Nets go from 26 nationally televised games to 13 in 2022-23 schedule

No surprise here: After a disappointing and controversial regular season, a sweep in the first round of the playoffs and Kevin Durant’s trade request, the number of Nets national TV games dropped precipitously, from 26 to 13.

The number of games on ABC, ESPN and TNT is a good indicator of how the NBA and national broadcasters value each team, particularly in terms of star power. If you add in games on NBA TV, the number drops from 38 to 23. Also, the number of games on ABC, often among the most viewed games of the season, has gone from five to one.

We count 14 back-to-backs, up two from the league-low 12 last season.

The Nets tweeted out the schedule and posted it on their official website, part of the NBA’s roll-out.

As reported Tuesday, the Nets open the season at home vs. the New Orleans Pelicans on October 19, then host the Toronto Raptors two nights late before going out on a mini-road trip to Memphis and Milwaukee.

Arguably, the biggest game of the season, pending a Durant trade, is Ben Simmons return to Philadelphia on November 22. As Nick Friedell wrote for ESPN’s round-up of big games:

This figures to be one of the most emotional games on the entire schedule — especially given that the Philly fans spent last year’s matchup in March directing profanity-laced chants at Ben Simmons, even though the new Net was just sitting on the bench and ended up not even playing all season. The underrated part of this matchup could be the chance for Kyrie Irving and James Harden to go against each other again.

In other revenge games, the two former Pacers signed by the Nets — T.J. Warren and Edmond Sumner — go back to Indiana three nights later. Bruce Brown, who signed with the Nuggets last month, returns to Brooklyn on March 19. And don’t forget, Opening Night is also Simmons first game as a Brooklyn Net and first game anywhere since June 20, 2021.

The Nets and Knicks face off at Barclays Center on November 9 and January 28 and play at the Garden on February 13 and March 1. Lebron James brings the Los Angeles Lakers to Brooklyn on January 30 and Steve Curry brings the NBA’s defending champion Golden State Warriors in on December 21. The Nets play the Celtics at Barclays on December 3 and January 12.

Other notes from the team’s release:

• This season, 18 of Brooklyn’s 41 home games will be played on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and the team will host four afternoon contests at Barclays Center.
• Brooklyn’s longest stretch at Barclays Center this season will be a seven-game homestand beginning on Sunday, November 27, versus Portland and ending on Friday, December 9, vs. Atlanta.
• The team’s two longest road trips will each span five games, with the first beginning on Tuesday, January 17, at San Antonio and ending eight days later on Wednesday, January 25, at Philadelphia and the second spanning from Tuesday, March 7, at Houston through Tuesday, March 14, at Oklahoma City.

Meanwhile, the Nets unveiled their logo for next season celebrating 10 years in Brooklyn.

Barclays Center opened on September 28, 2012 with a Jay-Z concert. The Nets originally scheduled opener got shelved that season because of Superstorm Sandy.

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