2013 Charlotte Bobcats schedule: Key games to get out of the NBA cellar

The Bobcats must gain early momentum, but to build relevancy and to have any hopes of making the postseason, they must beat the teams that last season joined Charlotte in the bottom ranks of the NBA. And the Bobcats must do so with one of the tougher schedules in the league. Charlotte leads the NBA with 22 back-to-backs and doesn’t have a home stretch of more than three games this season.

Nov. 5 at New York -- Clifford grew up in New England and worked his way through the basketball ranks on the East Coast before earning his first NBA gig with the Knicks. A return to Madison Square Garden early in the year should be a nice reminder for Clifford, who is undertaking a difficult job in his first NBA head coaching opportunity. For Charlotte, an early-season win against a solid Knicks team could catapult the team forward and build confidence.

Dec. 13 at Indiana -- Zeller, the fourth overall draft pick in 2013, likely has some fans across the state of Indiana from his days playing for the Hoosiers. And if the Bobcats want to become a potential playoff contender, a good start toward that goal would be going chest-to-chest with an elite Eastern Conference opponent, and a tough one at that.

Jan. 7 vs. Wizards -- Like the Wizards, the Bobcats are chasing a lower playoff seed. By January, the playoff picture might be quite clear, but if not the matchup could go a long way to deciding Washington or Charlotte’s fate. A team like the Wizards is another good test for the Bobcats to prove they’re on the upswing.

Jan 15. at Philadelphia -- The Bobcats must prove they won’t lose to the team that on paper is set to lose the most games in the 2013-14 season. It’s a different type of litmus test for Charlotte, but a game the Bobcats can’t mail in if they want to sniff a playoff berth.

Beginning Feb. 22 and running through March 10, the Bobcats play the Grizzlies, Spurs, Thunder, Heat, Pacers, Cavs, Grizzlies again, and then the Nuggets. That is not an easy stretch for any NBA squad, let alone one trying to become relevant.

The final 10 games of the regular season should be reasonable for Charlotte, which has two games each against Washington, Philadelphia and Orlando. The Bobcats also play the Cavs, Celtics and Hawks, with a final game against the Chicago Bulls.

Back-to-backs: 22

Season opener: Oct. 30 at Houston

Home opener: Nov. 1 vs. Cavaliers

Longest road trip: Five games (Dec. 28-Jan. 4)

Longest homestand: Three games (Nov. 6-11, Nov. 25-29, Dec. 6-11, Dec. 21-27, Jan. 18-22, Feb. 19-22, March 22-26)