Magic Number: 4,000 Fans In Stands
The Magic will allow approximately 4,000 physical-distanced fans for regular-season games, the team announced in a press release.
Initially, there will be fewer people in the stands at Amway Center. Preseason games will only be open to family members of the Magic organization during an evaluation phase, while the first five regular-season home games are expected to be under the 4,000-fan limit in order to allow them to get accustomed to the health and safety protocols. Priority will be given to season ticket holders, followed by fans who made a season ticket deposit.
The Magic are just one of five NBA franchises — along with the Jazz, Grizzlies, Pelicans and Rockets — planning to have fans in the stands when the regular season begins next week. Orlando had previously announced its intentions to open its doors to fans but the release on Monday gives concrete details.
Protocols will include mandatory face coverings; a pre-arrival symptom and exposure survey; testing for those in close proximity to the court; deep and constant cleaning in high-traffic areas; hand sanitizer stations; and a no-bag policy. Amway Center has also implemented numerous health and sanitization upgrades.
And-Ones: Fans In Arenas, W. Chandler, 2021 Draft, More
For the time being, only five teams – the Jazz, Pelicans, Magic, Rockets, and Grizzlies – are continuing with their plans to have some fans in arenas when the regular season begins, sources tell David Aldridge of The Athletic.
The Mavericks and Heat each confirmed today that they won’t have fans for their preseason games, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami also won’t host fans for its Christmas Day game, as Chiang notes.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA intends to administer a daily point-of-care, rapid coronavirus testing system for the 2020/21 season, according to Shams Charania and Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter links). Those tests would return results within 30 minutes in teams’ home markets and within 90 minutes on the road. In the event of invalid results, the player would undergo another rapid test at least 30 minutes after the first one and could participate in team activities while awaiting the result, sources tell The Athletic.
- Veteran forward Wilson Chandler is expected to leave Zhejiang Guangsha, his team in China, a source tells Sportando. Chandler, who finished the 2019/20 season with Brooklyn, signed to play in the Chinese Basketball Association in the fall. It’s unclear whether or not his reported exit is related to an NBA opportunity.
- ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz have published their first list of the top 100 prospects for the 2021 NBA draft. Oklahoma State point guard Cade Cunningham leads the way, followed by USC’s Evan Mobley and Jalen Green of the G League Ignite.
- Speaking of Green and the Ignite, they’re scheduled to scrimmage on December 15 and 17 against a group of veteran G Leaguers, according to Givony (all Twitter links). It’s unclear whether or not those games will be streamed, but NBA teams will get access to the film, according to Givony, who says Isaiah Briscoe, Tariq Owens, and Bryce Alford will be among the vets scrimmaging against the Ignite.
Suns Notes: Crowder, Arena, Payne, Roster
Jae Crowder‘s arrival at training camp was delayed by personal issues apparently unrelated to COVID-19, but the Suns forward has reported to his new team and said this week that he’s “looking forward to moving forward,” writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Crowder was one of the most popular free agents on the market last month, telling reporters that 14 teams expressed interest in signing him (video link via Rankin). He cited recruiting from Chris Paul and Devin Booker as a significant factor in his decision to choose Phoenix.
“Those guys made a strong pitch and I felt like Devin is ready for real pressure,” Crowder said. “When I say real pressure, that’s playoff basketball. Playing for it all.”
Here’s more out of Phoenix:
- The Suns announced in a press release on Thursday that they won’t host fans at their home games to start the 2020/21 season, a decision that “did not come easily,” per team president/CEO Jason Rowley. “Our fans are the lifeblood of the Suns organization, and we want nothing more than to welcome our fans into our newly transformed arena in Downtown Phoenix,” Rowley said in a statement. “… However, we are exercising an abundance of caution and doing our part to maintain the health and safety of all our stakeholders during this crisis.”
- Cameron Payne was a regular part of the Suns’ rotation during the team’s 8-0 run during the summer restart. Given the changes the roster has undergone since then, he’s looking to reestablish himself as a key contributor going forward, writes Duane Rankin for The Arizona Republic.
- Gina Mizell of Suns.com takes a look back at the Suns’ offseason moves, writing that the front office was able to add veterans with playoff experience, as well as improving the team’s depth and outside shooting.
- In case you missed it, despite being hired in 2019, Monty Williams already ranks near the middle of the pack on the list of the NBA’s longest-tenured head coaches.
