The NBA is telling teams to look for arena dates into August as an option to resume the season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The National Basketball Associating is preparing their teams for multiple scenarios, including an outright cancellation of the season, in the response to the global pandemic of coronavirus. The situation is changing at seemingly all times, with the timeline of a potential restart of the league already moving quite a bit from the initial plans.
After NBA commissioner Adam Silver went on TNT and suggested that the absence of the league would be at least a month, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the league is telling teams to look for arena dates that go well into August if they do restart the season, meaning that the NBA won’t return for at least three months. The NBA is mulling several scenarios, according to Woj.
For now, there’s a working plan that games would return without fans, and teams have been told to search out arena dates well into August for the playoffs, sources said. Teams have been directed to give the league office potential dates at smaller nearby game venues, including team practice facilities, that could spare the use of empty, cavernous arenas and possibly provide backdrops to unique television viewing lines.
The CDC recommended a cancellation or postponement of gatherings of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks.
So it looks like the NBA will look at several options, even playing games at practice facilities rather than arenas, which would cut down on the number of people needed to work those games. However, everything, even an outright cancellation, is an option.
Spencer Dinwiddie is doing his best to make a case for his idea about how to finish off the 2019-20 NBA season.
With no NBA games being played — or any other sporting events in the U.S., for that matter — basketball players and fans have a lot of time on their hands.
Brooklyn Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie has found ways to be productive with his time. On Friday, he came up with an idea for how the NBA could handle the remainder of the 2019-20 regular season and 2020 playoffs, should the league try to commence play again and not cancel the season altogether.
The idea plays off of the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, which were both canceled rather than postponed.
On Saturday, Dinwiddie explained his idea further — and he even made a bracket:
My estimation the 5 game tune up takes 2weeks. The play in is a week max. The extra round is 7-10days. That way season does not go into August or anything crazy that effects next season too. Fans would go crazy for that last 4 in neutral site tournament!
Since NBA commissioner Adam Silver has suspended play for 30 days, Dinwiddie has plenty of time to further refine his plan if he’s not satisfied. So far, though, it seems like an idea the league should consider looking into, given the situation they’re in is unprecedented.
Drama brings ratings and buy in. It’s not a matter of frequency. But you’re now giving all 30 teams something to play for. Regardless of conference. Bringing cult team fandom back to the NBA vs solely relying on player stardom to carry ratings https://t.co/J4JaEhBPyM
The NBA will have to make some adjustments if it hopes to salvage 2019-20 after the hiatus. Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has an idea.
On Thursday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the league has not yet decided to cancel the season and the current suspension of play due to the COVID-19 outbreak is set to last 30 days.
But, if the league intends to finish off the 2019-20 season and crown a champion, adjustments will need to be made in some form or fashion. This could simply mean pushing all the games back to a later date and picking up the regular season where it left off.
Shortening the regular season schedule could be an option, as well. Jumping straight into the playoffs seems a bit radical, but this is all unprecedented.
Brooklyn Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie has a rather unique idea for the league. He shared his idea on Twitter on Friday:
We already play a 16 team playoff basically. We’re losing roughly 18 games. Current viewers have said they wait for it to get exciting/playoff time. Also we see the reception of March Madness… (2/4)
Could even Neutral site the play in series (since 30 isn’t an even breakdown) in a football arena like the national championship to try to recoup some revenue 👀 (4/4)
This would certainly be a unique event that would capture the attention of all NBA fans. And, at this point, there’s no such thing as a bad idea when it comes to figuring out how to finish off 2019-20.
Here’s where the Rockets stand with potential tiebreakers against the five West teams they’re competing for playoff seeding with.
With Thursday’s game versus the Los Angeles Clippers now in the rear-view mirror, the Houston Rockets (39-22) have completed play against all but one of the five Western Conference teams that they’re competing with for seeding in the upcoming 2020 NBA playoffs.
Entering Saturday, the Rockets trailed the top-seeded Lakers in the loss column by nine games, and they were 10 games ahead of No. 8 Memphis for the final playoff spot. Thus, rising or falling to one of those spots is very unlikely, with only 21 games left in the 2019-20 regular season.
