Nuggets 2009-10 schedule released, Denver Stiffs has a preview

By Denver Stiffs on August 4, 2009 · Comment ·

The NBA is formally releasing the 2009-10 regular season schedule at 11:15am MST today but Denver Stiffs got a sneak peak and breaks it down month-by-month…

October/November

The good news is that the Nuggets are scheduled to open their season at home on Wednesday, October 28th against the Utah Jazz at 8:30pm MST (the game will be aired nationally on ESPN). The bad news is that they have to fly to Portland afterward for a Thursday night duel with the Trail Blazers, also at 8:30pm MST (aired nationally on TNT). Those who follow the NBA closely know that the worst back-to-back is the one after the late night nationally televised game. Not only do the games start late, but they take longer thanks to the numerous commercial breaks and force teams to leave for the next city at like two o’clock in the morning.

After the season opening back-to-back, the Nuggets get two days off and host the Grizzlies at home on Sunday, November 1st. Next, the Nuggets embark on an East Coast road trip: they’ll be at Indiana on 11/3, at New Jersey on 11/4 (maybe they’ll avenge last season’s New Jersey debacle?), at Miami on 11/6, at Atlanta on 11/7, at Chicago on 11/10, at Milwaukee on 11/11 (meaning they’ll do their annual two straight losses at Chicago and Milwaukee early this year…ha!) before returning home for a Friday the 13th home game against the Lakers (not surprisingly aired on ESPN).

You read that correctly: in the Nuggets first 10 games, only three are at home and they have four back-to-backs. And of their three home games, one is against the Jazz and the other against the Lakers. Yeesh. I’m just glad to see the Nuggets get their East Coast road trip against mediocre teams out of the way early when in theory they’ll be their freshest. For reasons that make no sense, Indiana, New Jersey, Atlanta, Chicago and Milwaukee have given the Nuggets fits recently. In fact, the Nuggets are a combined 2-8 against those five teams on the road the past two seasons.

DENVER_NUGGETS_LOGO1 After that abnormal start to the season, the Nuggets get to relax somewhat through November. After the Lakers game, the Nuggets don’t play again until Tuesday the 17th (home against the Raptors) and then not again until the following Friday the 20th (at the Clippers), followed by a back-to-back home game against the Bulls again. The Nuggets meet the Nets for their second meeting early, too, at Pepsi Center on 11/24 followed by a back-to-back at Minnesota on 11/25. The Nuggets get Thanksgiving off this year and don’t play again until Sunday when they host the Timberwolves (it’s pretty rare to see a home-and-home four days apart).