Cavs get screwed by the schedule makers again this season

Ok, do the schedule makers have something against the Cleveland Cavaliers? It certainly feels like they do, based on the team’s rough stretches in the schedule, which you can view in its entirety here.

It almost feels like the four-year run that we had of being in the NBA Finals from 2015-2018 against the Golden State Warriors made the schedule makers upset or something. However, if that is the case why haven’t the schedule makers taken their frustrations out on the Warriors?

When taking a look at their 2021-22 slate, it seems as if the Cavs got screwed by the schedule makers once again this season.

Speaking of Golden State, Cleveland has to face the Warriors on the second leg of a back-to-back again this season, just as they did last season. On Nov. 17, the Cavaliers will be at the Barclays Center to play James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and the Brooklyn Nets. Then on Nov. 18, they will return home to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to play Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and the Warriors.

Then on Jan. 9, 2022, the Cavs will be out in the Bay Area to play the Warriors. The following day, Jan. 10, Cleveland will travel to Golden 1 Center to play the Sacramento Kings. Sacramento is a young up-and-coming team that could be fighting for a playoff spot this season.

After the Cavs play the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 22 in the home opener and the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 23, they’ll go on an early Western road trip. Towards the end of that road trip, the Cavs will play a back-to-back against the 2020 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 29 and then the defending Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns on Oct. 30.

Does the NBA really expect the Cavaliers to be ready to play against Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton one night after facing LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook?

Unfortunately, that’s not the end of it. On Dec. 5, the Cavs will be hosting Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles, and the Utah Jazz. So that’s difficult enough. But then on Dec. 6, Cleveland will head to Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, to face the defending NBA champion, Milwaukee Bucks.

Speaking of the Bucks, Cleveland will do another back-to-back involving the Bucks. On Dec. 18, the Cavaliers will face the Bucks in Milwaukee. Then on Dec. 19, Cleveland will face the team that the Bucks eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks.

It won’t be easy for the Wine and Gold to get through these difficult stretches of the season. The reason is that this team is so young and they don’t really have that go-to guy when they need a big shot.

Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Evan Mobley, and Lauri Markkanen are nice pieces, but this team still is again, very young, and the Cavaliers also don’t have many veterans who can help right the ship when the game is getting away. That could come back to bite them in the butt.

But if the Cavs are able to come away with some wins during these very challenging parts of the schedule, perhaps they can climb up the standings enough at timely points to help them sneak into a play-in spot.