The NBA G League will tip off the 2018-19 season on Friday, Nov. 2, the league announced today.
A record 27 teams will compete in the NBA G League’s 18th season, including the Capital City Go-Go, an expansion team owned by the Washington Wizards. Each team will play a 50-game schedule that concludes in March 2019.
The 2018-19 season will feature the Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers) playing with a new name and the Stockton Kings (Sacramento Kings) playing in a new city with a new name.
For the second consecutive season, stretches where teams play four games in five nights have been eliminated. The number of back-to-back games has been reduced to an all-time low, with teams playing an average of 6.6 back-to-backs this season, a 5.7 percent reduction from 7.0 per team last season.
The Capital City Go-Go open their inaugural NBA G League season by hosting the Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets) on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. ET.
The 2018 NBA G League Champion Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs) begin defense of their title by hosting the Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks) on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. ET.
Each team will face conference opponents three or four times and play either nine or 10 games against non-conference opponents. The regular season ends on Saturday, March 23, and the 2019 NBA G League postseason will begin no earlier than Tuesday, March 26. Each NBA G League team will play 24 home games and 24 road games and an additional two games at the annual NBA G League Winter Showcase. Location and dates for the Showcase games will be announced at a later date.
To closer align with their NBA affiliate and to accommodate the NBA G League’s continued growth, the six divisions have been adjusted for the 2018-19 season:
- Eastern Conference
o Atlantic Division: Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers), Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets), Maine Red Claws (Boston Celtics), Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors), Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks)
o Central Division: Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers), Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers), Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit Pistons), Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee Bucks), Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls)
o Southeast Division: Capital City Go-Go (Washington Wizards), Erie BayHawks (Atlanta Hawks), Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets), Lakeland Magic (Orlando Magic)
- Western Conference
o Midwest Division: Iowa Wolves (Minnesota Timberwolves), Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder), Memphis Hustle (Memphis Grizzlies), Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami Heat)
o Southwest Division: Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs), Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets), Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz), Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks)
o Pacific Division: Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (L.A. Clippers), Northern Arizona Suns (Phoenix Suns), Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors), South Bay Lakers (Los Angeles Lakers), Stockton Kings (Sacramento Kings)
The 2018-19 NBA G League broadcast schedule will be available at a later date.
