More Details On NBA’s Health, Safety Protocols For Orlando
We relayed a number of details on the NBA’s return-to-play plan in a series of posts on Tuesday, but those details continued to trickle in late on Tuesday night. The NBA sent a 113-page document to teams outlining the health and safety protocols that will govern the league’s return in Orlando, and Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic and Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN were among those rounding up the highlights.
Here are some of the key points from that handbook that we haven’t full covered yet:
- The NBA will establish an anonymous hotline that will allow individuals on the Orlando campus to report those who are violating social-distancing and safety guidelines, per Charania and Amick. If a player is found to be violating those guidelines, he could be subject to a warning, fine, suspension, and/or even removal from the campus, according to The Athletic’s report.
- Teams will be permitted to bring a 37-person traveling party to Orlando, according to Windhorst and Bontemps. In addition to up to 17 players, teams will be bringing coaches, trainers, equipment managers, and potentially security and front-office personnel, and will be encouraged to bring a mental health professional, per ESPN. If a club advances beyond the first round of the postseason, it will be allowed to add two members to its party — the team could bring two more members to Orlando if it advances past the second round.
- While no fans will be permitted to attend games, there will be people in the stands, including a limited number of media members, team executives, league and union personnel, sponsors, and even rival players, according to ESPN.
- Individuals who leave the Orlando campus and want to re-enter would face a self-quarantine period of 10 days. However, in the event of an emergency, an excused absence is possible, according to Windhorst and Bontemps. Re-entering the campus after an excused absence would only require a four-day quarantine as long as the person repeatedly tested negative for the coronavirus.
- Although players won’t be tested for recreational drugs in Orlando, they’ve been advised that marijuana is illegal in Florida and is banned at Disney World, as Windhorst and Bontemps note.
- If a team staff member (ie. not a player) opts not to travel to Orlando, it will be up to the person’s team whether or not to continue paying them for games and team activities, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
- Housekeeping staff at Disney is expected to service hotel rooms just once a week (wearing PPE) in order to minimize potential interactions with players, tweets ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
- As both The Athletic and ESPN reports outline, a number of leisure activities will be available to players and others within the bubble, but strict protocols will be in place for those activities. For instance, decks of cards will have to be disposed after use, doubles games of ping-pong won’t be permitted, and no caddies or sharing of balls and clubs will be allowed during golfing.
More Details Emerge On NBA Campus Plan
Details emerged about the NBA’s six-phase plan earlier today and more information is trickling in. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the league has confirmed it will not suspend the season again if some players test positive for COVID-19.
“The occurrence of a small or otherwise expected number of COVID-19 cases will not require a decision to suspend or cancel the resumption of the 2019-20 season,” the NBA Health and Safety protocol read.
Here’s more on the league’s return to play:
- In the NBA campus, teams will have two rows on the bench and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links) relays what the protocol for those spots will be. The first row will have players and coaches. No mask will be required, though it’s recommended that coaches wear one. In the second row, other players and coaches will be required to wear a mask at all times unless the player is an active player.
- Referees will not be required to wear masks on the court, Charania adds.
- All players, team staff, and guests will be required to acknowledge in writing that they will adhere to all rules set forth by the league while on the NBA campus, Charania tweets. Failure to adhere to the rules could result in discipline that may include a warning, fine, suspension, or getting kicked off the campus.
Players Bringing Guests To NBA Campus Face Restrictions
Earlier today, Shams Charania of The Athletic published a lengthy document disguised as an article that provided the league’s plan to resume the 2019/20 season. The six-phase plan will gradually take steps toward playing real basketball in Orlando and the NBA is taking every feasible step toward providing a safe environment for its players.
Part of that includes restrictions for players’ guests. They won’t be permitted on the campus through the first five phases and will only be allowed once the first round of the playoffs concludes. Here are some details on the guest situation:
- Every remaining team following the first round of the playoffs will be allowed to reserve up to 17 guest rooms (one for every player, so if a club only has 15 men on the roster, then it will only be 15).