Coronavirus Notes: Referees, Vaccine, S. Brown
NBA players, coaches, and team personnel aren’t the only ones dealing with the league’s new coronavirus protocols this season. As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes, referees will be tested daily and will have to comply with new league rules related to indoor gatherings.
The NBA is also looking to reduce referees’ travel, Reynolds adds. While the league usually makes an effort to avoid having the same referee(s) work a particular team’s games more than once every few weeks, that may not be the case in 2020/21.
“Obviously, we won’t be able to eliminate all travel,” NBA VP Monty McCutchen said. “As much as we would like to, that won’t be possible. But just like the league took into consideration many scheduling issues for the teams to significantly reduce travel, we’re going to look at as many possibilities on a one-year basis to reduce travel so we can effectively serve the game while still living in this pandemic.”
Here are a few more updates related to COVID-19:
- The league office is working on establishing a policy for the use of coronavirus vaccines around the NBA, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who says the league wants to make sure its players are educated about vaccine choices, possible side effects, and efficacy. Timing will also be an important issue — the league is also wary of the perception of “jumping the line” ahead of higher-risk segments of the population, and recognizes that competitive balance concerns could arise if certain teams and players are vaccinated before others.
- In an interesting story for Yahoo Sports, Vincent Goodwill takes a look at how coaches around the NBA are preparing to work around the coronavirus this season and how they’ll try to ensure their players are all following the league’s protocols. “You try to put the fear of God into them,” one coach told Goodwill.
- Newly-added Rockets wing Sterling Brown had yet to practice with the team as of Wednesday due to COVID-19 protocols, head coach Stephen Silas said (Twitter link via Tim MacMahon of ESPN). Due to the delay, I wouldn’t expect Brown to be ready to go when Houston tips off its preseason schedule on Friday night.
Southeast Notes: Monk, Heat, Fultz, Bamba, Zeller
Hornets guard Malik Monk, who tested positive for the coronavirus, has now received medical clearance and could begin practicing with the team as soon as this weekend, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
According to Bonnell, Monk was scheduled to conduct individual workouts on Thursday and Friday. Hornets head coach James Borrego said that the former lottery pick should be able to participate in group workouts on Saturday and there’s still a chance he could play in the club’s second preseason game on Monday.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who says the Heat are expected to at least kick the tires on the possibility of a James Harden trade, examines what the team’s best possible offer for the Rockets star might look like. Removing the protections on the 2023 first-round pick previously sent to Oklahoma City would be important, Jackson notes, since it would allow Miami to move its ’25 and ’27 first-rounders without violating the Stepien rule.
- Josh Robbins of The Athletic explains why the Magic remain bullish on Markelle Fultz‘s upside and says there’s “no doubt whatsoever” that the team will exercise its fourth-year option for 2021/22 on Mohamed Bamba this month.
- Although Hornets fans view Terry Rozier and Cody Zeller as potential trade candidates, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer suggests in a mailbag that the odds of either players being dealt in the next few months aren’t particularly high. Of the two, Zeller is probably more likely to be moved in 2020/21, Bonnell adds.
Eight New Players Test Positive For COVID-19 Since Dec. 2
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association announced today that eight new players have returned positive tests for the coronavirus since their last update on December 2.
The league and the players’ union announced last Wednesday that 48 players has tested positive for COVID-19 during the initial round of testing prior to training camp from November 24-30.
This week’s update represents a step in the right direction, though without a bubble in place to essentially eliminate the spread of the virus, it’s a safe bet that positive tests will continue to be reported in the coming weeks, especially with teams starting to travel to other markets for preseason games this weekend.
[RELATED: NBA Not Setting Specific Rules For When To Postpone, Cancel Games]
The players who have returned confirmed positive tests are isolating themselves until they receive clearance based on the rules and guidelines that have been established by the NBA.
Marvin Bagley Missed Training Camp Workouts With COVID-19
Kings big man Marvin Bagley III contracted the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Arizona ahead of Sacramento’s training camp, and as a consequence was unable to participate in individual workouts, according to Sean Cunningham of ABC10 Sacramento (via Twitter).
As he continues to go through COVID-19 protocol, the oft-injured center/power forward does not expect to play in the Kings’ first preseason game scheduled for this Friday, Jason Jones of the Athletic tweets.
Bagley said that he dealt with a headache and body aches during his first few days with the coronavirus, comparing it unfavorably with the flu, Cunningham notes in a separate tweet. However, he has since recovered and has been observing team practices and talking with coaches on the sidelines, Jones notes.
