NBA Schedule 2011-12: Record Projections for All Teams Through First 25 Games

We have only 13 days left before the NBA season officially starts on Christmas Day when Boston goes to New York for the first game of the year.

With so few days left, it's going to be interesting to see how teams start to fill out, especially those teams down south who are on the verge of trading franchise players.

If Orlando and New Orleans end up trading Dwight Howard and Chris Paul before the season starts, we could see the whole dynamic of the season change, but if they hold onto them until the trade deadline, who knows what could happen.

Then there are those teams like Boston and New Orleans who have a number of roster spots left to fill, which could completely change how the teams look.

So let's look at how the first month-and-a-half of the season will shake out for the league and how teams will do over the first 25 games of the season.

Atlanta Hawks: 14-11

The Atlanta Hawks have an extremely tough schedule coming out of the gate, playing Chicago and Miami twice each in their first nine games.

Their schedule could get even tougher if New Jersey ends up landing Dwight Howard, as they play the Nets twice in their first four games.

However, once they get past their first 11 games, they only have a handful of difficult games, with one against Portland, Philadelphia, San Antonio and Memphis as their toughest challenges in the next 14 games.

Boston Celtics: 18-7

The Boston Celtics are going to have an interesting first few weeks, especially after losing out on David West, so it may take some time for them to get into their stride.

However, being an older team, they'll also likely have the leadership to get over any struggles they may have.

Boston has one of the more interesting schedules in the league, as in their first 25 games they have consecutive games against Washington, Orlando and Cleveland, something that should benefit a veteran team able to adjust on the fly.

Their schedule isn't too tough, as their games get more bunched together later in the season. They should be able to get out to a hot start.

Charlotte Bobcats: 4-21

This season is going to be a difficult one to get through for the Bobcats, but the real way they will be able to gauge their success is by how their players develop.

They won't win many games, but they'll be able to see if guys like Bismack Biyombo and Kemba Walker are making progress on a nightly basis.

It doesn't matter much who they play, they aren't going to have many wins, and when they do win, it will be because they catch their opponent on an off night or all their players are ticking on all cylinders. 

Chicago Bulls: 20-5

It seems to me that there are three elite level teams that should struggle less than the rest of the league when playing three games in a row, four in five nights or seven in nine nights; the Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls.

They have plenty of young legs to get them through the tough times, and if Derrick Rose showed anything last season, it's that he can carry his team if someone is out with an injury.

Chicago gets lucky, as they start the schedule on a West Coast swing, which will allow them to get their one long road trip (as far as distance is concerned) out of the way early.

They should have great continuity coming into the season and should be able to scoot to the top of the league yet again.

Cleveland Cavaliers: 5-20

Another team that will struggle mightily throughout the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers will probably stumble out of the gate, stumble around the first turn, stumble along the backstretch, stumble some more around the final turn and then stumble across the finish line.

I don't think they'll have any enormous stretches like last season when they lost 36 games in 37 tries, as they were decimated by injuries last season, but they won't be any better than they were a season ago.

Dallas Mavericks: 17-8

There is still a lot to be discerned about the Dallas Mavericks, as they have a handful of free agents to look at and decide what to do.

However, as long as they put a decent center on their team, they should be able to have another good season, especially with Lamar Odom now on the team.

The biggest competition they'll have in their first 25 games will be their three match-ups with Oklahoma City, which will test their old legs.

They'll probably have some struggles early on, as they have a tough schedule through the first 25 games, but they should figure it all out a few weeks in and even things out.

Denver Nuggets: 13-12

I'm really confused about the Denver Nuggets right now, and there's not a great way to figure out what they'll be able to do until they fill out their roster.

Denver has a few players stuck in China and have about $20 million to spend before they get to the salary floor.

They could be a pretty good team, but there's a very good chance that putting so many new players on a team may screw with their chemistry and continuity.