- Players are responsible to pay for their guests’ housing. However, the cost of meals and COVID-19 testing will not be charged to players.
- Guests will have to undergo three days of self-quarantine outside of the NBA campus. This can be done in the team’s home market or in Orlando.
- If a guest does not return a positive COVID-19 test, then they may join the NBA campus. However, upon arrival in the bubble, the guest will have to quarantine for four additional days and receive testing each day.
- Agents are not allowed to go unless that person is also a family member.
- Once a guest leaves the campus, they are not allowed back in.
NBA Introduces Six Phases For Return
The NBA’s plan to return is starting to take shape and Shams Charania of The Athletic has some details on the league’s bubble campus at Disney World in Orlando.
For starters, players are not obligated to attend. Any player who chooses not to play in the resumption of the season in Orlando will have to notify his team by June 24. Players will not be penalized for missing the contests (fines, future suspensions) but they will not be paid for the games. Compensation would be reduced by 1/92.6 for each game missed.
Some players, however, will fall under the “excused” or “protected” player criteria, meaning they will not have their salaries reduced as a result of missing time. “Protected” players are those whom the team believes has a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. “Excused” players will need a panel of three medical experts to determine that they have a higher risk for severe illness.
Here are more details on the NBA’s return:
Phase 1: June 12-22
All players will undergo mandatory coronavirus testing in their home markets beginning on June 23. All players who were outside the United States should have returned to their home market already (June 15 was the deadline) and all other players should return to their home market by June 22.
- The Raptors are an exception, as they are the league’s only international franchise. The team will gather in Naples, Florida and use Florida Gulf Coast University’s facilities to practice.
During Phase 1, several guidelines are in play:
- Team facilities are open to players and only individual workouts are permitted, though participation is voluntary. Virtual meetings/workouts are also allowed.
- Once players return to their home market, they are expected to leave the house only for essentials and trips to the team’s facilities. That extends to anyone in their households.
Phase 2: June 23-30
By now, all players are expected to be utilizing their team facilities with the exception of the Raptors. Players are still expected to uphold the same guidelines for leaving their homes as in Phase 1. In Phase 2:
- Mandatory COVID-19 testing will begin, which will consist of nasal swabs and oral swabs as well as blood drawn. There’s a long swab called the nasopharyngeal. That will not be used as it was reported to have caused discomfort. Players have the option of volunteering to participate in a Yale study that is designed to come up with a saliva-based test.
- Players must self-report if they or a member of their household are feeling sick or have symptoms. That information will go to the team’s medical staff.
Phase 3: July 1-7
Head coaches enter the picture in Phase 3.
- Workouts, which will still be conducted at the team’s home locations (again, with the exception of Toronto), will be mandatory. Group workouts are still not allowed and no more than eight players will be allowed in the facilities at any given time.
Phase 4: July 7-11
Teams will begin to head to Disney World. Travel will be staggered via either flight or bus to Orlando between July 7-9.
Once teams arrive in Florida, there are some unique guidelines and protocols:
- Players and team staff will stay isolated in their rooms. That will be the case until they have two negative COVID-19 tests at least 24 hours apart.
- It’s optional, but players can wear proximity alarms which will buzz if someone spends more than five seconds within six feet of another human being. For the alarm to work, the other person must also be wearing the alarm.
- Team and league staff must wear the alarm. It remains to be seen whether referees will have to wear it.
Everyone on the campus will have to wear face masks. Some Disney employees will not be required to reside in the bubble nor undergo COVID-19 testing. Their temperature will be checked daily and they will be checked for symptoms.
Phase 4 Continued: July 11-21
By this point, everyone is at the NBA Campus. Group workouts will be allowed after the initial self isolation, though players will undergo COVID-19 testing routinely as well as undergoing daily temperature checks and other tests.
