There's good news and bad news for NBA fans. The good news is that the 2011-12 schedule has been released and as always there are a ton of great matchups throughout the season. The bad news is that odds are we will be lucky if we get to see even a fraction of those games thanks to the current labor situation.
If the players and owners somehow perform a miracle and next season isn't altered at all, here are the highlights from the New Jersey Nets schedule, their last year in the Garden State before moving to Brooklyn in 2012-13.
- November 2: The final season as the New Jersey Nets is slated to kick off in our nation's capitol against John Wall and the Washington Wizards. Two teams that struggled last season but are looking to build around do-it-all point guards.
- November 5: Another of many finals, the final home opener for the Nets at the Prudential Center. A matinee against the Detroit Pistons present a perfect scenario for New Jersey to open up with a victory.
- November 9: The world champion Dallas Mavericks can provide a good early season measuring stick for the young Nets.
- November 11: A trip to South Beach against LeBron James and the Heat give the Nets a nasty one-two punch just a week into the season.
- November 25: The first meeting with the New York Knicks. Expect Mikhail Prokhorov to do something over the top in order to tweak Knicks owner James Dolan.
- January 14: Deron Williams makes his return to Utah to take on Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and the Jazz.
- March 7/8: For the second straight season, the Nets will take a trip to London, this time against Dwight Howard (maybe?) and the Orlando Magic. Also for the second straight time, the Nets will lose two home games as they will "host" the games at The O2 Arena.
- March 26: Harris and Favors will return to New Jersey as Williams could potentially be going for the season sweep against his former team.
- April 18: The final game of the season and last one ever played at The Rock will be against the Chicago Bulls.
With the Nets planning on making the playoffs this season -- again, if there is a season -- it's important to note that the final seven games of the season are against Eastern Conference teams, four of those squads made the playoffs last season.