However, anywhere between No. 2 and No. 7 is quite reasonable. The current No. 2 is the Clippers, who the Rockets trail by three games in the loss column, while the No. 7 is Dallas — who they lead by three. With six teams in such tight proximity, ties after 82 games are quite possible.
Of the five teams they’re competing with, the Rockets have secured the two-team tiebreaker over Utah (22 losses) by winning the season series, while they would lose the tiebreaker to Oklahoma City (24 losses).
Houston (22 losses) split the season series with Denver (20 losses) and the Clippers (19 losses) at two games apiece, and they’re also tied with the Mavericks (25 losses) at one game each — though they still have two meetings left on March 23 and April 7, both in Dallas.
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The biggest key for the Rockets is holding off the Mavs, because what happens relative to Dallas also poses the potential to impact how any ties between Houston and the Clippers and/or Nuggets would be broken.
In two-team ties, the second tiebreaker after head-to-head results is whether a team won its division. In three-team ties, division status represents the first tiebreaker. The Clippers almost certainly won’t win the Pacific, since they trail the Lakers by six games in the loss column.
Thus, if Houston holds off Dallas in the Southwest, they would almost assuredly earn the tiebreaker against the Clippers.
Clippers tie season series 2-2. They lead the Rockets by three games in the loss column. Should Houston catch them, Rockets would (likely) have tiebreaker by 2nd tiebreaker being division winner.
The Nuggets do currently lead the Northwest, but only by two games over the Jazz. Should Utah manage to catch Denver, Houston would also win any tie against the Nuggets for the same reason.
The Rockets winning the Southwest is vital, because if they don’t, they are poorly positioned for tiebreakers. Should Houston not win its division, the next tiebreaker is conference record, and the Rockets have more losses against the West than any of the other five teams.
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Houston also has two additional in-division losses than the Mavericks. So if the Mavs and Rockets were to end up tied for the Southwest, they’re not in a good spot for that tiebreaker unless they win both games at Dallas to secure the season series at three games to one.
But if the Rockets pull off that feat, it’s hard to imagine how they could possibly be tied with Dallas at the end of the season, since they already have a three-game lead on the Mavs in the loss column.
Realistically, should the Rockets and Mavs end up tied, it would almost certainly mean that Dallas won at least one of those head-to-head meetings. If that’s the case, Dallas would likely win any tiebreaker.
In short, the biggest priority for the Rockets (39-22) is maintaining their current advantage and holding off the Mavericks (38-25) to win the Southwest Division championship.
If they do that, not only will they be guaranteed to be ahead of the Mavs in 2020 NBA playoffs seeding, but they would also be in strong position to hold tiebreakers over the Clippers and potentially the Nuggets, as well.
Division winner is first, and #Rockets have a 3-game lead on Dallas, whereas Clips trail Lakers by even more.
So, Rockets still probably have the tiebreaker on the Clippers, if it's relevant. But 3 games is a lot to make up with under 20 left. https://t.co/Np814u957E
One small silver lining is that if the Rockets are caught by the Mavericks, it would seem unlikely that they’d be in a position to tie the Nuggets and Clippers, anyway, since they already trail them by two and three games. In that doomsday scenario, tiebreakers could be inconsequential.
The bottom line: If Houston takes care of its own business, they’re well positioned for most tiebreakers, since the only team they’d definitely lose one against (Oklahoma City) is two games back in the loss column. It’s up to James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and the rest of the Rockets to take advantage of that opportunity as the regular season draws to a close.
Coming in to this season, no one really took the Celtics seriously as a contender.
And, in hindsight, they were probably correct not to. They were coming off of a summer where they lost both of their best players in Kyrie Irving and Al Horford to free agency. Kemba Walker was a fine replacement, but even as an All-Star caliber player, he wasn’t enough to soften that blow.
Suddenly, the Celtics seemed to be without someone you could call “the guy” after having two of those players in their last three-season run.
And that’s apparently the moment when the camera pans toward Jayson Tatum, who is apparently the answer to all of the Celtics’ problems.
Tatum has officially made what folks would call “the leap.” He’s very clearly been the team’s best player — even when playing alongside an All-Star starter in Kemba Walker.