Detroit Pistons: 8-17

This should be the year that the Pistons finally bottom out, although they're trying their best to delay the inevitable for some reason.

While the Pistons have talent on their roster, the pieces they have don't fit together, and they have $90 million sunk into contracts for the underachieving duo of Barlie Gordonueva.

They have a few hard workers and a few promising young players, but the personalities just don't go together well enough to have a winning basketball team.

Golden State Warriors: 13-12

Golden State is another team that could change dramatically by the time the season actually starts, as they are still in the hunt to nab Chris Paul at this point.

If they do get Paul, I would imagine they sign a legitimate center like Samuel Dalembert and possibly trade Monta Ellis for a more defensive-minded person.

Still, I've got a feeling this team will be better no matter what they do, it's all a matter of how much better they will get.

They start the season off with four potential playoff teams (the Clippers, Bulls, Knicks and 76ers), which should give a pretty good basis for judging what they can do.

I think they'll struggle early on with new roster changes, but at some point they'll get it on the right track and possibly threaten for a playoff spot.

Houston Rockets: 14-11

The Houston Rockets are at a crossroads right now. They have an interesting team as it stands, but it seems like they are trying to go the more traditional route of building around a superstar.

The near-trade for Pau Gasol probably would have helped them in the long run, as they would have then had space to add a few more free agents giving them a more well-rounded, traditional roster.

As it stands right now they're still a good team, giving opponents a challenge just based on how differently they play the game; either way, they should at least battle for a playoff spot.

Indiana Pacers: 16-9

Indiana probably has the easiest December of any team out there, as they play Detroit twice, Toronto and Cleveland. They should be able to start the season 4-0, giving them momentum and confidence going forward.

Indiana, depending on the roster moves they make, could be this year's Memphis Grizzlies, coming under the radar and playing well to possibly upset a higher-ranked playoff team.

A hot start should help them to a great record through the first 25 games.

Los Angeles Clippers: 17-8

If the Los Angeles Clippers end up grabbing Chris Paul, there's no telling what they could be able to do this season. Either way, I see them as a playoff team.

Young legs and a relatively balanced schedule that has them playing a few good teams followed by a few lousy teams should keep them on a nice pace throughout the season.

Games against San Antonio and Chicago in December and then Miami and Los Angeles in mid-January should tell us what this team is capable of.

Los Angeles Lakers: 19-6

A new coach, a new look and old legs should make Lakers fans nervous, unless of course they eventually end up swinging Chris Paul or Dwight Howard.

We'll get to see how the Lakers react to this compressed schedule early on, as they play five games in December (one of the few teams to do so) and have six games in the first eight days of the season.

The first 25 games, however, shouldn't be the problem for the Lakers, as they should be able to power their way through that chunk.

They should be more worried about their final 25 games when Kobe's knees start to ache and Andrew Bynum is creaking around the court.

Memphis Grizzlies: 16-9

I jumped on the Grizzlies bandwagon early on last season and I'm going to continue to ride along on it until it crashes.

Basically, all they did from the playoffs to the start of their season on the 26th was replace Shane Battier with Rudy Gay. Whether you think they can play the same style of basketball with Rudy Gay on the floor or not, they have the frontcourt that will allow them to compete with anyone.

They have a tough first four games, playing San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Houston and Chicago and then another tough three games (Lakers, Thunder, Knicks) after a bit of a break.

Memphis will power through the first portion of this schedule with a playoff spot in their sights.

Miami Heat: 21-4

Miami is adding Shane Battier and this version of Eddy Curry to their team, which should frighten the rest of the league.

Their Big Three will make it easy for them to continue on into this season after a good outing last year (if you take away a few pesky fourth quarters), allowing them to get off to a hot start, a hot middle and a hot end.

Milwaukee Bucks: 13-12

I've got a feeling that even though the Bucks are going to have to work on putting their team together, they have a chance of squeezing into the playoffs this season.

