Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon. This is Mike Sykes
Howdy, folks. Welcome back to Layup Lines. Let’s talk a bit about the NBA’s schedule release day.
I won’t lie — at best, I can only describe myself as apathetic when it comes to the NBA’s schedule release day. I don’t love it. But I don’t hate it, either. I wouldn’t say I had any particularly strong feelings about it.
Because, well, let’s face it. It matters, for sure. But how much does it actually matter? We know how these things work — everyone plays everyone at least one time. All that really matters is when you play that team. That’s why it’s usually hard to get people to go up for the league’s schedule release day.
It’s the opposite of the NFL where people’s entire days are planned around it. The teams drop their social videos and fans everywhere go crazy. They begin predicting their team’s records for the season and looking forward to the different matchups they have.
The NBA hasn’t really had any momentum like that — until now.
It’s not an apples-for-apples comparison, of course. But it feels like people cared a bit more about the schedule this year than usual. There are a few reasons why.
First, obviously, is the social videos. NBA teams have done a really good job with this sort of thing over the last couple of years, but this year felt especially fun. The Nets had a particularly good one here, but there were plenty more to choose from, too.
RELATED: Ranking the NBA’s best schedule release videos
Another big reason why is the league’s new in-season tournament. It’s honestly fascinating! Prince Grimes wrote about it in an earlier edition of Layup Lines from a bettor’s perspective and it only grew my intrigue. Seeing that the league’s best talent wasn’t necessarily the favorites there was interesting.
To add on to that a bit, we’re also getting a lot of Victor Wembanyama with the in-season tourney. The Spurs have three national TV games in the middle of the tournament, which puts the league’s premier rookie on the biggest stage possible early on. That’s a great thing for the league. People are excited to see the most hyped prospect since LeBron James show up to their home arenas.
Will the NBA’s schedule drop ever be quite as exciting as the NFL’s? No. There are just way too many games that people don’t care about.
But has the NBA finally figured out how to make it’s schedule a little more fun? Yes, absolutely. And I think we’ll see the benefits of that this season.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
Speaking of schedule release content, Cory Woodruff ranked the schedule release videos that went out from across the league. He was incredibly high on the Trail Blazers joint and, honestly, I think he’s spot on here.
It’s everything we love about the NBA. It tapped into a bit of weird nostalgia that I didn’t know I actually longed for.
“Oh my goodness. The Trail Blazers blew the competition out of the water with this utterly fascinating 90s infomercial from the fifth dimension. It’s almost like an Adult Swim short, taking the viewer on a very strange journey that features cheap graphics, mascots and a soothing voice over.
This isn’t just a schedule release video; this is legitimate art. Someone needs to get the folks behind this on another short film, stat! We’d watch it.”
The rest are worth checking out, too. The Nets have a couple that will make you laugh. But, yeah, the Blazers did their thing, man.
Shootaround
— This weird Ja Morant card is a bit more valuable today because of a connection to Michael Oher. Charles Curtis has more.
— There are a bunch of great NBA players on non-American rosters around the FIBA World Cup. Bryan Kalbrosky has them all listed here for you.
— I wrote about why NBA players showing solidarity with James Harden (even if he’s wrong) is a good thing.
— Speaking of FIBA, Team USA continued its domination in exhibition matches by dismantling Greece.
That’s all, folks. Enjoy the weekend.