The Boston Celtics and the rest of the NBA look poised to resume the 2019-20 NBA season with word from The Athletic’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the NBA plans to hold a vote on a 22-team return to action.
The plan, which would see each of the 22 teams play eight regular season games for purposes of seeding in Orlando before starting the Playoffs, will need to be ratified on the Board of Governors call scheduled Thursday.
Teams included are the 16 franchises who would currently qualify for the postseason based on record along with the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs in the West and Washington Wizards in the East.
So the NBA's inviting 22 teams to Orlando: 13 Western Conference, 9 Eastern Conference. Eight-regular season games per team. Play-in for the 8th seeds. July 31-October 12. Vote tomorrow to ratify.
The NBA's back.— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 3, 2020
According to Wojnarowski, “If the ninth seed is more than four games behind the eighth, No. 8 makes playoffs,” but if less than “four games, a play-in tournament” will be held. Moreover, a “play-in format requires a double-elimination format for the 8th seed, a single-elimination for the 9th seed.”
While there are still many steps between where the wider NBA community is at this moment and another, bonafide tip-off in the currently-suspended season, we are closer than we have been in months to games that count being played again.
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