Thunder Still Loved By National TV Networks

By Randy Renner, Senior Writer

When the NBA released the full regular season schedule yesterday one thing was pretty clear...the national TV networks still love the Thunder.

And why shouldn't they?

Superstar Russell Westbrook, the reigning NBA MVP now has another superstar teammate in Paul George. There's plenty of drama also with Westbrook still not having signed the supermax extension the Thunder have offered him and George seeming to be open to possibility of staying in OKC longterm as long as Westbrook does the same.

It's a storyline that will likely play out all through the regular season and into the playoffs.

With all that in mind, plus the idea that the Thunder could challenge for second place in the Western Conference, the team is sure to draw a lot eyeballs watching a lot of games.

Oklahoma City will have at least 37 games on national TV, that's up from 30 last season, spread out across ABC, TNT, ESPN and NBA-TV.

The Thunder will also be featured on ABC's Saturday night NBA package three times.

This season's schedule also ends the chore of having to play four games in five nights for all teams...back-to-backs are being reduced (though only by one for OKC 14 this season down from 15 last season) and the Thunder will not have an extended road trip.

The most games in any one stretch away from home will just be three games (six times during the season) and the longest homestand is four games (twice).