Around the NBA: Teams reporting to Orlando bubble

22 teams in Playoff contention are arriving in Orlando this week to have mini-camps, scrimmages, and soon, resume the 2019-20 regular season.

Teams began to arrive in the Orlando “bubble” yesterday and will continue this week until all 22 remaining squads are present and ready to begin training camps and scrimmages. Upon completion of health screenings, players will be allowed to participate in group workouts that will serve as a condensed training camp.

All teams will play in three scrimmage games from July 22nd through the 28th. Then, what is essentially week 22 of the NBA regular season will resume starting the 30th. With fewer games and not all teams in attendance, the NBA is referring to this stretch as “seeding games.”

The final of these seeding games would be any necessary “play-in” games between close 8 and 9 seeds, which would take place August 15th and 16th. The Playoffs begin August 17th and will be a typical slate of 16 teams divided by conference, all playing best-of-seven series until the Finals, which would conclude no later than October 13th.

Though all the above dates are clear, the country is still in a fluid pandemic state amidst the coronavirus (covid-19) issues. Several players have already opted out due to illness, the possibility of illness, or fear of infecting loved ones. At this time, most of the impact players that have announced they will not be attending are doing so due to injury/rehab concerns such as Bradley Beal and Victor Oladipo.

So, it is unclear whether or not the above plan will go on without issue. Continuous health screening and safety measures will be firmly set in place. Players (or faculty and staff) in Orlando that are diagnosed with covid-19 will be removed from the bubble and must quarantine for a minimum of two weeks while the team plays its schedule as normal.

For additional details concerning this return to play, check out the info here at NBA.com

Undoubtedly, this will be an NBA Playoffs to remember. We can only hope that all involved remain healthy and safe. Things may not continue as planned, but we appreciate the opportunity to watch some top-level hoops once again. For continued coverage, keep it locked here and follow along with us on Twitter.

Around the NBA: Game on

The NBA is on its way back, having approved a 22-team plan to bring back basketball with a few covid-related twists.

A shred of good news in what has been an unfortunate time in our country, it seems that we will see the return of NBA basketball within the next two months. The NBA has just approved a plan that will allow for a return of the season, gaining approval by the board of governors in a 29 to one vote (per Woj, ESPN).

The approved plan is for 22 teams to return to action, 13 from the Western Conference and nine from the East. These teams make up the top eight from each conference as well as any team that was within six games of the eighth seed when the hiatus began.

Beginning July 31st, each team will play eight more regular-season games. If the nine seed was within four games of the eighth and final playoff spot, they will have a small play-in series; single elimination for the nine seed and double elimination for the eight. At the conclusion of these games, the playoffs will resume as normal. The Finals will end on October 12th at the latest.

With this new format, the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Jazz, Thunder, and Rockets have officially clinched spots. The Mavericks will only not clench in a perfect storm. The Grizzlies, Trailblazers, Pelicans, Kings, Spurs, and Suns will all be left to duke it out for the final spot.

In the East, the Bucks, Celtics, Raptors, Heat, Pacers, and 76ers have now clenched spots. The Wizards, Nets, and Magic are left to fight for the remaining two spots.

All games will be played in Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. The players and staff will all stay at park hotels, be instructed to eat at outdoor restaurants only, and be tested for covid daily. If a player tests positive, he will be removed, treated, and quarantined individually while the rest of his team plays on. Park staff will also be tested, not enter player rooms, and limit contact.

Players would likely take an approximate 15 percent pay-cut due to missed games under this plan, but the exact figure has not been released. The NBPA will speak with the Association on this soon.

The next regular season is a whole other matter but may begin December 1st. The eight teams that are not participating in the above proposal would have gone almost nine months without playing at that time.

There are concerns and questions that accompany this return, but there are many positives as well. The main takeaway is that basketball is coming back. Several teams already have opened facilities, though no more than four players are allowed at a time, only allowed to do individual workouts. Slowly but surely, things will ramp up, starting with June 30th training camps and travel to Orlando on July 7th.

We will keep you filled in as details continue to emerge. Game on!

Around the NBA: Snapshot of where things left off

When the NBA came to a sudden halt amidst coronavirus scares, we were already about three-quarters through the season.

It has been a little over a month since the NBA came to a screeching halt before the tipoff of a Jazz vs. Thunder game once it was discovered that Rudy Gobert had coronavirus - now more specifically called covid-19. All teams had played at least 64 games of the 82 scheduled and the playoff picture was coming into focus.

It is unknown at this time if or when the Association will return to action. It has already been a lengthy hiatus, greatly disrupting the flow of the season. The players have been working in home gyms, playing NBA2K, and even had an ESPN televised game of horse, with current, former, and WNBA players participating (below).

Discussions have suggested that the season may be over. Others suggest a return as soon as early May. We don’t know for sure, but until then, we take a look at where we left off.

James Harden unsurprisingly leads in points per game, even after slowing from his early, ridiculous pace at 34.4. Bradley Beal, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Trae Young are all averaging right around 30 with Lillard and Doncic not far behind. Andre Drummond leads all rebounders with 15.2 per game. Hassan Whiteside is next with 14.2 and Antetokounmpo and Gobert are tied at 13.7 apiece.

LeBron James is on pace to lead the NBA in assists for the first time in his career, averaging 10.6 per contest. Trae Young is the only other player averaging at least nine at 9.3.

Only two players are averaging at least two steals per game - Ben Simmons (2.1) and Kris Dunn (2.0). Whiteside is the blocks leader at 3.1 with Brook Lopez and Anthony Davis tied for second at 2.4 swats.

Current Standings

The Milwaukee Bucks were well on their way to having a historic season, though they did begin resting players, going on a three-game losing steak before the hiatus. They still have a comfortable lead despite the strong play of the reigning champion Raptors.

In the West, LA reigns as the Lakers sit in first with the Clippers in second. The battle towards the bottom of the playoff picture interesting as well. Rookie of the Year hopeful, Ja Morant has Memphis in a surprising position, but Lillard has been scorching earth and New Orleans has Zion Williamson back. This race is one of the most interesting parts of how the NBA will choose to return (if it does).

The Current standings are below from basketballreference.com:

Giannis Antetokounmpo is likely the MVP favorite with his team on top and his numbers and defense as elite as it comes. LeBron and Davis both make strong cases, as does Harden, though the Rockets are believed to be underachieving a bit. Leaders on a pair of surprising teams, Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler are in the conversation as well.

Whether we dive right into the playoffs, resume the season, or miss it altogether, this will be a memorable time for the league. We are excited for basketball to return, but above all, hope for the safety of all. Stick around as we monitor the rapidly changing developments and how the sport of basketball will be impacted. Stay safe!

Note: The 2020 WNBA Draft is still on! Tune into ESPN at 8:00 pm central!

All statistics used from basketballreference.com