Tag: Chicago Bubble

Report: ‘Growing belief’ second NBA bubble for eight non-restart teams won’t happen

According to Shams Charania, there’s a “growing belief” there will not be a second NBA bubble that will include the eight non-restart teams.

Before the league went on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Golden State Warriors were the first team in the NBA to be eliminated from postseason contention. With no chance at the playoffs and the worst record in the league, the Warriors were one of eight teams not included in the NBA’s much-anticipated restart.

Golden State joined Cleveland, Atlanta, New York, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, and Minnesota on the outside of the Orlando Bubble.

Although the Warriors weren’t invited to Disney World, there was a chance the league would create a second bubble for the eight teams not included in restart plans. In early July, reports were pointing towards a potential bubble forming for eight teams in Chicago.

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However, according to Shams Charania of The Atheltic, there’s a “growing belief” the league’s second bubble will not happen.

Via @ShamsCharania on Twitter:

Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle confirmed the Warriors are growing “less optimistic” about the chances of a second NBA bubble.

Via The San Francisco Chronicle:

The Warriors are growing less optimistic that the NBA will build a second bubble site for the eight teams not in Orlando to participate in minicamps and intra-squad scrimmages, a league source confirmed with The Chronicle.

With San Francisco’s Chase Center only open for individual work, the second bubble would’ve provided the opportunity for a minicamp that featured intrasquad scrimmages. Unless the league organizes an in-market minicamp, the Warriors could potentially go nine months without practicing as a group.

With the Warriors coming off five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals and Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson mending injury-riddled seasons, an extended offseason could be what Steve Kerr’s squad needs. Yet, rookie Eric Paschall and newcomer Andrew Wiggins could benefit from more time on the court with a healthy edition of the Splash Brothers.

If the plans for a second bubble are off the docket, Kerr and Bob Myers can focus on research for the 2020 NBA Draft. Golden State will find out where they’ll be on the clock in the top five on Aug. 20 during the Draft Lottery.

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Steph Curry reacts to Larry Nance Jr.’s joke about potential Cavs-Warriors matchup in NBA’s second bubble

After linking up in four consecutive NBA Finals, there’s a chance the Warriors could meet the Cavaliers in the NBA’s potential second bubble.

The recent matchups between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors have blossomed into a historic rivalry. The duo were the first pair of NBA teams to meet in four consecutive NBA Finals. Kyrie Irving’s game seven triple, Steph Curry vs. LeBron James and Kevin Durant’s pull up jumpers all highlighted the four-year rivalry.

However in 2020, both the Cavaliers and Warriors are already eliminated from playoff contention. Golden State and Cleveland are two of the eight teams left out of the NBA’s restart in Orlando.

While their chance at another Finals matchup is out of the picture, the rivals could potentially have an opportunity to meet again. According to ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, the NBA is “closing in on signing off” on a second bubble located in Chicago that will include the eight teams that won’t be Orlando bound.

When the news broke, Cleveland’s Larry Nance Jr. fired off a joke about another potential matchup between the Warriors and Cavaliers.

Via @Larrdn22 on Twitter:

After seeing Nance’s joke on Sportcenter’s Instagram, Golden State’s two-time Most Valuable Player had a prediction for the potential bubble series. Curry commented on the Instagram post with “Dubs in 4!”

Although the cast is different and the stakes won’t be as high, seeing the Cavaliers and Warriors suit up against each other once again could reignite the once storied rivalry.

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NBA could soon create Chicago bubble for other 8 teams including Warriors

The NBA is considering creating a second bubble in Chicago for the eight teams who are not in Orlando, including the Golden State Warriors.

The idea for the eight non-Orlando-bound NBA teams to get some face time is heating up.

The NBA is “closing in on signing off on” a bubble in Chicago for those eight teams, including the Golden State Warriors, to have mini-camps and games against other teams, ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan reported and Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted.

Wojnarowski tweeted that the NBA is hoping for the camps to take place in September.

In June, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he wanted time for the team to work together as a group.

“We definitely need to get our team together for a period of time. I don’t know for how long, but we definitely need to be together and have some practice sessions,” he  said at the time.

Doing so would not only help their own development, but offset the advantage that the 22 teams participating in Orlando will receive.

With training camps for the 2020-21 season not scheduled to begin until Nov. 10, the Warriors would go eight months without organized play.

The 22 teams competing for a playoff spot in Orlando would get time to work as a group in the interim.

“Given that 22 of the teams are going to be allowed to do so for minimum of a couple of weeks practice and a couple weeks of games while the rest of us are not part of that, the league is sensitive to giving us the space that we’re going to need,” Kerr said.

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Creating a bubble would help ensure that players don’t venture out and risk exposure to the coronavirus, but it’s vastly more complicated than simply allowing organized, full-team activities over summer.

Commissioner Adam Silver said that he thinks testing protocols in the Orlando location will make it safer to play as a group than on individual sites.

“I am absolutely convinced that it will be safer on this campus than off this campus because there aren’t many situations that I am aware of where there is mass testing of asymptomatic employees,” Silver said about Orlando, according to Reuters.

The result of the 22-team tournament could play a major role in whether the Chicago one is a go.

The NBA will need to make sure their precautions in Orlando work. If the season gets cancelled or an unexpected number of players catch COVID-19, the league may have to reconsider what to do about the bottom eight teams.

Golden State would also have to decide whether the whole team would show up.

While it would be beneficial to get practice in as a group, stars like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green may refuse to be quarantined, likely away from family, for a handful of camp experiences and scrimmages.

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