Dubs lead league in national TV games; Rockets top Cavs
With the NBA revealing the entirety of the 2017-18 schedule, fans now know how often their favorite teams will be on display across the four national television platforms: NBATV, TNT, ABC, and ESPN.
It shouldn't shock anyone that the reigning champion Golden State Warriors, featuring a bevy of All-Stars including Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, lead the pack with 43 nationally broadcast games.
Each team's number of national TV games overall and by network. pic.twitter.com/CZ2ZpGWEo7
ā Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) August 14, 2017
The runner-up to the Warriors' TV schedule dominance suggests studios are banking on a particular team proving to be worthy of a brighter spotlight. With Chris Paul now in tow, the Houston Rockets actually rank second with 40 nationally televised matches, one game more than LeBron James and the Eastern Conference finalist Cleveland Cavaliers have been allocated.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the lowly Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks bring up the rear with only two nationally televised games apiece - all four appearing on NBATV. Both teams are clearly in rebuilding phases, with the Hawks' 10-year playoff streak in jeopardy after parting ways with both Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard this summer.
Finally, it seems that Lonzo Ball mania is ready to mount an assault on the airwaves from coast to coast in the rookie's first year with the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite finishing 14th in the Western Conference with a 26-56 record last season, the Lakers actually top the rival Los Angeles Clippers, who finished with a 51-31 record en route to their sixth straight playoff appearance. The Lakers have 35 nationally televised games on the schedule to the Clippers' 31.
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