Several cities are being considered as possible hosts for the eight teams that weren’t invited to Orlando, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic. Participants in a league conference call this week mentioned Las Vegas and Houston, which were both eyed as potential sites for the 22-team field before Orlando was chosen. Amick states that some of the eight teams involved have expressed interest in hosting the event, citing the Timberwolves as a possibility.
Sources tell Amick that the Cavaliers, Pistons and Hawks have been the strongest advocates to the league about setting up some type of eight-team arrangement so their players can have the benefit of competition before next season begins. However, the Knicks have been reluctant because they have so many potential free agents who may refuse to participate. He suggests New York would be more willing to get involved if it could use G League players to fill its roster.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- The NBA isn’t doubting its decision to bring the restart to Walt Disney World, even though coronavirus cases are rising sharply in Florida, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. He spoke with several league and team officials who expressed confidence in the plan for a bubble environment. Mannix adds that the league might eventually reconsider its policy of not testing some Disney employees, noting that the guidelines issued last week can still be changed.
- Commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA president Chris Paul are both calling on teams to increase diversity in their coaching and front office hires, writes Mark Medina of USA Today. The league currently has just 11 Black head coaches, nine female assistants and nine Black general managers. “There is no doubt there is more we can do internally, the league and our teams and in terms of our hiring practices,” Silver said on a conference call Friday. “The league needs to do a good job, in particular, when it comes to hiring African Americans at every level in the league. It’s something we have been focused on with our teams.”
- John Hollinger of The Athletic assesses each team’s schedule for Orlando, finding that the Pelicans have the easiest slate and the Heat have the most challenging. Six of New Orleans’ eight games will be against teams with losing records.
Just cancel the NBA no one wants to play
Got to love bug time politics in the NBA.
The Pelicans with the new rating wiz kid and the Love if the NBA gets the easiest schedule for a chance at the playoffs, Ra Ra Go Team !!!
Then a team the they don’t much like along with the Press and Networks, the Heat, get hammered.
Oh, almost forgot, 2 of their favorite Stars in Philly also get a Cupcake Schedule to boot.
At least all the games are on a neutral site.
Yes, it’s crying off already spilled milk.
Let’s Play Ball !!!
Say what ??
Tears and whining.
I have no idea what this says
Seek help.
Makes no difference what Philly does, even with a cupcake schedule. They will lose in the first round to either Boston or Miami.
You are a bit salty as you know HOU is 1 & out, actually I must praise them, never thought they would make it to the playoffs this year, there you are!
You realize the eight-game regular season is based on the opponents each team would’ve faced had they continued their normal schedules, right? In other words, this would’ve happened regardless. The NBA is not “biased” and if the Heat are actually contenders, they should be winning these games either way
KC for the other Teams.
The Knicks concern is totally legit not only from their point of view but even more from the pending FA players who basically risk their lives with zero chance at the playoffs and the potential to do nothing but hurt their value in FA.
The Knicks also have several guys with options the team shouldn’t have to decide on until the official offseason.
The only way I think this works is if the non playoff contending teams are allowed to put any vets on a suspended list and replace them on the roster. This would allow the excluded teams to at least check out some Gleague and unrostered talent and hopefully get something out of the next few months. This is just a practice league so roster rules are unimportant and let’s not pretend access to trying out some extra Gleague players is an unfair benefit for teams who just got excluded from half a season.
Yes, rules should be variable, teams have motivation to lose games anyway if they’re official.
Why not just have the regular Summer League? But Vegas is an awful venue choice, it is going to be a pool of swarming virus within 2 weeks, casinos are packed and not requiring masks.