We're exactly three months from the opening game of the 2017-18 NBL season but the release of the draw means there is no better time than now to look ahead at what's to come and see the big takeaways from the schedule.
With this being the 40th anniversary for the NBL, the league is showcasing an inaugural Christmas Eve game that will pit Adelaide 36ers against Cairns Taipans. There will also be a a Boxing Day showcase between Melbourne United and Brisbane Bullets, and two games played on New Year's Eve -- with Cairns taking on Perth Wildcats and Illawarra Hawks hosting Brisbane.
A heritage month in January highlights the schedule release to mark the 40th anniversary season of the NBL, with league chief executive Jeremy Loeliger saying "we've listened to the fans who've told us they want to attend and watch games on TV on weekends, and this is a way of ensuring we showcase our biggest games in front of the biggest audiences".
"We saw an 11 percent growth in attendances last season, and with more games across weekends we are confident crowds and TV audiences will only continue to grow next season," Loeliger said.
This means the number of Monday night games will dwindle from 10 last season to only two in 2017-18.
After one of the closest NBL campaigns in recent memory, last season, Loeliger hopes that momentum can roll over into the upcoming season.
"Last year all but one team was in contention for the finals up until the end of the season and I'm sure fans are in for another highly competitive and entertaining season." Loeliger said.
There will be two bye rounds on the weekends of November 25-26 and February 24-25 so players can be available for FIBA World Cup qualifying matches.
So what does the draw look like? What are the biggest hits and misses for your team? Here are the key takeaways for every team:
Adelaide 36ers: Four out of their six final games will be played on the road. Might seem like a death sentence, but they were the only team last season with a winning regular season road record.
Brisbane Bullets: Six straight away games from the end of Round 7 through to Round 10. The longest streak of road games for any team.
Cairns Taipans: Finish their season with five games over the final five rounds, easily the least of any team; the next best playing seven (Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney).
Illawarra Hawks: Between Round 9 and 14, the Hawks play a whopping seven games in front of their home crowd, the longest home streak of any team.
Melbourne United: Finished last season as the equal worst team on the road, open their season with four out of five games away from home.
New Zealand Breakers: An action packed run home as the Breakers tackle eight games over the final four rounds, the only team to finish with that many.\
Perth Wildcats: It's good being the defending champs, they open their defence with five out of their first six games at home.
Sydney Kings: Get use to living out of a suitcase early with only three home games over the first seven rounds. That's three out of eleven games for the Kings.
Marquee Matches
Season Opener: Adelaide 36ers vs. Melbourne United - October 5th
Grand Final Rematch: Perth Wildcats vs. Illawarra Hawks - October 13th
Semi Final Rematches: Adelaide 36ers vs. Illawarra Hawks - November 11th + Cairns Taipans vs. Perth Wildcats - October 22nd
Christmas Eve: Adelaide 36ers vs. Cairns Taipans - December 24th
Boxing Day: Melbourne United vs. Brisbane Bullets - December 26th
New Years Eve: Cairns Taipans vs. Perth Wildcats + Illawarra Hawks vs. Brisbane Bullets
Season Ends: February 18th