Los Angeles Lakers: How the Shorter NBA Schedule Will Be a Problem

It was recently reported that the revised NBA schedule will feature at least one set of back-to-back-to-back games for every team.

While it sounds like a shorter season with 66 games helps the Lakers because they are an older team, three consecutive games will be the bane of the team for the whole season. The Lakers and other NBA teams dread regular back-to-back situations. Now they have to deal with three consecutive games.

Imagine how exhausted and fatigued a team whose youngest player after Andrew Bynum is over 30 years old will feel in the second half of the third game. It's not going to be fun, especially if there is travel involved.

Ten years ago something like this might have been okay with a veteran team like the Lakers, but the league is so much more physical nowadays. Players are bigger, faster and stronger, and it will absolutely drain teams to play three consecutive games.

The only fair way to deal with this is if the third game of the three consecutive games is against another team that is also playing its third game in a row. That being said, this does not really change the fact that the Lakers will be absolutely exhausted after three games.

Some say that it's not a big deal and the Lakers will probably make the playoffs anyway. However, the report also states that the NBA is planning to have back-to-back games in the second round of the playoffs.

The second round of the playoffs is when the cupcake opponents go away and the Lakers will be playing a strong team. If they're matched up against a young, quick team like Oklahoma City and they have to play two physical playoff games in a row, the odds don't look too good for the Lakers.

At first it seemed like a good deal for the Lakers.

Only 66 games. Shorter season. Kobe Bryant can get his rest and then dominate in the playoffs.

Now they might have to play three sets of back-to-back-to-backs.

All of a sudden this season looks longer than it actually is.