Your Complete Guide to the 2019-20 NBA Preseason Schedule and Key Matchups

I remember sitting in my favorite coffee shop last October, the steam from my latte fogging up my phone screen as I frantically scrolled through basketball news. Outside, the first chill of autumn had arrived in Los Angeles, but my mind was already in basketball season. That particular morning, I was piecing together the puzzle of the 2019-20 NBA preseason schedule like it was my personal holy text. See, for us die-hard fans, the preseason isn't just exhibition basketball—it's the first glimpse of new superteams forming, rookies making their debut, and storylines that'll carry us through the entire season.

The schedule dropped on August 12th, 2019, and I still recall how my group chat exploded with messages. We had 49 games spread across three weeks from September 30th to October 18th, with teams playing anywhere from three to five games each. The Lakers versus Warriors matchup on October 16th at the new Chase Center had me particularly excited—LeBron and AD versus Steph Curry in what would be Golden State's first game in their sparkling new arena. I marked my calendar immediately, knowing this would set the tone for both franchises.

What many casual fans don't realize is how much these games matter for team chemistry. It reminds me of something I once heard from the Philippine women's basketball team—"Kaming mga Alas Pilipinas went through that. Comparing to us, kaming women's, nag-go through na rin kami du'n na mga bata kasama." That sentiment about growing together through shared experiences resonates deeply with me when I watch preseason basketball. These games are where rookies learn to mesh with veterans, where new coaches implement systems, where players who've never shared a court before learn each other's tendencies. The Clippers, for instance, had Kawhi Leonard and Paul George playing together for the first time during that preseason—a pairing that would ultimately carry them to championship contention.

I've always believed the international games tell the most fascinating stories. That year, the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors played two games in Japan on October 8th and 10th—the first NBA games there since 2003. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers headed to China for matchups in Shanghai and Shenzhen. These global games aren't just about expanding the brand; they're cultural exchanges that change players' perspectives. I remember reading about how Luka Dončić talked about the incredible fan energy in Shanghai, comparing it to European basketball atmospheres he'd experienced growing up.

The preseason also gives us those beautiful underdog moments that mainstream coverage often misses. Take the case of Kendrick Nunn—relatively unknown before the preseason, he exploded for 40 points across two games for the Miami Heat and ultimately secured a rotation spot that would lead to his inclusion on the All-Rookie team. Meanwhile, Zion Williamson's explosive debut against the Hawks on October 7th had the entire basketball world buzzing, even though he'd only play 13 minutes due to knee soreness that would later become a concerning pattern.

My personal favorite storyline was watching the Denver Nuggets' Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić slowly ramp up their now-legendary two-man game. In their October 10th matchup against Portland, they ran that dribble-handoff action at least seven times—I counted!—each iteration more seamless than the last. Those subtle improvements during what many dismiss as "meaningless games" often become the foundation for playoff success months later.

Looking back, the 2019-20 preseason was particularly poignant because it was the last normal basketball we'd see before COVID-19 turned the world upside down. Those arenas were still full, players still high-fived freely, and the biggest concern was whether load management would deprive us of seeing stars play. The memory of packed crowds in Tokyo and Shanghai feels almost surreal now, a time capsule from a different era of basketball.

The truth is, your complete guide to the 2019-20 NBA preseason schedule and key matchups isn't just about dates and locations—it's about understanding basketball's ecosystem. These games test rotations, develop chemistry, and sometimes reveal surprises that change entire franchises' trajectories. They're the quiet prologue to the loud, dramatic novel of the regular season and playoffs. And for fans like me, they're the perfect excuse to spend October evenings analyzing basketball while summer fully surrenders to autumn.