I think we could probably all agree on some general statements about the NBA, its television partners, and how they market the league’s best players, up-and-comers, and All-Stars.
- The NBA wants eyeballs on the best teams in the league.
- The NBA wants eyeballs on the most marketable players and the top talent.
- NBA broadcast partners want to televise games that provide intrigue and a competitive atmosphere that include big names and shining stars.
The NBA schedule for the 2022-23 season was released on Wednesday and while the schedule only includes dates, teams and times, it says a lot more.
The Utah Jazz, who had 26 nationally televised games last year, are expected to play in just four nationally televised games this coming season.
Last year, the Jazz made four appearances on TNT alone. This season, the Jazz will play in one TNT game and three scheduled NBA TV games. They are not programmed to play games on ABC or ESPN. The only other teams whose schedules are devoid of ABC and ESPN games are the Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic – three of the four worst teams in the NBA last season.
So which jazz game did the NBA’s television partners consider important enough to be broadcast nationally? Is that when the Jazz face Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves for the first time on Oct. 21 in Minnesota? No. Is it when the Jazz face one of the best teams in the league or ones that could win an NBA title? No.
The Jazz’s only TNT appearance will be against an Eastern Conference team that didn’t even finish in the top 10 of the conference standings last season. Why would that be? Well, that Nov. 15 home game is against the New York Knicks, the team that has long been rumored to be the likeliest trade destination for Donovan Mitchell.
These things are no coincidence. Basically, the bigwigs of primetime television programming have looked at the NBA schedule and are betting firmly that the Utah Jazz will be good for the 2022-23 season and fully believe that a deal will be reached that will send Mitchell to the Knicks.
For jazz fans, looking deeper into the program won’t make them feel any better. Ten of the Jazz’s first 11 games are against teams that should be in the hunt for a Western Conference playoff berth, and if schedulers and their TV partners are right that the Jazz are a mediocre team next season, it could mean a really tough start with lots of defeats, one after another, setting the tone for a long season.
Utah will be in the spotlight during All-Star Weekend, February 17-19, when the world of the NBA and all of its brightest stars descend on Salt Lake City, but outside of that, the NBA doesn’t care. don’t expect the Jazz to be an important part of the narrative shaping the next NBA season.