February
Playoff teams = 9
Non-playoff teams = 2
Total games = 12
Not only are the two “non-playoff teams” the up and coming Atlanta Hawks twice, but this may be the hardest month of the year.
February features a horrid stretch of games that goes as such: at Oklahoma City, at Houston, and home vs the Clippers. Fortunately the All-Star break spares the team a bit, but the schedule picks right back up where it left off afterwards.
After the break it’s at Minnesota, at Los Angeles (Lakers), at Portland, at Utah and nothing says welcome home after a long west coast road trip like a game vs James Harden and Russell Westbrook — yikes.
To make things worse, the team has to play four games in six nights during the post All-Star break road trip. A day of rest before and after the Lakers matchup followed by a back-to-back with Portland and Utah.
This will be the teams greatest test of the regular season. If you’re an optimist, perhaps the team will have formed an unbreakable bond at this point and will be singing karaoke on the plane rides.
Still too soon?