Players can only eat meals and participate in activities with other people staying in their hotel. The hotel situation is based on seeding, as Charania adds on Twitter. Here are the three groups:
Gran Destino:
- Bucks
- Lakers
- Raptors
- Clippers
- Celtics
- Nuggets
- Jazz
- Heat
Grand Floridian:
- Thunder
- 76ers
- Rockets
- Pacers
- Mavericks
- Nets
- Grizzlies
- Magic
Yacht Club:
- Blazers
- Kings
- Pelicans
- Spurs
- Suns
- Wizards
The split means you won’t see Ben Simmons playing golf (one of the activities allowed, along with playing cards) with LeBron James before July 21. Some other restrictions include:
- Any meal eaten with a player from another team must be done outside.
- Players are not allowed to hang out in each other’s hotels.
- There may be a few exceptions, but all food will be prepared on the NBA campus. However, players are allowed to hire a personal chef to prepare meals to be delivered to the campus.
Players are allowed to leave the campus, but the expectation is that they will stay on it. If a player leaves without prior approval, he will be subjected to testing, including that uncomfortable nasopharyngeal swab testing and a 10-to-14 day self-quarantine. The player could also be subjected to a reduction in pay for games he misses.
Phase 5: July 22-29
Each team will play three scrimmages against other clubs that are staying at the same hotel. Starting July 22, players and team staff are allowed to socialize with anyone from any of the hotels. Players still can’t go into another person’s hotel.
Phase 6: July 30-Oct 13
We are playing basketball.
- Teams will play eight regular-season contests to determine seeding (“seeding games”). If necessary, there will be a play-in tournament for the eighth seed.
- After all is sorted out, we will have a traditional 16-team, four-round, best-of-seven playoff format.
Once a team is eliminated, its players and staff will be tested and then immediately depart from the NBA campus.
In years past, players of championship teams have looked at the camera and said “I’m going to Disney World.” This year, the last remaining team at the resort will be crowned the champion.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Avery Bradley, Players’ Coalition Outline Priorities Prior To NBA Return
Avery Bradley, who co-leads the players’ coalition along with Kyrie Irving, spoke with Malika Andrews and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com to outline what the group would like to see done before the NBA resumes its season.
Among the priorities is the improved hiring practices for black front office and head coaching positions in the NBA. Bradley also suggested that the league’s front offices should better reflect its composition of players. Currently, there are just eight black general managers – including only four that have final say on basketball decisions – and seven black head coaches.
“Regardless of how much media coverage will be received, talking and raising awareness about social injustice isn’t enough,” Bradley said. “Are we that self-centered to believe no one in the world is aware of racism right now? That as athletes, we solve the real issues by using our platforms to speak?
“We don’t need to say more. We need to find a way to achieve more. Protesting during an anthem, wearing T-shirts is great, but we need to see real actions being put in to the works.”
Another priority is which organizations the league does business with and which foundations it provides donations to. The black community should be better represented in those areas, Bradley argues. Additionally, Bradley calls for the owners to stand behind the players. The Lakers guard hopes that the league’s owners will follow the charitable work of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Hornets owner Michael Jordan. Both made substantial contributions in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
“I agree [the] Orlando [restart] will give the players checks to contribute back into their communities,” Bradley said. “But how much of that bubble check are players actually able to contribute? Why [is] all of the responsibility being put on the players?”
Bradley added that he hasn’t seen a plan from the NBA for league-wide action.
“Don’t put all of the weight on your player to take care of the issue,” Bradley said. “If you care about us, you can’t remain silent and in the background.”
Other players are behind Irving and Bradley, though the ESPN duo notes that many are reluctant to speak out for fear of backlash.
“The actual act of sitting out doesn’t directly fight systemic racism,” Bradley said. “But it does highlight the reality that without black athletes, the NBA wouldn’t be what it is today. The league has a responsibility to our communities in helping to empower us — just as we have made the NBA brand strong.”
