Analysis of 2022-23 schedule reveals a softer path for Cavs: Miles traveled
One other piece of information tracked by the NBA schedule site Positive Residual is that of total miles traveled. It instantly calculates the expected flight path for each game in the schedule (i.e. whether the Cavs are staying on the road or returning home during road trips) and adds up the total miles traveled by a team.
The Cavaliers have an inherent advantage in this metric, playing in the Midwest instead of a corner of the country like the Portland Trail Blazers or Miami Heat, teams that have to travel a large distance to get to anyone. They are annually among the teams with the fewest miles to travel on their schedule.
This year they are first on that list, the team in the league with the fewest miles overall to travel. They are located close to many of their opponents, from the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers to the Philadelphia 76ers and even the Toronto Raptors just across Lake Erie. On top of that, they knock out all of the California teams in one road trip in early November, and then go to Phoenix, Denver, Utah, Portland and Minnesota in one January trip too. That’s nine of the 15 Western Conference teams in two trips, including all eight teams in the league in the Mountain and Pacific time zones.
Those trips will be difficult, but they will make the rest of the schedule much easier and less tiring for the Cavs. In fact, the Cavs will make their final trip to play a team further west than them prior to the All-Star Break; after the break, they will only play teams from the original 13 colonies.
There are more nuggets of information to be gleaned from the Cavs’ schedule, but the above numbers tell us that the Cavs were handed a gift by the NBA schedule-makers. From more games against weaker opponents, to advantages in rest and travel, the Cavs get a little boost towards a successful season from the release of the 2022-23 NBA schedule.