Kings 2024-2025 Schedule released
- Thread starter Tetsujin
- Start date
I'd like to think that if we had won four titles and been in the Finals six times over an eight-year span that we too would have a 3-year "decline period" where we'd still get media attention...but I do understand that we're not the Silicon Valley franchise. Any way we look at it, we'll need to go deep into the playoffs to get any respect. It is what it is.
Overall there is a lot to like, but my goodness, that stretch from late January until the All Star Break will tell us a lot about this team:
1/22- vs. Warriors
1/23 - @ Nuggets
1/25- @ Knicks
1/27- @ Nets
1/29- @ 76ers
2/1 - @ Thunder
2/3- @ Wolves
2/5- vs. Magic
2/6- @ Blazers
2/8 - vs. Pellies
2/10 - @ Mavs
2/12- @ Pellies
2/13- @ Pellies
That is about as tough a 13 game schedule as you will find. 3 home and 10 road games. 3 non-playoff teams (lol Warriors) and 10 playoff teams. 3 back to backs, including a Sacramento to Denver and Sacramento to Portland back to back. None of the 3 home games are consecutive home games, so 10 of these games will involve travel (the only 3 not involving travel are the Warriors game, the Nets game and the second Pellies game). Two of the more winnable games come in awful schedule circumstances (vs. the Magic, but travelling from Minnesota with one day rest after a 6 game road trip, and then the Blazers game the next night, as a back to back traveling up to Portland!) And 4 games against teams that we had unusually bad matchups with (3 vs. Pellies and 1 vs. 76ers).
We will probably be favored in only 3 or 4 of those games. If we can go .500 in this stretch it seems like it would go a long way to this team being who we want it to be.
1/22- vs. Warriors
1/23 - @ Nuggets
1/25- @ Knicks
1/27- @ Nets
1/29- @ 76ers
2/1 - @ Thunder
2/3- @ Wolves
2/5- vs. Magic
2/6- @ Blazers
2/8 - vs. Pellies
2/10 - @ Mavs
2/12- @ Pellies
2/13- @ Pellies
That is about as tough a 13 game schedule as you will find. 3 home and 10 road games. 3 non-playoff teams (lol Warriors) and 10 playoff teams. 3 back to backs, including a Sacramento to Denver and Sacramento to Portland back to back. None of the 3 home games are consecutive home games, so 10 of these games will involve travel (the only 3 not involving travel are the Warriors game, the Nets game and the second Pellies game). Two of the more winnable games come in awful schedule circumstances (vs. the Magic, but travelling from Minnesota with one day rest after a 6 game road trip, and then the Blazers game the next night, as a back to back traveling up to Portland!) And 4 games against teams that we had unusually bad matchups with (3 vs. Pellies and 1 vs. 76ers).
We will probably be favored in only 3 or 4 of those games. If we can go .500 in this stretch it seems like it would go a long way to this team being who we want it to be.
There are no demons. It was one season. Nothing more, nothing less.
To put it in proper perspective, I remember when the KINGS first moved to SAC for the 1985-86 season. They were riding an 11-YEAR winless streak against the Lakers in LA. They hadn’t won a game at the Great Western Forum since October 20th, 1974. That streak continued 7+ seasons into the Sacramento era until November 8th, 1992 when it finally ended at 18 years and 45 road games.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the KINGS could hardly beat the Lakers at their new home, either, losing 15 of 17 played at ARCO Arena from 1985-1992, including losing 32 of 34 overall during the same time period.
Now, enduring that level of domination at the hands of another opponent much better qualifies as “demons” to be exorcised and/or slayed.
Knowing the above, and especially having lived through it, makes the KINGS current and ongoing advantage over LAL all that much sweeter.
FWIW, the KINGS are 24-13 against LAL since April 2nd, 2014, which includes an 11-6 KINGS advantage in LA.
KINGS have also won 12 of the last 16 and 8 of the past 9 — including 6 of the last 7 in LA.
Keep that $#/t going!
