It’s taken quite some time to get to this point, but after the NBA’s Board of Governors’ call on Friday, the prevailing sentiment among the league’s insiders is that the NBA’s Board of Governors will be prepared to approve a return-to-play plan that will feature 22 of the league’s 30 teams.
The news was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who notes that the league’s owners will likely fall in line with the recommendation that comes from the commissioner’s office.
Unless the league’s plans change, the next Board of Governor’s call will take place on Thursday, June 4. The plan is likely to be finalized and approved by that date.
Although the NBA Players Association has a vested interest in the league’s teams playing as many games as possible, the want for the safety of those who will be involved in the league’s operations makes bringing teams back who are already eliminated from playoff competition senseless.
At least, that’s the impression that one can reasonably draw from a combination of Wojnarowski’s reports, those coming from The Athletic and the general sentiment that players — including NBPA president Chris Paul — have shared when communicating publicly.
In all likelihood, the league’s final return-to-play plan will feature the teams that are currently ranked within the top eight in each of their conferences, including the teams on the bubble — those within two to four games of the eighth seed.
The NBA has been examining several plans for a return to play, but numerous members of the board of governors tell ESPN that there’s growing support for a plan to bring 22 teams to Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in July.
This format likely would include regular-season and play-in games to compete for playoff berths in both the Eastern and Western Conferences, sources said.
Said differently, the field of teams that will resume their season will certainly include the Bucks, Raptors, Celtics, Heat, Pacers, Sixers, Nets and Magic from the Eastern Conference, as well as the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Jazz, Thunder, Rockets, Mavericks and Grizzlies from the Western Conference. They comprise the top 16.
The Wizards are the only team in the Eastern Conference within six games of the eighth-seeded Magic, while the Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Kings, Spurs and Suns are all within six games of the eighth-seeded Grizzlies out West. They would be the next six in, although it is not known yet whether a return to play would feature all six, or fewer.
Although the final number of teams to resume their season — presumably inside the NBA’s expected “campus” at Walt Disney World — remains to be seen, it’s almost certain that the Warriors, Timberwolves, Cavs, Hawks, Pistons, Knicks, Bulls and Hornets have all played their final game of the 2019-20 season.
One other thing is almost certain: basketball will be coming back, with competition expected to resume before the end of July.