The NBA released each teams’ respective 2018-19 schedule on August 10th and the Charlotte Hornets seemed to get a solid draw. Taking a deeper look at things, I’ll give a few of my first impressions.
The Charlotte Hornets have had some of the worst luck, in terms of scheduling, in years’ past. From problems ranging from too many back-to-back’s to rigorous road trips, the Hornets often fell victim to a poor schedule. That is no different this season as they are tied for the most back-to-back’s of any NBA team while also being tied for the least nationally televised games.
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The team has also lacked national coverage by the NBA. This season is no different, in that regard; the Hornets only have *one* ESPN game and it’s an April matchup against the Orlando Magic. Needless to say, this matchup will likely be flexed out of ESPN’s coverage in favor of a matchup with significant playoff implications.
This means that the Hornets may not get a single national TV game this year outside of their three games on NBA TV which hardly counts as a nationally televised game. This is nothing new for Charlotte but it is a bit disappointing for fans of the team.
Though the schedules have not been favorable, this is not to say that the team hasn’t performed up to expectations in the past couple of years. However, this year, the schedule is certainly an improvement, in my eyes. Here is a close look at Charlotte’s 2018-19 82-game schedule: