Detroit Pistons schedule analysis: Not awful

The NBA released its schedule for the 2021-22 season and, for the Detroit Pistons, it was not too bad. There was even a little, and I mean tiny, increase in national TV exposure with the arrival of No.1 draft pick Cade Cunningham.

We now know when and where the Detroit Pistons will play. In conjunction, the national TV networks also released the games they plan to televise.

For the complete Pistons schedule, go here.

Although some fans love to think that NBA execs are pouring over the master schedule before its release, making sure their team is screwed, the reality is far more boring.

1. The television monster must be fed: TNT and ESPN pay lots of money to the NBA to show their games.  Attractive matchups for their time slots are thus demanded, so the Lakers, Warriors, Nets and Bucks will get pushed into those times as much as they can.
2. Circus, Circus: The arenas NBA teams play in do not sit around vacant when there are no basketball games. Like in Detroit, many NBA teams share their stadium with an NHL team. There are also concerts, ice shows, car exhibitions and  occasional pro wrestling matches that also use the venue. So, usually there are only a certain amount of dates available for NBA games.

The San Antonio Spurs famously always had a long, late December road swing, because the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo show was in their arena for almost two weeks.

So lets look at how the Detroit Pistons schedule fell this season:

• It don’t start easy. The Pistons first 22 games will include 16 teams that made the playoffs last year, plus two games with a much improved Chicago Bulls team. Hopefully the season does not begin like last year, when the Pistons had some really tough losses, that kind of set the tone for the season.
• The season begins on October 20 at home against the Bulls. Detroit’s first road game will be October 23 at Chicago. Zach Levine vs. Cade Cunningham!
• For those primed to boo Jalen Green for his anti-Detroit comments, the Houston Rockets come to town on December 18 for a noon, Saturday game. Why play such an anticipated game early on Saturday? One can speculate.

• If planning a vacation to a place with no cable, go between November 6-9, as that is the longest stretch during the season the Pistons will not play.
• The best weekend to go to game is probably November 19-21. On Friday, Steph Curry, Saginaw native Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will be in town with the Golden State Warriors. That Sunday, Wayne Ellington returns, and some guy named LeBron who plays with him, as the Lakers take on Detroit

Some major points of attention to Detroit Pistons schedule:

They will only have 12 back-to-backs, which is below average, and only three of them are both on the road. In March, the Pistons do not have a single back-to-back. That means coach Dwane Casey won’t have to worry too much about watching his starters minutes.

The less wear and tear could mean an additional win or two for Detroit, which could be the difference in qualifying for the Play-in tournament.

There is a little more national attention toward the Pistons. Last season, three appearances on NBA-TV (which merely picks up the feed of one of the teams) was the only exposure the rest of the nation got of Detroit.

This year, the Pistons still have no games on TNT, but ESPN will be showing its Wednesday, November 10th game at Houston. The first regular season meeting between No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and No. 2 (and bitter about it) Jalen Green.

Detroit also will have four games on NBA TV this season which, considering there are 10 more games scheduled this year (back to the normal 82) is about the same as last season.

These national games are the only ones many Pistons fans around the world can see (and a lot of people in Michigan who do not get Fox (now Bally) Sports Detroit.

So far, the Detroit Pistons, who have been around since 1941, are not taking part in the NBA 75th anniversary special games. On November 1, the Knicks will play the Toronto Raptors, as the first game of the BAA (now NBA) ever was the Knicks against the (now defunct) Toronto Huskies.

Overall, Detroit did not do badly. The lack of back-to-backs will help, the only one national game will not help Pistons players winning awards. At least no interruptions due to a circus.