The NBA’s restart plan has no precedent not just in the league’s history but in sport’s history prior to recent months. Only in May and June did league’s across the world begin restarting with the same sort of challenges that will accompany every NBA team in late July through the end of the season.
After playing three-quarters of the regular season, the league stopped and teams were forced into the most constrictive form of an off-season ever. Over three months later, players have found their way into gyms in staggered fashion under the current phase o the league’s restart.
With so much uncertainty still surrounding the team and league, Redick could not find an answer when asked about how quickly he thinks the Pelicans can get back on track during the restart.
“I can’t answer that question. No one really knows what any team is going to look like. The layoff from mid-March up until basically July 10 of not playing real basketball is significant. Not having proper training, not really being able to access great food all the time, all these things that we’ve become so accustomed to – and we’re blessed to have these resources – just haven’t been there. So for our team, I have no idea.
“We’re here at the practice facility, I don’t see half of my team when I come in. I don’t know if you guys understand that. I come in in the morning with the morning group and I see half of my team. I don’t see Brandon (Ingram) or Lonzo (Ball). July 10, we’ll start practicing and you can probably ask me then. I have no idea.”
For now, teams are forced to split players into groups in order to limit the number of people in the facility at a time. As a result of that, teams can’t practice with full teams yet, further adding to the uncertainty of the future.
For the Pelicans and every other NBA team, the coming months and weeks will continue to be unchartered waters.