Instead of John Salmons, they have Stephen Jackson starting for them, which is a definite improvement, and the inside-outside combo of Andrew Bogut and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will give them great defense again this season (they only allowed 93 points a game last season, third best in the league).

In their first 13 games, they only play two teams that are playoff locks (Dallas and San Antonio) and four that are playoff contenders (Utah, Denver, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia), giving them a chance to get off to a nice start.

Minnesota Timberwolves: 6-19

With a great core of young players coming in, the Minnesota Timberwolves should be confident for the future, but the present will be a tough time going.

I don't think they'll be as bad as they were last season, but they should still struggle.

Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, a hot start really isn't an option with them playing Oklahoma City, Miami, Dallas, San Antonio and Memphis in five of their first six games.

Look for a slow start and then a few wins here and there through their first 25 games.

New Jersey Nets: 14-11

This is another team that could end up being much better over the course of the next few days, but as of right now, they still have high hopes for the season.

Over their first 25 games, I only really saw four that I thought they would lose without a doubt (although anything can happen) with games against Chicago, Oklahoma City, Miami and Boston, so they should be competitive in most of their games.

New Orleans Hornets: 11-14

It's pretty much a given that the Hornets will either have a completely new team or an unhappy Chris Paul on their team starting on day one.

I still see them getting rid of Chris Paul before the season starts, so they'll probably end up having to put their team together on the fly, which should cause problems early on.

While they don't have the most difficult schedule early on, it's still going to be tough for them to win games, although they should be able to have some decent success with the package they get back for Paul.

New York Knicks: 17-8

I like the move by the Knicks picking up Tyson Chandler; it gives them an actual defensive presence and takes a lot of pressure off Amar'e Stoudemire.

Although, I think a huge part of the reason people are so high on him right now is because he fit into Dallas' system so well. It'll take time to see if he fits right with New York.

New York definitely has the talent to get a good playoff spot this season, but with Amar'e's (hell yeah, double apostrophe) knees and Mike D'Antoni's insistence on running his players into the ground, they could see some injuries later in the season.

After playing Los Angeles and Boston in two of their first three games, they have an easy six-game stretch that should allow them to get ahead early and give them some confidence. 

Oklahoma City Thunder: 19-6

Oklahoma City should have no problems (compared to other teams) with the condensed schedule, as they are a team with young knees.

At this point, the only thing that can derail them from competing for the No. 1 seed in the West would be internal problems that may or may not be brewing.

Although I see them having one of the best records in the league this season, they have a pretty tough start. In their first 14 games, they play 11 potential playoff teams with a game against Orlando, Portland, New York, and Boston and then two games against Dallas, Memphis and Houston.

After that stretch, they'll have an easier next 11 games, but not terribly easier. Still, I see them impressing people early on.

Orlando Magic: 12-13

Whether Orlando trades Dwight Howard or not, Orlando is looking at a troubled start to the season.

Without Dwight Howard, they've lost the best center in the league and have to put together their team on the fly. With Dwight Howard, they have to deal with the rest of the team playing with a guy that visibly doesn't want to be there, which is never a good situation for the team.

I think they'll trade him before the season starts, but it's a bit hard to tell at this point.

Their schedule doesn't look too hard, with games against Oklahoma City, Houston, Chicago, Portland and New York as their only tough games in their first 13.

After that, they have a streak of games against San Antonio, Los Angeles, Boston (twice), a sneaky good Indiana team (twice) and Philly in seven of their next eight games.

Philadelphia 76ers: 14-11

The Philadelphia 76ers are a young team that will deal with the condensed schedule relatively well, but they also have a question of what their team may look like going forward.

As usual, Andre Iguodala is on the trade block and could be dealt in the first few months of the season (although it's more likely that they hang onto him again, it seems).

This team took a big step forward last season and made the playoffs, and I think the'll continue to get better.