Tatum very clearly had the tools to be a star coming into the league and he got off to a great start as a secondary option behind Irving and Horford in his first year.
It was easy to lose faith in Tatum after year two. He regressed in almost every way possible. His shot selection was absolutely atrocious and he couldn’t find his way amid turmoil within the team. But now, he’s baking Kawhi Leonard on both ends and going toe to toe with LeBron James in close games.
The Celtics definitely aren’t guaranteed a spot in the Finals. The rest of the East is still tough and it’ll be tough to run through. Especially if the standings hold with them as the 3 seed and the Sixers as the 6 seed — they’re 1-3 against their division rivals this season.
But they’ve definitely taken a step forward from where they were when this season began and it’s largely because of the step forward Tatum has made in his career.
He’s not just an All-Star — he’s at an All-NBA level now. And that has the potential to take the Celtics a long way. Both this season and beyond.
Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is expected to play a key role for L.A. in the NBA Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers are the best team in the Western Conference after the NBA All-Star break. At 44-12, the Lakers gamble to trade for Anthony Davis has paid off. Los Angeles has already won more games than last season thanks to the unstoppable combination of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
LeBron has taken over L.A.’s point guard duties and leads the NBA in assists by over 1.5 assists per game. Many of LeBron’s assists come to former Georgia Bulldog great Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
KCP is averaging only 9.6 points per game, but he is doing so at the most efficient clip of his career. KCP is shooting 47% from the field and 40.7% from three point territory this season. Each of these numbers are the best of his seven season NBA career.
The Lakers desperately need Caldwell-Pope’s defense and shooting this postseason. His improved efficiency will be key for the Lakers to watch moving forward.
L.A. elected to stay quiet at the trade deadline, but they need perimeter help, or perimeter players like KCP to emerge. Yes, they recently added Markieff Morris, but they need to take some of the ball-handling pressure off LeBron. KCP can help do that.
KCP will have a significant workload in the NBA postseason, something we haven’t seen out of a Georgia Bulldog in quite sometime. It’ll be fun to watch for UGA fans moving forward!
The Houston Rockets made it clear that they’d be leaning into this small-ball lineup thing about a month ago after Clint Capela got hurt.
They beat the Mavericks using the smallest lineup ever trotted out on a basketball floor with not a single player over 6-foot-6 touching the court and they were promptly roasted by NBA experts and fans alike.
We heard it all. Tweets were flying. Everything from “how are they going to grab a single rebound” to “oh, Anthony Davis is going to WAX these dudes in the playoffs” was on the table. I was one of those people.
Now, I’d like to use this platform to promptly eat some crow with a touch of mumbo sauce on the side if possible.
Houston’s strategy is actually working! The Rockets’ ultra-small lineups haven’t just been good — they’ve been dominant. They’re 8-2 in their last 10 games when playing this small-ball lineup and are 5-1 against playoff teams in that span. They’ve played against the likes of Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert and Kristaps Porzingis and have still come out with wins driven by their 116.6 offensive rating over the last 10 games.
They’ve shown is this can work. Why? Because nobody really knows how to guard them.
The Rockets are trotting out lineups with five shooters who are all perimeter players and that means there’s literally always a ton of space for them to attack in the paint.
Like, what are you really supposed to do here? James Harden gets a smaller guard on him and starts to drive right to the rim. You come over and help? Boom. Lob.
It's beautiful seeing Rockets players cut more often now that the paint is wide open. pic.twitter.com/FxQMuBH6Iw
That paint looks like it has as much space as the sky at night.
That’s an easy cut for Ben McLemore and an easy pass for Harden with pretty much no good help on the floor. You’d think that changes with a real big man on the floor, right?
NOPE. They did it over Rudy Gobert, too.
I have no clue what you’re supposed to do with James Harden coming at you in an empty paint with a cutter on the way. Apparently, neither does the reigning defensive player of the year.
There are still legitimate questions about how the Rockets will fare over a 7 game series against, say, a Nikola Jokic or an Anthony Davis. At the end of the day, height is height. And that’s much of what basketball comes down to.
