Which NBA teams have the easiest remaining schedule heading into the final stretch of the season?
The 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend may not be remembered as one of the most thrilling of events in the calendar year, but it certainly offered a bit for every level of fandom across the league. Ultimately, what the All-Star Break usually symbolizes is the official start of the final stretch of the regular season. In other words, the start of the NBA Playoffs is here.
With the NBA Trade Deadline behind us, the playoffs are on every fan's mind and are the next biggest event that will take place in the NBA. The final 7-8 weeks of the regular season will have a huge say in determining how the playoffs will take shape. It's only natural for every fan to question how difficult a team's remaining schedule is. In fact, you can make the argument that every team would be curious to see how difficult their schedule is down the stretch.
There are some that will be interested for the sake of seeding in the postseason. There are other fans of teams who will be wondering if they could finish out the tanking year by securing one of the top picks. Because of that intrigue, we'll take a look at a few of the teams that have the easiest remaining schedule and a handful of teams that have the most difficult remaining schedule.
Which NBA teams have the easiest remaining schedule?
Heading into the stretch run, every team has between 26-29 games left in the regular season slate. Here are the 10 teams with the easiest remaining schedule (with 1 being the easiest):
10. Dallas Mavericks
9. Toronto Raptors
8. Denver Nuggets
7. Oklahoma City Thunder
6. Golden State Warriors
5. Memphis Grizzlies
4. Miami Heat
3. Boston Celtics
2. Brooklyn Nets
1. Orlando Magic
On the contrary, here are the five teams in the NBA with the most difficult remaining schedule heading into the final stretch of the season (with 30 being the most difficult):
30. Phoenix Suns
29. San Antonio Spurs
28. Milwaukee Bucks
27. Utah Jazz
26. Charlotte Hornets
You can find the entire list here, courtesy of Tankathon.com.
Taking a quick snapshot, there are a couple of interesting takeaways from this list. For one, the fact that the Boston Celtics have one of the easiest remaining schedules is borderline unfair. They've been easily the best team in the league and their schedule gets easier.
Additionally, the Miami Heat have struggled recently and I can't help but wonder if a soft schedule down the stretch helps this team find some rhythm. The same could be said about the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference.
On the other end of the spectrum, the San Antonio Spurs, with the second-hardest remaining schedule, should be a lock to finish with one of the worst records in the league. And it's going to be tough sledding down the stretch for two contenders - the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks, who are already struggling to find their stride under Doc Rivers.