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NBA schedule release 2019-20: Here are four things we already know about this season’s slate of games

There are still over two months remaining until the 2019-20 NBA season officially tips off, but we already know some of the matchups in store, thanks to various reports that have trickled in. As usual, the Christmas Day slate is reportedly chocked full of star power, led by LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers taking on Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers.

We also have reported dates for notable “revenge” games, in which departed superstars will return to take on their former teams. With so much offseason player movement, there are plenty of these types of games to go around. 

More information will continue to be released, but as of now here’s what we know about the 2019-20 NBA schedule, according to several reports.

1. The season will begin on Oct. 22

There’s been a lot of talk recently about potentially shortening the NBA schedule given the injuries we saw during the Finals and the continued implementation of “load management” as a regular-season rest strategy. That won’t happen this year — the league will play a normal 82 games — but there has been a slight tweak. According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the 2019-20 NBA season will begin on Oct. 22, one week later than it did last season, and the playoffs will also begin one week later. O’Connor reported that this summer’s FIBA World Cup was a factor in moving back the start date, presumably to give players more time to recover before the season.

2. The opening night schedule will feature some notable overlap

While opening night tends to include some of the best games on the season’s schedule, the league usually avoids major overlap. The defending champions usually play against a conference rival, while two of the best teams in the opposing conference tend to fill in the night’s other slot. 

But according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the league is expected to go in a slightly different direction this year. The defending champions will indeed play on opening night, but rather than playing a conference rival, they will take on the New Orleans Pelicans in Zion Williamson’s debut. Even more surprising, the Los Angeles Lakers will battle with the Clippers in perhaps the most anticipated game of the season. Such matchups are typically reserved for Christmas, but these teams will meet four times this season, and two of their scheduled dates will be opening night and Christmas. 

That might take some of the teeth out of the Christmas game, but it’s worth noting that Paul George is expected to miss the beginning of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery. If he does indeed miss opening night, the Christmas game will be his first duel with the Lakers as a member of the Clippers. 

3. The Christmas Day slate is star-studded

Christmas is the NBA’s marquee regular-season showcase, and this season is no exception. Led by a matchup between the Lakers and Clippers, the five-game Christmas Day slate will feature superstars such as LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Nikola Jokic. We’ll also get a look at No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson in his first NBA season. Here’s the full schedule of games:

Believe it or not, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has already reportedly released odds for the games:

4. There are going to be some fun ‘revenge’ games

Any time a high-profile player changes teams, there’s some serious buzz when that player returns to play in his former city for the first time. We reportedly have the dates for some of those games, including Kawhi Leonard returning to Toronto and Paul George returning to Oklahoma City. Here are the dates that have been revealed so far:

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