But it’s time to stop doubting whether this formula is the right one for the Rockets or not. It works — for now, at least.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers may be getting a first glimpse at their first-round opponent.
Los Angeles Lakers basketball is back. The best team in the Western Conference returns to action on Friday night and their first game back from the All-Star break could be a foreshadowing of their first game once the regular season ends, as they face the Memphis Grizzlies who are currently in the No. 8 spot in the West.
The Grizzlies are coming off of a close loss last night in Sacramento and are beginning what NBA.com’s John Schuhmann dubbed the toughest remaining schedule in the league, with 16 of their remaining 28 games being played on the road, including tonight at Staples Center.
Memphis made the Lakers sweat back in late November in a narrow 108-107 Lakers win at the FedEx Forum. However, while Grizzlies at their core have been unchanged, they have made several small changes on their roster. Gorgui Dieng gives them added depth at center behind Jonas Valanciunas and former lottery pick Josh Jackson has played his way out of the G League and into the Grizzlies rotation.
Memphis isn’t locked into the playoffs by any means, holding a 4-game lead in the loss column over 9th place Portland. The Grizzlies, truthfully, have a lot more moving parts than teams currently in the Western Conference playoff picture and that’s in large part because even they didn’t even expect they would be here. Still, they have a ton of talent that the Lakers need to be prepared for, especially because they could see them later in the playoffs.
Man, time flies. The NBA playoffs are right around the corner — we’re literally just 60 days away. But it still feels like we know absolutely NOTHING about the league right now.
For example, do we know for certain which teams are strong enough to squeak into the playoffs as the 8th seed? Will the Rockets ever sign another center? Will Ben Simmons take another three? We don’t know.
There are so many questions just waiting to be answered in the final third of the season before we get to April. We’ve got a bunch of them right here for you.
Here are the burning questions we need answered as a basketball viewing public, with teams listed in order of their current standing in each conference.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. How are you supposed to stop the Bucks?
Well, their defense is pretty much an impenetrable wall and their best player is a flying death machine, by himself, who is having one of the best regular seasons ever.
So, basically, ¯_(ツ)_/¯
2. Can the Raptors actually repeat?
Maybe! Last year at the All-Star break they were 43-16. This year, they’re 40-15 – so they aren’t far off. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet have gotten even better an Kyle Lowry is still doing Kyle Lowry things. They’re a threat still.
3. Did Jayson Tatum finally make “The Leap” and how does that change things?
The 2019 edition of Jayson Tatum was bad. He shot the ball poorly and couldn’t finish layups. Since that calendar hit 2020, though? Dude has been balling. He’s shooting 47% from the floor and 40% from three while giving us all world defense.
If they get this Tatum the rest of the way? The best team in the West might be booking trips to Boston come June.
4. What is the Heat’s ceiling?
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are incredible. But still, they’re playing with a bunch of dudes who are punching above their collective weight. Maybe they’re that good, maybe they’re not. We’ll know by April.
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
5. Can this sixers roster work as a unit?
The Sixers are the living embodiment of the term “on paper.” Their collection of talent should be able to beat anyone, but it turns out they can’t beat anyone — especially on the road. Can they solve that problem? We’ll see.
6. What can the Pacers get from Victor Oladipo?
Oladipo has been hit-and-miss in seven games back with the Pacers, but it’s only been seven games. If he improves, the Pacers are dangerous.
7. The Nets should probably start tanking, right?
One would think! Kyrie Irving is hurt again, they’re three games under .500, they’re the 7th seed right now. But who am I kidding? They’re totally getting swept by the Raptors in the first round while Kyrie takes 56 shots per game.
8. Uhhhh, the Magic?
I have no idea what they’re doing or where they’re headed. But Markelle Fultz seems good – so that’s great!
9. To Beal or not to Beal? That is the question.
It’s going to be so fun when the Wizards miss the playoffs by half a game this year and Bradley Beal finally demands his trade. SO FUN.
Sidebar: Never be a Wizards fan, folks. It’s unhealthy.
10. Is Zach LaVine worth going all in on?
Zach LaVine has legitimately turned into one of the league’s most polarizing players.
