Rockets could open team training camp on June 30 in Houston

For teams like Houston that are included in the NBA’s restart plan, June 30 looks to be the target date for resuming contact practices.

In its approved restart plan for the 2019-20 season, the NBA appears to be targeting June 30 for starting training camps in home markets.

The timeline was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic.

According to Charania, players would report to team facilities on June 21, with coronavirus (COVID-19) testing to begin on June 22. For players who remain free of the virus after an initial week of testing, June 30 seems to be the target for traditional contact practices to begin.

The NBA hasn’t had any games or full practices since suspending the season on March 11. Thus, players and teams would need time to ramp up activities before playing in real games, which are currently slated to begin on Friday, July 31 at the neutral Disney complex in Orlando.

After a week of practicing in home markets, teams would then travel to the “bubble” site on July 7 and continue training camps there.

Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press offers further details, including the possibility of scrimmages against other NBA teams:

Teams are likely to be allowed to open training camps in late June before arriving at the Disney complex around July 7. Once there, camps will continue and teams will likely have the chance to have some scrimmages or “preseason” games against other clubs before the regular season resumes.

Dates will be finalized after the NBA’s restart plan is ratified by team player representatives with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). That vote is scheduled for this Friday, June 5.

Players are already allowed to access team sites, but only for individual workouts under strict physical distancing protocols. NBA facilties were closed altogether from March 19 until May 8 due to the virus.

While all players should benefit from the month-long period of scaling up activity after the 2019-20 season’s extended hiatus, Houston GM Daryl Morey believes there could be some unique value to his team from the rare opportunity to hold a training camp just before the playoffs.

To his point, the Rockets (40-24) acquired DeMarre Carroll, Jeff Green, and Bruno Caboclo just weeks before the March hiatus. However, given the difficulty in acclimating new players on the fly with a team trying to contend for the NBA title, Green was the only one of that frontcourt trio to immediately earn a spot in Houston’s new small-ball rotation.

But the “restart” might change that dynamic, since it resets the season and puts NBA rosters back on level footing entering training camp. In comments to courtside reporter Cayleigh Griffin, Morey explained:

I think that’s an edge for us. It’s one of the reasons why a stop and restart slightly favors us. … We have a very deep team. We have veterans who have not been with us all year who have contributed to very good playoff teams in the past. They probably didn’t get much of a chance to show what they could do. But with a new training camp and maybe some games before the playoffs… it gives those guys a chance to show Coach D’Antoni what they can do.

Coach likes a tight rotation in the playoffs, which I do think the evidence does support his choice there in the playoffs. But in terms of who our eight, nine, or 10 guys are going to be in the playoffs, I do think it gives those guys a chance and it gives us some potential upside.

At this point, after what will be more than three months of inactivity as a team, the Rockets will certainly relish the opportunity to find out.

Houston will then play eight “seeding” games in Orlando before the 2020 NBA playoffs begin. Based on the scaled-back regular season, the Rockets (40-24) have already clinched a playoff spot. They’re currently tied for the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference standings, and could land anywhere from No. 2 to No. 7 when the playoff bracket is finalized.

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