6:19pm: The Nets intend to reopen their facility for voluntary workouts on Tuesday, the team confirmed today (Twitter link via Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News).
12:04pm: Gov. Andrew Cuomo has granted permission for New York sports teams to resume operations immediately, stating in a tweet that “Starting today, NY professional sports leagues can begin spring training.”
Although coronavirus cases remain high in the New York City area, Cuomo believes sports can be conducted safely without spectators in the stands. He made similar comments this morning during a briefing at Jones Beach on Long Island, according to Joseph Spector of The USA Today Network.
“I believe that sports that can come back without having people in the stadium, without having people in the arena, do it. Do it,” Cuomo told reporters.
The Knicks and Nets are two of the 11 NBA teams that haven’t opened their training facilities, notes Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).
However, both teams may try to train somewhere else before joining the rest of the league in Orlando. A story published Friday by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski listed the Knicks, Nets, Celtics and Raptors as organizations that have expressed concerns to the league about unique complications affecting their marketplaces.
Cuomo has been urging professional leagues, most of which have their headquarters in his state, to explore ways to start playing again, Spector adds.
“Work out the economics if you can. We want you up,” Cuomo said. “We want people to be able to watch sport. To the extent people are still staying home, it gives people something to do. It’s a return to normalcy.”
Finally
Right but our synagogues can’t open but sports facilities cld open clear anti Semitic moves by our dumb governor
Uh, I don’t think mosques or churches are open, either.
The real question is Will Durant be back?
Warriors, Knicks and Hawks have discussed about draft pick trade
Essentially, the US had one shot to attack the COVID-19 issue, they blew it, and now they’re about to dig their hole deeper through impatience and disorganization.
I believe the draft schedule was not going to change. If that’s the case, no one but the 16 teams currently in playoff seeds should be reporting. Well, I suppose teams can play out the string up until the draft but it doesn’t make a lot of sense for teams like the Knicks to risk injury to its players when they have virtually no shot at a playoff spot. It would make most sense to end the regular season now and go straight to the playoffs. Of course financials need to be worked out, but I can’t say continuing the full regular season makes sense.
So change the draft schedule. It is perfectly malleable. Then teams are free to compete.
Logistically, for the amount of people required in the “bubble” it doesn’t make sense to bring all 30 teams back. If they’re determined to at least play some of the remaining regular season and allow teams to treat regular season games as a way to warm up for the playoffs, I think bring 20 teams – ten in each conference – makes sense if they’re not limiting it to current playoff teams.
The problem with that is you have two teams tied for 10th in the West. Another solution is to split the difference between 16 playoff teams and all 30, but keep it an even number of teams per conference. 12 per conference would give all the teams in the West in legitimate striking distance, except Phoenix who’s six games out with 17 to go, a shot. Going to 12 in the East would give the Knicks a reason to return to practice, but it’s almost pointless being 9.5 games out with 16 to go.
Your first sentence throws off the logic of your whole train of thought. Any effort that can contain 20 teams can also be applied to 30. It’s a big place, and under one third-party ownership. If the bubble is made safe, which DisneyWorld not Adam Silver will be ensuring, they could proceed with the GL when the NBA is done.
It’s about how many people are allowed to trail along who don’t really want to be there. Engaged fans with a day pass would care more about controlling their lifestyle than most ACs. Heck a fan would happily spend most of the day near courts, bubble-ized, while an AC would rather spend time with their young kids and how safe are they?
Talk about where to draw lines and qualify teams will take up more time than it’s worth and make most people dissatisfied. Just follow tradition as much as possible and focus on avoiding people’s exposure.
The best alternative is to separate playoff and non-playoff teams since motivations can vary predictably. Sloan Cup & Kobe Kup for #1