“I’m feeling great, man,” Bagley said, per James Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “I’m feeling the best I’ve ever felt in a while. I took time this offseason to put more time into my body, just do everything in can control to make sure I’m on the court and available to my team.”
Drafted with the second pick in 2018 ahead of 2020 All-Stars Luka Doncic and Trae Young, Bagley has appeared in just 75 games for the Kings. In that time, he has flashed potential as a scoring force. He holds career averages of 14.8 PPG and 7.5 RPG in just 25.3 MPG.
Harden Requires Six Negative COVID-19 Tests Before Being Cleared
Rockets star James Harden will be required to register negative coronavirus tests for six consecutive days before receiving clearance to join the team for group workouts, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter links).
As MacMahon explains in an ESPN story, the NBA required three consecutive negative tests from most players before they were permitted to enter team facilities for individual workouts. However, Harden arrived in Houston late and violated league policies by attending parties and clubs in Atlanta and Las Vegas without wearing a face mask, subjecting him to a longer testing period.
The timeline should put Harden on track to join his teammates for practice on Monday, assuming he doesn’t test positive for COVID-19 during the next few days. Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle notes (via Twitter) that Harden wasn’t going to fly to Chicago for the Rockets’ preseason games against the Bulls on Friday and Sunday anyway, so this shouldn’t actually delay his practice debut.
Asked today about Harden’s status, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said he had the opportunity to say hello to the former MVP on Wednesday, per MacMahon. Silas likely won’t get a chance for a longer face-to-face interaction until Harden clears the testing process.
Interestingly, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reported today that Harden made his offseason trade request as soon as Houston hired Silas as its new head coach.
While that doesn’t necessarily mean that Harden sought a trade as a direct response to Silas’ hiring, Zillgitt says the former Mavericks assistant wasn’t among the 31-year-old’s top choices when management asked for his input on the coaching search. Harden preferred Tyronn Lue, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
We learned on Tuesday that Harden has indicated to the Rockets that he’s open to being dealt to teams besides Brooklyn, including the Sixers.
NBA Not Setting Specific Rules For When To Postpone, Cancel Games
The NBA is preparing for the possibility that some games on its 2020/21 regular season schedule will have to be postponed or canceled due to COVID-19 complications. The league has only announced the first half of the schedule so far in order to accommodate those potential postponements and cancellations during the second half.
However, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, the NBA isn’t establishing specific rules or guidelines that will govern when a game will be postponed or canceled. In other words, there won’t be a predetermined number of positive coronavirus tests per team that would result in an automatic postponement.
As Holmes explains, the league will evaluate each scenario on a case-by-case basis, considering variables like how many positive coronavirus cases were found, and when and where they occurred.
For example, Holmes says, if two teams have a similar number of COVID-19 cases, but one club had potential spread in its facility whereas the other club had only isolated incidents, the league may treat the two teams differently.
Local and state coronavirus restrictions and guidelines also figure to vary from team to team and could be a factor in determining whether certain games can take place, Holmes notes.
And-Ones: Coaching Attire, G League, Selden, Luxury Tax
NBA coaches were permitted to wear casual attire during the restart. They’ll be allowed to wear polo shirts once again during the upcoming season but they’ll also have to mask up, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). NBA coaches have traditionally worn suits but they’ll no longer be required to don sports jackets. However, track pants will not be allowed.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- The Wizards are in discussions with the Pelicans to combine their G League teams — the Capital City Go-Go and Erie Bayhawks — at the proposed Atlanta bubble, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. That would allow the NBA teams to split the costs of the proposed condensed season. The entry fee per team is anticipated to be in the neighborhood of $500K.
- Former NBA guard Wayne Selden has signed with Israel’s Ironi Ness Ziona, as Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia relays. Seiden played a combined 75 games with the Grizzlies and Bulls during the 2018/19 season. He saw action in 11 G League games last season after a stint in China.
- The Warriors have a projected luxury tax penalty of $147MM based on their current 2020/21 salary obligations, according to the numbers crunched by Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The Nets ($59MM) and Sixers ($24MM) are the only other teams with tax bills above $9MM. However, those projected penalties will get reduced based on revenue loss this season and roster cuts by opening night, Marks adds.
- Despite a long list of COVID-19 protocols, the NBA will face plenty of challenges during the upcoming season without the protection afforded by the Orlando campus, Steve Popper of Newsday writes. No matter how many precautions the league institutes, it will need plenty of luck to pull this season off.