The NBA released the 2008-09 schedule today - here is the full release if you want to check it out. Having gone through it a bit, I have some initial thoughts about the slate:

1. It's a tough start, but a good finish. For the second straight year, the NBA did Atlanta no favors with the early draw. The team's first five games are against playoff teams from a year ago, and six of the first eight are on the road. Still, the schedule wraps up favorably for Atlanta, as 14 of the last 20 games are at Philips Arena.

2. There are some long home stands. I've been working with the Hawks for four seasons now, and to the best of my recollection I've never seen more than five games in a row at home (correction - I just looked, and apparently we had a seven-game homestand in 2005-06). This season we have two of that length or more. An absurd eight-game stand from Dec.13-29, and another seven-game set from Mar. 7-19. I'm not complaining, mind you, as the team has proven it handles its business at home much better than on the road over the past few years. Anyone planning to make every game of one of those streaks?

3. Still, the NBA doesn't pay attention to us. Last April, as you may recall, the Hawks captivated a national audience by taking the eventual champion Celtics to seven games in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. It was pretty exciting, and you'd think with a young team on the rise we'd be a candidate for some national TV appearances in 08-09. Well, you'd be wrong. The Hawks play only one game on a Thursday (a home game against the Mavs) which means (at best) one game on TNT. The team has only one actual scheduled national game, at home against Boston on Dec. 17 on ESPN. What gives?

4. Keep an eye on the end of the season. The Eastern Conference had some shake-ups in the offseason (with perhaps more to come), but the Hawks last few games on the calendar look at this point to be against teams they may be in direct competition with for playoff berths or seeding. Starting with a home game against the Magic on April 4, the Hawks finish at Toronto, at Milwaukee, and home to Indiana and Miami before finishing the season at Memphis. I have a feeling several of those games will be hugely important by the time they come around.

5. And speaking of Miami. The Heat are scheduled to play only twice (Feb. 27 and April 14) in Atlanta this year...so far (sorry, I couldn't resist).

 What are your opening thoughts? Which games are you most looking forward to?