DALLAS -- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said the NBA is seriously considering altering the schedule to go later into the summer as a means of reducing or potentially eliminating back-to-back games.
"I've been bringing it up for years," Cuban said beforethe Mavs' 99-92 win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, one of three games in four nights for his team. "[Commissioner Adam Silver is] more open to it, and he's going to be considering it. Everybody's for it now."
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Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports"[Commissioner Adam Silver is] more open to it, and he's going to be considering it. Everybody's for it now," Mavs owner Mark Cuban said of an NBA schedule that goes later into the summer.
NBA teams typically have between 16 and 20 back-to-backs per season, an element of the schedule almost universally despised by players, particularly veterans. Dallas starDirk Nowitzki andCleveland Cavaliers starLeBron James voiced their opinion during the preseason that the league should reduce the number of games in the schedule to ease wear and tear on players.
The NBA owners would prefer to continue playing an 82-game schedule. However, Cuban said there has been significant discussion about adding a week or two to the schedule to provide more rest time for players and practice time for teams, theoretically improving the product.
Cuban is optimistic that the league can completely eliminate teams playing four games in five nights, which often leads to coaches opting to have veteran players sit out a game.
Cuban said the owners and league officials have discussed the possibility of shortening the preseason and starting the season earlier.
"I'd rather us go later in the season into July," said Cuban, who still is in favor of trimming the preseason schedule. "Used to be, we had to be concerned about baseball. Now we don't. Baseball, particularly from a media perspective, has become regional, so it doesn't negatively impact us from a national TV perspective to go late."
http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story...ays-everybody-nba-schedule-going-later-summer
