Most NBA fans were eagerly awaiting this day. Prior to the hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the playoffs were supposed to begin on Saturday.
Play was halted a little over five weeks ago but it seems so much longer for basketball fans, who were looking forward to a postseason that promised to hold plenty of intrigue. The Western Conference had plenty of storylines — the Los Angeles rivalry, the Rockets’ superstar guards and small-ball approach, the up-and-comers like the Nuggets, Jazz, and Mavericks, hoping to make a statement of their own. The Eastern Conference had a clear favorite – the Bucks – but the Celtics, the defending champion Raptors, and the enigmatic Sixers had the potential to make things interesting and dash Milwaukee’s aspirations.
All of the possible plot changes have been put on hold. Unfortunately, the league is no closer to setting a date for resuming play than on the scary night when everything came to a stop. Commissioner Adam Silver told the media on Friday that there’s still no way to tell if and when the season can restart. A lot of hurdles must be cleared for teams to even begin training again.
It’s generally assumed that if games are played again this season, spectators will be prohibited. There’s also been widespread speculation that games would be conducted at a neutral site such as Las Vegas but Silver indicated that the league isn’t actively pursuing a “bubble city” plan.
Meanwhile, financial losses are piling up. “Revenues, in essence, have dropped to zero,” Silver said.
That brings us to our question of the day: Do you believe the 2019/20 NBA season can salvaged? If so, how will the league be able to pull it off and still ensure the safety of all involved?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
First, the Raptors were the best in the East. Quit hating on Canada.
Second, just scrap it and prepare for next. It’s not about the fans anyway, they just want to curb financial losses.
The Raptors lost both head to head matchups and had an inferior overall record. How is that, “hating on Canada?”
The Bucks had seven more wins and six fewer losses. Sorry, but the Raptors were nowhere near ‘the best in the East’.
Scrap the whole thing so the Dubs can get to 6 in a row.
With so many obstacles, I do not believe that a season can be resumed and completed. I think what’s been played is what will go in the books with no champion declared for the year.
Full 82 games schedule must be played in any scenario when the season is resumed. If it is not possible, then just cancel this season (and in that case, start next season two or three weeks earlier than usual, so that players can get more rest later).
No it doesn’t. 82 games is already too many and everyone knows who the contenders are. No one cares who the 8 seed in the west is or who wins home court between Utah, OKC and Houston. All this stuff is meaningless and if you say otherwise your lying to yourself.
My reasons are completely different than that. I am huge fan of NBA history and record books, so I actually care more about regular season than playoff games. And with league front office mulling in-season tournaments and other changes, 82 game format is already in jeopardy – so I am afraid if they decide to truncate this season, that would only be prelude to that, which I would hate. And furthermore, if next season starts late December, half of the teams would play zero games in almost ten months (and many others would play only 5-10) – and most of them have young players that they are trying to develop.
There’s precedent for truncated seasons. 1998-99 and 2011-2012 were 50 and 66 games, respectively. It happens, then it’s back to business.
Aircraft Carrier NBA Summer Camp! I remember NCAA played some games on one of those! :)
Cancel it. At this point, they should be hoping to get a full season in next year. If they keep this charade up both this year and next year are going to be a mess.
This is the right answer. There’s no way to resume until we have national testing for anyone that wants it (we don’t), and/or a very good treatment (could be soon), and/or a vaccine.
This season can’t resume without risking every NBA player’s health, as well as trainers, coaches, team doctors, etc. There’s no way the NBA will risk the health of all these people. They’re hardly essential workers, as much as I enjoy their work.
They just need to stay home for a while like the rest of us.
This season will be finished, there is no hurry, they can finish as late as mid November, have a couple weeks off, as they had their long summer rest now, & back to training camps at the beginning of December ready to start the season on Christmas.
If they don’t finish this season just as well shut the league for good, or give a ring to Milwaukee & Lakers, both made the champions, which would be messy but better 2 champions than none at all, but an unfinished season would be the worst outcome for the league, couldn’t follow it anymore moving forward, all the madness have to finish.
#TheOnlyThingThatSpreadsFasterThanAVirus…IsFear!!!
You think they are going to play until mid-November and then start playing again in December, then how long will they play next year, until August?
Why would you possibly think that will happen?
Because he is trolling you. And it worked.
Silver has to pick dates, announce, and make rules upon advisement from health officials not by asking what to do, but sneakily asking, What if we did do it. Better yet, ask what would we do that would avoid liability if someone gets covid19!
Then do it, and equalize teams’ games played.