Pacers Interested In Gordon Hayward?
Gordon Hayward has the option to hit the market this offseason and the Pacers may have eyes for the former Butler wing. J.Michael of the Indianapolis Star (via NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics Talk Podcast) indicates that Indiana would have a level of interest in the 30-year-old.
“There’s no doubt (he) would be (a potential target for the Pacers),” Michael said. “…the kind of player Hayward is, is the kind of player they would definitely be interested in.”
Hayward, who has a player option on his deal for next season worth $34.2MM, can play multiple positions and that would be valuable alongside Indiana’s core.
“You can play an even more small-ball lineup,” Michael said. “Say for instance, you moved on (Myles Turner) or (Domantas Sabonis). Now you have space where you can go with real small-ball lineups and slot guys like him at the (power forward) and come up with some real diverse lineups that could give teams troubles and still have that big man/rim protector underneath to help keep the defensive integrity.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic shortening the season, the exact value of the 2020/21 salary cap is to be determined. Same with the following year. Still, Indiana has approximately $122.8MM in guaranteed contracts on the books for next season, which creates obstacles to Indiana outright signing Hayward if he were to opt to hit the market.
Magic Notes: Bamba, Offseason, Restart
Rim protection may be something the Magic search for in the offseason, Josh Robbins and Seth Partnow write in a piece for The Athletic. Partnow, who previously served as the director of basketball research for the Bucks, believes Mohamed Bamba has the potential to be the defensive centerpiece for Orlando, but the former top-10 pick simply hasn’t put it all together through the first two years in the league. Having said that, Partnow would ultimately give Bamba more time in the hope that he can reach his potential.
Partnow also breaks down the definition of “rim protection,” lamenting that we all have the same broad definition: a player near the rim protects it. Yet, when diving into the stats, there are many assumptions and decisions evaluators have to make. Partnow explained that when he was in Milwaukee, he couldn’t find a metric that truly encapsulated rim protection even though there are stats that can help to narrow down the field of who’s good and who’s bad at it.
The whole article is really a fascinating look into how some front offices evaluate and it’s worth a read. Here’s more from that piece as well as notes from Orlando:
- Khem Birch‘s natural position may be center, but the Magic have utilized him differently during the 2019/20 campaign, Robbins explains in that same piece for The Athletic. Birch split time between power forward and center, as injuries to Nikola Vucevic and Jonathan Isaac forced the team to play him at both spots. Coach Steve Clifford realized that Birch is not well equipped to play the four and that’s something to consider when looking ahead to Orlando’s offseason and the potential logjam at the center position between Vucevic, Birch and Bamba.
- The Magic are focusing on conditioning as they await the restart of the season, Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Orlando is one of 22 teams invited to the resumption of the 2019/20 season at Disney World.
- Clifford believes his team could have an advantage when play resumes. “Hopefully we can get ready quicker, be one of the teams that has a great readiness to start after whatever period of time they give us to practice and play well and make some noise, and again, play meaningful games, which is what we all want to do,” Clifford said (via Parry’s piece).
And-Ones: Thompson, Mozgov, Stone, FIBA
Klay Thompson‘s max deal was, at best, a risky proposition for the Warriors even before he suffered an ACL tear, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger. Thompson’s five-year deal has the potential to be the league’s most regrettable contract, according to Hollinger, who takes a look at the 10 worst current free agent deals. The multi-year contracts handed to Tobias Harris, D’Angelo Russell and Harrison Barnes also rank as poor values compared to the purchase price, in Hollinger’s estimation.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA center Timofey Mozgov has suffered another injury setback, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia. Mozgov, currently signed by Russian team Khimki, will require another knee surgery and miss another 4-6 months of action. He did not play during the 2019/20 season due to knee issues. In November, the NBA permitted the Magic to remove Mozgov’s remaining cap hits from their books after determining that his health issues were likely career-ending.