To put it in proper perspective, I remember when the KINGS first moved to SAC for the 1985-86 season. They were riding an 11-YEAR winless streak against the Lakers in LA. They hadn’t won a game at the Great Western Forum since October 20th, 1974. That streak continued 7+ seasons into the Sacramento era until November 8th, 1992 when it finally ended at 18 years and 45 road games.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the KINGS could hardly beat the Lakers at their new home, either, losing 15 of 17 played at ARCO Arena from 1985-1992, including losing 32 of 34 overall during the same time period.
Now, enduring that level of domination at the hands of another opponent much better qualifies as “demons” to be exorcised and/or slayed.
Knowing the above, and especially having lived through it, makes the KINGS current and ongoing advantage over LAL all that much sweeter.
FWIW, the KINGS are 24-13 against LAL since April 2nd, 2014, which includes an 11-6 KINGS advantage in LA.
KINGS have also won 12 of the last 16 and 8 of the past 9 — including 6 of the last 7 in LA.
Keep that $#/t going!
If the KINGS come out of the starting blocks strong and are playing well, I see a pathway to a 9-0 month of October. Yes, I recognize and acknowledge that the odds of that actually happening are low, but I still can see it as possibility.
There’s really only 2 good teams on the schedule and only 1 back-to-back.
There’s really only 2 good teams on the schedule and only 1 back-to-back.
It was indeed confusing. But when you said 9-0 in October, I thought "NINE games in October?!?"
FWIW, when looking over the schedule I think we have it pretty easy to start, not just in October but most of 2024. My optimistic guess is that we're going to jump out to 20 games over .500 by mid-December, and then my pessimistic guess is that we'll go .500 the rest of the way.
FWIW, when looking over the schedule I think we have it pretty easy to start, not just in October but most of 2024. My optimistic guess is that we're going to jump out to 20 games over .500 by mid-December, and then my pessimistic guess is that we'll go .500 the rest of the way.
I love it! My wife and I had purchased tix for Hart on Dec 8, and I booked the Kimpton Sawyer for the 8 & 9. When the gig got canceled, I figured it was best to wait for the schedule before canceling... I guess we are going to the Jazz game
Yes. It’s really nice and super convenient. i’m not one for driving around a whole lot so it’s nice to be able to drive and park the car and then walk to shopping restaurants and hanging out in old town during the day and when the game is over being able to just walk over to our hotel and be done. I’m not gonna lie one of the nice perks of getting older and having the kids out of the house is having a little extra money to be able to afford little luxuries inconveniences that were way out of our price range a few years back. Of course it’s really hard to sleep with that damn beam going off next-door lol
Yeah, it should have been a red flag giveaway to me that there’s never that many games in October. They didn’t really used to start until the last weekend of October (usually around Halloween) until recently. And with pushing up the schedule to allow for the in-season tournament last season, I think that’s what threw me off most.
Totally agree with you about the easier early season schedule, but hope you‘re wrong about .500 thereafter.
Totally agree with you about the easier early season schedule, but hope you‘re wrong about .500 thereafter.
None of this is about rewarding the best teams with more national broadcasts. This is about the networks getting the most eyeballs glued to the TV as possible. Yes, you and I would much rather watch an exciting game with the best teams on the floor, but there is no doubt that years and years of viewership data would suggest even throwing a crappy Lakers team on the TV attracts more viewers than most teams. The networks aren't stupid... I suspect they have a pretty sophisticated model to predict viewership. This is why I don't get hung up on the network broadcasts. It's not "fair" and it never will be. It's all amount the $$$$.
It is about money, certainly, but the calculation is a bit more complicated than just ratings. Ratings have been relatively stagnant over the years, even declined; but NBA franchises are worth a 15 times more than they were in 2004, the last time the NBA expanded.
Advertising is a portion of NBA revenue. Given the same number of eyeballs, either
Advertising is a portion of NBA revenue. Given the same number of eyeballs, either
- the NBA is targetting more valuable eyeballs than they used to ( the NBA is targetting a more valuable/affluent fanbase)
- the perceived value of advertisers being associated with the NBA has increased (i.e. the NBA has become cooler than it used to be)