The final stretch in the race for NBA playoff positioning begins on Thursday, when the All-Star break officially concludes and the 2021-22 season resumes. The Los Angeles Clippers have the fewest remaining games (21). The Toronto Raptors have the most (25). Everyone else is in between.
A lot factors in to how these schedules break down. Different sites calculate the strength and weakness of each schedule differently. I'm using Positive Residual, which is the most comprehensive as it factors in more than just the average current winning percentage of remaining opponents.
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Other factors include home/road splits, rest advantages and disadvantages (this is when one team enters a particular matchup after an extra day off relative to the opponent, or vice versa), and even, when applicable, the altitude at which a game is being played.
Add all that up, and you get a more informed look at the strength of schedule that remains for each team. Below is a look at the road ahead for all 30 teams, from toughest to easiest slates.
| TEAM | STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE |
|---|---|
.552 | |
.552 | |
.551 | |
.537 | |
.529 | |
.522 | |
.519 | |
.518 | |
.514 | |
.511 | |
.510 | |
.506 | |
.505 | |
RAPTORS | .504 |
.504 | |
CLIPPERS | .502 |
.500 | |
.498 | |
.498 | |
BLAZERS | .497 |
.492 | |
.491 | |
.486 | |
.478 | |
.474 | |
.463 | |
.461 | |
.457 | |
.448 | |
.427 |
Five Takeaways
1. Lakers have an uphill climb: As if it wasn't bad enough that Anthony Davis is out for maybe the next month, if not longer, the Lakers are tied with the Bulls for the toughest remaining schedule. Only 10 of the Lakers' final 24 games are at home, and they'll have three games in which they are at a rest disadvantage.
2. Nuggets can make a run: Denver not only has the easiest remaining schedule, but there's a chance Jamal Murray and/or Michael Porter Jr. will return at some point. The Nuggets are only three losses back of a top-four seed.
3. Heat heavy at home: Part of the reason the Heat come in with the fifth-easiest remaining schedule is 15 of their remaining 24 games are at home. That's tied with Magic, Rockets and Nuggets for the most in the league. Good news for the Heat, who have the East's second-best home winning percentage this season, trailing only Chicago. The Heat also has five remaining games in which they'll enjoy a rest advantage over their opponent.
4. Warriors heavy on road: Golden State is the opposite of Miami: It was home heavy before the All-Star break, and now the Warriors will play 14 of their final 23 games on the road. Golden State is seven losses back of Phoenix for the No. 1 overall seed. The pressing priority is holding off No. 3 Memphis, which trails Golden State by just two in the loss column with a much easier remaining schedule.
5. Don't sleep on Cleveland: The Cavaliers are tied with the 76ers in the loss column for the East's No. 3 seed, and they're just two games back of the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds. The Cavs have 14 home games left -- second-most in the league -- and they'll have three games in which they enjoy a rest advantage, a big reason why they currently have the third-easiest remaining schedule.