- Former NBA guard Julyan Stone has re-signed with Italy’s Reyer Venezia, Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays. Stone averaged 4.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 3.1 APG in EuroCup action. Stone played 70 NBA games, most recently for Charlotte (23 games) during the 2017/18 season.
- The Board of FIBA Europe has officially cancelled the seasons of the FIBA Europe Cup, EuroLeague Women and EuroCup Women, according to Carchia. Play was halted in those leagues during March. The board also decided that FIBA EuroBasket qualifiers, scheduled for November, could be postponed until February, if necessary.
Nuggets Coach Michael Malone Had COVID-19
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone revealed on Monday that he contracted the novel coronavirus in March.
Malone is the first NBA coach known to have tested positive for the virus. In March, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton was the first prominent head coach in a major U.S. sport who revealed he had COVID-19.
Malone made his revelation during an interview with CBS Denver 4 (hat tip to ESPN). Malone didn’t find out he had the virus until he received an antibody test approximately two months later.
“I’d say around March 20, I started not feeling well, and we began reaching out to team doctors to see if I could get a test,” Malone said. “Unfortunately, at that time, there was no testing available. So I only found out after the fact. I was able to get an antibody test probably right around Memorial Day weekend. And not surprisingly, our team doctor called up and said, ‘Listen, you tested positive.'”
Numerous players contracted the virus in March following Rudy Gobert‘s positive test that resulted in the suspension of play, including Gobert’s teammate Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant, Christian Wood and Marcus Smart. Interestingly, an unnamed member of the Nuggets organization also tested positive in March. That person was experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 on March 16.
Malone’s team was 43-22 when play was halted and remains one of the top contenders for the title. Malone is hopeful that the Orlando bubble environment will limit the possibility of an outbreak among participants.
“I hope that going down to Orlando will be a safe environment and we can limit the amount of people that actually get [COVID-19],” he said.
Silver Remains Optimistic About Resuming Season
NBA commissioner Adam Silver remains confident the league will restart the season at the end of July despite growing concerns from a faction of players, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays. Silver made his comments during ESPN’s special “Return To Sports” broadcast on Monday evening.
Silver is sensitive and sympathetic to the feeling of some players that the resumption of play could take the focus off social justice reforms. A player coalition led by Nets star Kyrie Irving and Lakers guard Avery Bradley is pursuing a further examination of the league’s plan to restart the season in Orlando.
That group has also raised concerns regarding an increase in positive coronavirus cases in Florida; the restrictive environment in the Orlando Disney bubble, insurance for players regarding potential illnesses; and the risk of injuries during an accelerated finish.
“Listen, it’s not an ideal situation,” Silver said. “We are trying to find a way to our own normalcy in the middle of a pandemic, in the middle of essentially a recession or worse with 40 million unemployed, and now with enormous social unrest in the country. And so as we work through these issues, I can understand how some players may feel, that it’s not for them … it may be for family reasons, it may be for health reasons they have, or it may be because they feel — as some players have said very recently — that their time is best spent elsewhere.”
Silver believes the league could heighten awareness and get the social justice message across effectively while getting back in action. It would also be a major financial boost for all parties involved.
“In terms of social justice issues, it’ll be an opportunity for NBA players in the greater community to draw attention to the issues because the world’s attention will be on the NBA in Orlando if we’re able to pull this off. … I think part of it’s going to require a fair amount of listening, something we’ve been doing already,” he said. “But then engaging in very deliberate behavior, together with the players, in terms of how can we use our larger platform, the NBA together with the players, really to effect change.”
Concerns regarding the coronavirus itself and those at greatest risk are also being addressed. The league has sent teams a medical history questionnaire for players, coaches and their traveling party to fill out, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Medical professionals will use that information to determine if members can fully participate in the restart, be restricted from certain activities, or be excused due to pre-existing conditions.