With the exception of Trump friend/foe Dr.Fauci, most health officials will be doubtful of a restart for unrelated reasons– mostly, the look of resumption, when “shelter in place” is the media message.
The rules should include a committment to quick firm punishment, which might also be hard for a lib-type like Silver but make people feel comfortable when one slip could make bad news.
But rules are simple and grown men can follow them.
6 feet, 1 facecover, or the Q!– and everyone will have to quarantine even ESPNers and maintenance.
I agree with
‘the look of resumption, when “shelter in place” is the media message’
sending the wrong message health-wise.
But I suppose Mark Cuban’s appearance on the Daily Show suggests an idea – they can fit all the players into those bubble suits and let them play, they won’t be able to get close enough to each other to cause harm…
I think resuming is a lost cause at this point. This season can be like the 1994 baseball season, an asterisk season.
I support resumption because making the players jump through hoops to play DOES send the right message of people doing things differently. The play itself will Not look like nothing happened; it will be clear something has.
Also we’re supposed to stay strong.
And football is coming up. Cancel that too? Maybe just at amateur younger levels?
Until we have universal testing, a good treatment, or a cure or a vaccine, there will be no sports. The NFL season is a pipe dream at this point.
Pro leagues don’t need for there to be testing available for everyone… That is a kind of moral issue for some, not a medico/technology issue in general.
Saying that is a requirement is just an opinion, not some kind of rule. As for a vaccine, there’s no sign one is coming soon, and people in the know seem to be preparing everyone for a long wait… (In so many words, given every prompt to say “it’s just around the corner” or whatever.)
The White House can be expected to favor resumption, if that matters… Maybe not to Silver.
Wh0 cares, it’s not that big of deal. Just say NO MORE and get rdy for the draft. Omgosh
Who cares about the draft? NBA ain’t about silly drafts, is about playing the game!
Give it another month then just do a shortened playoffs in Vegas and do it over about a months time.
Season was near enough done, yes it sucks if your team did make the playoffs and were close or sucks if your teams rebuilding but it’s really for the greater good that you reduce the risk of having lots of games. End of the day it’s going to be hard to please absolutely everybody.
It’s a big ask to give all the teams games and 3 weeks of regular season to get ready then playoffs.
Atleast just doing a playoff series you have half the amount of teams, half the amount of games, half the amount of players you’d need to test which reduces risk and safety of players.
NBA gets to make a good amount of money cause fans will definitely watch the playoffs.
I think you would have to make the 2 first rounds 5 game series and last 2 rounds 7 game series. Just to reduce risk and make the playoffs shorter in order to have a playoff series only take a month and in order to not expose players.
In fairness in a 7 game series most first round match ups only go 4/5 games anyways
What risk are you talking? For a bunch of healthy super fit very young dudes to catch the flu? Come on all the many players who have caught the “virus” none of them has been ill with it, just like the vast majority of people hasn’t!
They can still pass it on.
Bro your so brainless.
Did you not see what just happened with KATs mother dying.
It’s not a proven fact if your young or fit and healthy that your guaranteed to be fine. Yes these things help you not get sick and recover but they aren’t invincible. They could die from the virus, they could carry the virus and pass it on to others, people of the coaching staff could catch it and so on and so on.
If you can’t see the risk involved in starting back up the NBA, there’s something wrong.
People are dying really quickly in New York and worldwide, you can’t take this thing lightly
Doesn’t sound as if the nba wants to resume there season as bad as mlb
I think there’s still some time to decide, provided they go straight to the playoffs and shorten them. Further, since there is no other major sport being played, they can shorten the rest time between games. Playing a game, then having two or three days off in between in order to cue it up for the weekends/ratings isn’t necessary if you’re the only game in town.
Yeah exactly.
Have the first round, be a 5 game series.
4 games from the West one day, 4 games for the East the next and so on and on.
No back to backs, multiple games everyday and a first round that lasts at max 10 days.
Do the same for the second round with 2 games per day over a max of 10 days.
Then WCF and ECF over alternating days in a 7 game series, 14 days max. Then Champsionshio
34 days max then the Final series.
Meaning the NBA playoffs could be all done is just over a months time.
With that in mind, take more time to eliminate risks and make sure the players are safe and healthy.
Schedule 2 weeks of team and player tradings to start July. July 15th start the NBA playoffs. Have it all said and done by the start of September
Same exact thought idea I had, this is best way to crown a winner
If they were to restart, I keep hearing the plan would be to delay the start of next season. Given that, and more importantly, the safety concerns, I’d rather they just cancel it. Why take the risks and mess up two seasons?
Why not? Playoffs make the money. The league considers shortening seasons anyway.