With the OKC Thunder and their counterparts awaiting a decision on the season return, one key aspect is what the return schedule will look like. Teams had between 15 and 19 games remaining when the suspension began (the Thunder had 18 games remaining) and had played most of their opposite conference teams earlier in the season.
Assuming a return will feature regular-season games these are all factors at play in determining what each team’s schedule will look like. For example, what if a team had already played the hardest part of their schedule? If only the top 20 teams were slated to play how would that be fair for a team who accumulated a better record based on playing more lottery teams, and less or easier back-to-back sets?