They only play two elite teams in their first 16 and five total in their first 25, so they have plenty of chances to get wins early on.

Phoenix Suns: 12-13

Phoenix is stubbornly refusing to rebuild, and they have this ultra-kind standoff going on with Steve Nash where either side knows they are better off without the other, but they've done so much for each other over the years that they don't want to be the first one to acknowledge it.

Steve Nash won't get traded this season unless a team throws an offer at Phoenix, and even beyond then, Nash may re-sign, which further keeps them in mediocrity.

It doesn't matter what their schedule looks like, Nash will make them good enough to be around .500 throughout the season.

Portland Trail Blazers: 15-10

Portland is going to be without Brandon Roy for the rest of the season in a development that was more depressing to me than David Stern vetoing the Chris Paul trade, and then Greg Oden until who knows when.

However, how is that different from last season?

The only difference from last year to this year is that there's no chance of Brandon Roy coming back, and they have Raymond Felton instead of Andre Miller.

They don't have a schedule that makes the beginning any easier than the end, as it is pretty up and down, playing good teams followed by mediocre and bad teams, giving them chances to break loose from losing streaks easily.

Sacramento Kings: 10-15

Sacramento is going to be an interesting team this season because they have a relatively high ceiling for their team, but they have a pretty low floor as well.

The interesting thing about them is that they have this wide variant of possibilities that don't depend on them trading a player or not like Orlando and New Orleans has.

With the large number of young talents, they could very well squeeze into the playoffs, but considering that most of those talents are basketball black holes which may not fit well together.

Five of their first games are against playoff teams, and if Chris Paul stays in New Orleans for the first part of the season, then all of their first six games are potential losses.

After those first six games, they have an up-and-down schedule for the next 21.

I think they'll struggle early and then get it together and look like a legitimate team.

San Antonio Spurs: 16-9

It seems to make the most sense for the Spurs if they completely disregard the regular season. They're going to win enough games to make the playoffs; they need to make sure their old dudes survive this dreadful season.

We saw what happened last season when the Spurs blasted through the season and got the No. 1 seed: they looked sluggish and couldn't compete with the young Grizzlies.

San Antonio is going to end up resting Tim Duncan whenever they have a back-to-back-to-back or in the middle of a four games in five nights situation. Hell, they might even leave him in San Antonio if the team goes on a short road trip.

Toronto Raptors: 5-20

The Toronto Raptors are currently filling out their roster slightly better than the Heat did last season. Unfortunately, their big three consists of DeMar DeRozan, Andrea Bargnani and whatever third guy happens to be hot at the given time.

They've added Rasual Butler, Jamaal Magloire and Aaron Gray, all of whom are low-impact players.

Toronto isn't going to compete for much this year besides the top pick in the draft, so regardless of their schedule, they'll struggle.

Utah Jazz: 13-12

The Utah Jazz have a ton of pieces that are going to come together slowly throughout the season, but I think they'll struggle a bit going forward.

They had a hot streak at the end of the season, but they were striding through the meaty part of their schedule and were riding along on a "nobody believes in us" mentality after Deron Williams got traded.

Now that the'll be adding Enes Kanter, they have a great young core with Kanter and Derrick Favors looking to be their frontcourt of the future.

They'll have to take advantage of easier games to hope to stay afloat; otherwise, they could miss the playoffs this season.

Washington Wizards: 9-16

The Washington Wizards are a bit like Sacramento this season, as they have the young talent to be good, but they still have to figure out how to put it together. And forgive me, but I don't feel like a team that has Andray Blatche as a starting power forward can make the playoffs.

Still, they have John Wall, who is poised to make the Russell Westbrook leap this season to go along with Jordan Crawford, Nick Young (presumably), JaVale McGee and newcomer Jan Vesely coming in to combine for a dozen alley-oops a game.

They have an up-and-down first 25 games, so they should be able to get some wins in early, but they probably won't have the wins to get them to the playoffs.

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