NBA Schedule 2011: Breaking Down 10 Huge Impacts from the Lockout

There is a season, not 82 games, but 66 is better than none. I don't have to sit through the highlights of another charity basketball game. It is time for the real deal.

The abbreviated season will have several impacts, many of them will be player movement driven, but there are plenty that are solely related to the structural changes of the schedule.

Here are the 10 biggest impacts of the 66 game schedule.

Christmas Day Start Creates a Playoff Like Atmosphere

In a weird way, the NBA season debut is going to be bigger than it would have been starting on time. A heavyweight triple-header featuring Miami vs. Dallas, Chicago vs. Los Angeles Lakers and Boston vs. New York.

These are major markets and all good teams, with major stars on every team. It is going to be bananas and very similar to a playoff like atmosphere. Please believe, this potential ratings bonanza was considered when the NBA pushed for a Christmas day start.

Somehow, by halftime of the second game, fans will have forgiven the NBA for the lockout.

No Circus Trip for the Chicago Bulls

A few teams have their schedules impacted every year due to the circus or huge events coming into their home arenas. Many of those dates take place in February, but the Chicago Bulls trip is genuinely the latter part of November.

That would have been the case this year, but with the season starting a month later, the Bulls won't have to worry about that long road trip.

That should help the Bulls, though they were a respectable 4-3 on the trip last season. I'm sure the players will just as soon not take that trip. This year, they won't have to. This is a major impact for the league considering it involves the team that had the best regular season record in the NBA last season.

Rookie Wall?

One major concern for rookies in the long 82 games season of the NBA is generally the rookie wall. It genuinely happens a little after the midway point for the players that fall victim.

That point will be much later in the season now—it'll occur around the playoff push, if at all. 

I contend, a longer offseason and shorter training camp may eliminate it all together; thereby, we could see strong rookie performances last throughout the season.

Veteran Team's Advantage

One of the biggest impediments for older NBA contenders is the long grueling season. The Lockout has shaved 16 games off the grind, not to mention a good portion of the training camp and or preseason.

This clearly favors teams like the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.

Now, the question will be, do these teams have enough in the tank and the right role players in place to contend in a short season?

Still, there is no doubt, they should be fresher come playoff time.

All-Star Weekend?

Though the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend was a little overrated, the NBA owes it to the fans to produce a 2011 version. As a matter of fact, they should go out of their way to make it one of the most grand in its history.

It would be a nice notion to say thank you for waiting on us to publicly sort out our crap.

Back to Back Games a Plenty

Kobe Bryant and the rest of the NBA must prepare for a schedule that requires a few more back to back situations than normal. As a matter of fact, each team will be required to play one back to back to back stretch.

It could all balance out with the shortened season, but in short term, you could see some lackluster efforts in the tail ends of the sequences.

Every Team Will Not Visit Every City

Every team will not get the opportunity to reap the benefits of a visit from the Miami Heat. The Heat are the rock stars of the NBA. With word that all teams will not visit every city as they normally would, the Heat factor comes to my mind first.

Love them or hate them, they are polarizing. That equals at least one possible sell out in cities that may not normally see one all year.

Old Nucleus vs. New Nucleus

With free agency set to start on December 9th, the free agent and trading season will be short and frenetic. 

Teams that create a new nucleus should beware. There will be a shortened training camp, so there will not be a significant amount of time to gel.

This setup favors teams who are returning successful cores from last season. Especially those whose cores were young, yet still effective.

Expect teams like Chicago, Oklahoma City and Miami to have fewer missteps, while teams that add two or more starters to experience some issues early in the season.

Records That Won't Fall

The Mavericks have won 50 games for 11 consecutive seasons; they could tie the Lakers franchise with another this season. Obviously, 50-16 is much more difficult than 50-32. I would say Dallas extending that streak is unlikely.

As is the case with the Chicago Bulls and any other successful home team that hoped to challenge the Boston Celtics' all-time home wins mark of 40-1.

Much like 1998, streaks and records that require 82 games to continue or break will be affected.

Trade Deadline

The trade deadline has not been announced at this point. This will be one of the key dates this season with so many high profile players as potential free agents at the end of the season.

The mixture of the abbreviated season and the amount of big time players that could move could make this the most eventful and dramatic trade deadline in league history.