January Will Be a Slugfest For Already-Struggling Brooklyn Nets
With 2017 now upon us, the Brooklyn Nets move on from December, which included a particularly tough back-to-back, to January, which will include four back-to-backs.
In December, the Brooklyn Nets had to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors in a back-to-back which one wouldn’t wish on their worst enemy.
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While the opponents of that back-to-back were tough — arguably the best teams in the NBA — the Nets were able to take a bit of solace in the fact that it was the only back-to-back of the month of December.
January, by comparison, is packed full of back-to-backs.
The Nets open the new year in the unenviable position of having four back-to-backs in the month of January. First, the Nets will take on the Pacers in Indiana, followed by the Cavaliers in Brooklyn on January 5-6.
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One week later, the Nets will embark on their second back-to-back of the month, as Brooklyn hosts the Pelicans, and then travels North of the border to take on the Raptors on January 12-13.
Eight days after facing the Pelicans in Brooklyn, the Nets will travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans once again. The January 20 matchup is the beginning of yet another back-to-back. While the prior two back-to-backs will have been split between home and away games, this is the first of two back-to-backs in the month featuring two straight road games. After facing New Orleans on January 20, Brooklyn will travel to Charlotte, to take on the Hornets on January 21.
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Finally, on January 27, the Nets will begin their final back-to-back of the month, as the Nets travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers once again. Brooklyn will wrap up the latter portion of the final back-to-back of the month by traveling to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on January 28.
As if four back-to-backs weren’t bad enough, the Nets also face multiple tough matchups outside of their back-to-backs.
Before the New Orleans-Toronto back-to-back, the Nets host the Atlanta Hawks on January 10. On January 15 and 17, the Nets host the Rockets and Raptors, respectively.
Also, while it’s not on a back-to-back, the Nets will host the Spurs on January 23, before their Cleveland-Minnesota back-to-back later that week.
If there is one favorable aspect of the schedule in January for the Nets, it’s that Brooklyn will have nine home games, compared to seven games on the road. The Nets own a dreadful 1-16 record on the road this season, with their only road win coming at Phoenix on November 12. On the other hand, seven of Brooklyn’s eight wins have come at home.
