Boston’s Brad Stevens part of committee guiding return to play

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is part of the committee guiding a return to play for the NBA as it deals with the coronavirus pandemic.

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is part of an advisory committee on when and how the NBA should resume league activities regarding the remainder of the suspended 2019-20 NBA season, and the 2020-21 season to come, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

That committee, the competition committee, includes owners, general managers and coaches and has long had influence over the direction of the NBA on critical issues.

It has since become an advisory panel on when returning to play would be feasible, and Stevens is already a recognized voice within it, weighing in on issues like the expected timetable of restarting training camps with his own estimates.

The panel has as tall an order as any group has had in the history of sport, as their decisions could literally cost lives if they make a mistake, and massive sums of money hang in the balance not just this season, but in coming seasons that could feel a ripple effect of any choices made in the present.

For now, it is far too soon to assess the job that they are doing, but all signs from NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league more generally point to a justifiably cautious approach going forward.

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