This article is part of our NBA Draft Kit series.
There is nothing quite like fantasy draft day. Whether you're riding the high of winning your league last year or excited for a fresh start after your team just couldn't find its way out of the cellar, you're happy either way.
Crafting a team is why we all do this. It's YOUR team and YOUR guys to battle with through the long grind of the 82-game NBA season. It doesn't matter if you are in a big-money league or a league just for pride -- your team becomes a part of you.
In order to win, you have to put in the work. You have to research stats, project rookie performances, figure out which fresh faces in new places are primed for big seasons. Everyone wants to find out who the big sleepers are or who the next breakout star is going to be.
Another area that should not be overlooked is the schedule itself. Yes, every team plays the same 82 games. However, there are advantages to be gained by knowing this season's schedule, such as trading for players who will play more games in the second half than players on your current roster.
October
There isn't a massive advantage to be gained in October, as 15 teams play three games and the other 15 teams play two games. Some of the teams playing three times are the Cavaliers, Bulls and Warriors.
November
There are a wide variety of games played in November. The Hawks play 17 games this
There is nothing quite like fantasy draft day. Whether you're riding the high of winning your league last year or excited for a fresh start after your team just couldn't find its way out of the cellar, you're happy either way.
Crafting a team is why we all do this. It's YOUR team and YOUR guys to battle with through the long grind of the 82-game NBA season. It doesn't matter if you are in a big-money league or a league just for pride -- your team becomes a part of you.
In order to win, you have to put in the work. You have to research stats, project rookie performances, figure out which fresh faces in new places are primed for big seasons. Everyone wants to find out who the big sleepers are or who the next breakout star is going to be.
Another area that should not be overlooked is the schedule itself. Yes, every team plays the same 82 games. However, there are advantages to be gained by knowing this season's schedule, such as trading for players who will play more games in the second half than players on your current roster.
October
There isn't a massive advantage to be gained in October, as 15 teams play three games and the other 15 teams play two games. Some of the teams playing three times are the Cavaliers, Bulls and Warriors.
November
There are a wide variety of games played in November. The Hawks play 17 games this month, higher than any other team. They also played three games in October, so they will be almost a quarter of the way through the season at this point. There are 12 teams who each play 16 games in the month, including the Spurs, Rockets and Thunder. The Wizards play the fewest games (11), followed by the Bulls, who only play 12.
December
The second full month of the season is led by the Trail Blazers, who play 18 games after only playing 17 in October and November combined. They are followed by the Lakers, who play 17 games. The Cavaliers, Warriors and Kings get the most rest during the month, as each team plays only 13 times.
January
The Mavericks might be well on their way to a disappointing season by the start of the New Year, but there is no rest for the weary, as they play 18 games in January. Five teams follow with 17, including the Knicks and Heat. The Spurs are known for resting their star players, but they won't need to do that much this month, as they play the fewest games at 13.
February and the "Halfway" Point
The All-Star break hits in February and while all teams will have played more than 41 games at the "halfway" point, this is a good time to step back and see where everyone stands. The Mavericks, Lakers, Knicks, Celtics, Rockets and Hawks all lead the way with 55 games played. The Wizards, Bulls, Warriors, Cavaliers, Raptors and Magic all have the most games left in the second half as they have each played only 52. These are the teams you will want to consider targeting for trades.
March
The last full month of the season has six teams leading the pack with 17 games each, including the Nuggets, Bulls and Warriors. The Celtics will see their schedule ease up by playing the fewest games for the month at 14.
April
A long regular season winds to a close as the Hornets, Raptors and Heat all lead the month with eight games. The Nuggets (who might have already planned their summer vacations at this point) end the season by playing only five games.
There are a lot of things that can go either way over the course of a long season, making it difficult to project when drafting your team. It's very hard to plan for injuries, trades, etc. Knowing the intricacies of the NBA schedule could give you an edge over your opponents to come away as the champion of your league.