He’s one of the best scorers in the NBA… but he’s also a matador on defense. He’s just 24 years old… and is still turnover machine. See what I’m getting at? No idea what his future holds with the Bulls or elsewhere.
11. Is Devonte’ Graham a building block?
That game says yes. The Hornets might think otherwise, though. We’ll see.
12. Who is going to coach the Knicks next year?
Mike Miller has the Knicks at 13-20 in 33 games as their interim head coach and seems to be making a breakthrough with the young guys on the team… so we definitely know he’s out the door next season, right?
Trae Young, Clint Capela and John Collins are very good-to-great offensive pieces. It still feels like they need one more piece to make some noise next year, though.
15. How fast can they get beilein out of there?
This is how I like to imagine the conversation between Dan Gilbert and John Beilein going.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Can the Lakers win a title with what they have?
They’d better because, uh, this is it, y’all. The trade deadline has passed, Darren Collison isn’t coming through and the buyout market is, well, not great.
Let’s be honest, though. This team is still pretty great. Also, we’ve seen LeBron James drag way worse into June before. They’ll be fine.
2. Can the Nuggets actually get to the Finals?
It’s definitely possible. Nikola Jokic has been the absolute best center in the NBA this season and the Nuggets have been pretty impressive against tough competition. It’s a tough road, but don’t count them out.
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
3. When will the Clippers actually be healthy?
The correct answer is probably not this regular season, but the Clippers are definitely hoping things are fine by May. Paul George is out now with a strained hamstring and that kept him out for nine straight games in January. He might not be good again until mid-March.
4. Can the Jazz get Grizzlies-ERA Mike Conley?
Conley is the difference between the Jazz being an elite team and a second-round out. They did a chunk of their winning while he was out of the lineup with a hamstring injury, but for them to have the offensive versatility they’ve lacked in the last couple of postseasons, they need him to deliver vintage performances.
5. Will the small ball Rockets actually work?
They’re 5-2 with P.J. Tucker starting at center and look pretty good. But, man, it’s hard to imagine Tucker or Robert Covington or whoever else guarding Nikola Jokic or Anthony Davis over a seven-game series.
6. What is the Thunder’s ceiling?
Chris Paul has been absolutely incredible this year and their three guard lineups with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Paul and Dennis Schröder have been killer. But Paul is 36 years old and this team isn’t lasting forever.
7. Can Luka Doncic Cause Playoff Chaos?
Only one player in the history of the NBA has averaged at least 28 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists per game. It’s Luka. 2-seeds beware. The Mavericks are going to be a beast.
8. The Grizzlies Are going to be scary next season, Right?
Ja Morant at point. Dillon Brooks taking your best player out of the game. Jaren Jackson protecting the rim and shooting threes. The best is very clearly still ahead of this team, but they’re also amazing to watch right now.
9. How long is Damian Lillard out for?
Lillard strained his groin just before the All-Star break, which stinks. The Blazers obviously caught a huge break with virtually no basketball being played this week, but if he has to miss extended time? They’re cooked.
10. The Spurs’ playoff streak is really going to die, isn’t it?
Man. This is really looking like the end of an era. They’re not out of it, but they’re five games behind the Grizzlies and in the 10th spot. Pop can’t go out like this, man.
11. How hard does Zion have to snap to win rookie of the year?
If we had to vote today it’d easily be Ja Morant. As great as Zion Williamson has been in 10 games, it’s still only 10 games. When he hits, say, 30? And he’s still averaging 22.1 points per game? That’s when we’ll at least have a conversation.
12. Why aren’t the Suns better?
Poor Devin Booker. At the start of the season it looked like the Suns were a legit playoff squad. Now? It’s probably time to build your draft board, Suns’ fans.
13. IS Buddy Hield gone?
The beef brewing between Buddy Hield and the Kings organization is just so Kings. First, they overpaid Hield. Then they benched him. Now, he wants out. There is absolutely no way this ends well.
14. What do the Wolves have to do to get Devin Booker?
D’Angelo Russell was the first piece. Karl-Anthony Towns was already in place. All that’s left? D Book. The littlest big 3 is almost intact.
Booker is already being asked about it.
15. The Warriors are really going to get the #1 pick, aren’t they?
