches of the upcoming regular season.
The Nets will have a six-game long road trip in November and their longest six-game homestand streak from October 24 to November 3. The team from Brooklyn will also play in 11 back-to-back games. Due to their popularity as one of the best NBA teams, 36 of their matches will also be nationally televised.
#3. Atlanta Hawks
The Trae Young-led Atlanta Hawks have become one of the deadliest teams in the NBA. They are capable of mowing down anyone and everyone that stands in their way to the playoffs. What wonders will the all new Hawks show us only time will tell but we already know about the brilliant matches they will play.
The Hawks' 2021-22 NBA season schedule takes off on October 21 against the Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks. It will be the first match in a long line of exciting and thrilling games spread all across the year for the team that still carries the legacy of the legendary Sauk Indian chief in their team's name.
The Hawks will feature in 19 nationally telivised games. They will also play in their first NBA Christmas Day game since 1989. Among other key elements from the schedule, Atlanta will play 14 sets of back-to-back matches in the entirety of their regular season schedule. Their longest homestand and road trip streak will be of six games each.
#2. Denver Nuggets
The team with the current NBA MVP, Denver Nuggets, enjoyed a 47 win and 25 loss regular season in the 2021-22 season. The Nuggets remain a team that has won zero championships and has never reached an NBA Finals.
Their previous year's playoffs performance was neither phenomenal nor dreadful. They beat the Damian Lillard-led Portland Trail Blazers in the first round only to be ousted by the Phoenix Suns without any mercy.
They will again hope to make it to the playoffs this year. If Nikola Jokic performs consistently, there is a high chance of the Denver squad rallying behind their most valuable teammate. Of course, having the second easiest NBA schedule will help their cause of reaching the postseason.
The Nuggets will tip off their 2021-22 season with an away game against the Phoenix Suns. The Joker-led team will hopefully give the NBA Finalists a tough competition. Their longest homestand involves six-games whereas their longest road trip will involve seven games from November 29 to December 11.
#1. Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have the easiest season according to the Strength of Schedule metric. The number 1 seed from the 2020-21 NBA season had the best win-lose record in the league last year. They enjoyed 52 wins and 20 losses for an assured seat to the playoffs but were quickly ejected by the LA Clippers.
The Utah Jazz will begin their 2021-22 season on October 20 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They will play the Sacramento Kings, a rematch after the last regular season game between the two, on their first road trip. The Jazz will also feature in the famed Christmas Day match against the Mavs.
They will enjoy two long homestand streaks of six games each, once in December and once in February. The team is also confirmed to have a six-away game streak in March.
Guess the Lakers players!
