Tag: NBA Restart

The NBA’s new schedule and everything we know so far about the 2020-21 season

This is a lot.

The NBA is back already. In just a few weeks, players will head to their home markets for training camp and gear up for the next season.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking. “Yo, didn’t the Lakers JUST win the title?” And, yes, they did. That is correct. And they’re not that happy about this quick start.

But it’s happening. The NBA Player’s Association tentatively agreed to starting the season on December 22 in time for Christmas Day, according to the New York Times.

Now, there’s a slim chance that could change. And there are still things that need to be decided on. But it’s looking more and more like that’ll be the path the league takes.

Once they do make it official, things will happen fast. Here’s what you need to know to keep up.

What’s the timeline?

Things are going to be moving extremely quickly and it all starts with the NBA draft.

Right now, teams are still gathering information and preparing to make their draft picks. After that, things are really uncertain. Here’s a quick timeline of what we have so far.

  • NBA Draft — November 18
  • Training camp — December 1
  • Regular season opener — December 22

So what’s missing?

Right now, we have no idea when free agency will start – and that’s a big deal. It can’t be too long after the draft — there are only about two weeks between the draft and the start of training camp.

Teams don’t want to be stuck in the position where they’re making new acquisitions and trying to get them up to speed in the middle of training camp with just three weeks left before the regular season. It’s going to be a tight squeeze.

We also don’t know when teams will be able to make trades again. The trade deadline from February is still in effect since last season has, technically, not ended on the league office side.

How do they fix this?

The league and the players are in negotiations right now trying to figure this thing out.

They extended their negotiation deadline for a modified CBA to November 9, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, which is on Monday. The hope is that they’ll have some answers then.

But they’ve already moved the deadline twice and the two sides have struggled to come to an agreement. The players tentatively agreeing to this start is a positive sign, though.

And then, beyond that, they have to figure out a schedule. No one even knows who they’re playing yet.

Why won’t they give themselves more time? This seems wild.

It is pretty wild. The league’s offseason will only be 71 days — that’s not much of an offseason at all. And it’ll be even harder to integrate new rookies and signings into their new spots.

So, yeah, it’s a tough squeeze. Why are they doing it this way? Money, basically. Their December 22 would reportedly reduce the NBA’s losses for this season by $500 million, per the New York Times.

The league is also trying to avoid a scheduling conflict with the 2021 Olympics, which will begin next July.

But isn’t this dangerous?

Absolutely. There’s no bubble this time, so players will literally be traveling in the middle of a pandemic.

Some of them will also not be well-rested — particularly the conference finalists from last season. There’s lots of risk that comes with this. But it seems, at least for now, both sides are willing to forgo that to put more money in their pockets.

As a result, we’ll get basketball a lot sooner than we thought we would. Hopefully, it doesn’t end terribly.

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NBA 4-Point Play: Can the Boston Celtics win the East?

In the latest NBA 4-Point Play, Charles Curtis answers four questions we have since the start of the playoffs.

In the latest NBA 4-Point Play, Charles Curtis answers four questions we have since the start of the playoffs.

Mountain West Alumni in the 2020 NBA Playoffs

The NBA 2020 Playoffs are almost here. Eight Mountain West alumni will be playing, another one has a chance to earn a ticket this weekend.

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Eight Mountain West alumni have made it into the 2020 NBA Playoffs

Contact/Follow @cisabelg & @MWCwire

The two weeks since the NBA restart have flown by and the regular season has now ended. Here are the teams with Mountain West alumni that have officially made it into the 2020 NBA Playoffs, and a team that is still fighting for a spot.

Memphis Grizzlies – Brandon Clarke (SJSU 2015–2017)

No. 9 seed in the West
Overall Record: 34-39 Bubble: 2-6
Play-in Game 1: Saturday 2:30pm ET

The play-in, first in NBA history, has been activated and Memphis must battle it out with the Portland Blazers this weekend to secure the final playoff spot in the West. The first, and potentially only, game is on Saturday. If the Blazers win, the Grizzlies will be eliminated. If the Grizzlies win, there will be another game on Sunday.

Brandon Clarke is one of the promising young players for the Grizzlies. Clarke might be overshadowed by the Rookie of the Year finalist Ja Morant, but the former SJSU player’s efficiency and shooting percentage speak for themselves. Clarke finished the regular season at 61.8% from the field, which is slightly better than the NBA rookie shooting record by Steve Johnson at 61.34% through the 1981-81 season.

The last time the Grizzlies and the Blazers faced each other was on July 31 with Portland winning in overtime 140-135. Memphis’ leading scorer was Jaren Jackson Jr with 33 points. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies won’t count with him this time as he suffered a torn meniscus and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Their task won’t get any easier as they have to get through Damian Lillard who has been averaging 37.6 points and 9.6 assists since the restart. He recorded a total of 154 points in the last three games.

If the Grizzlies pull off two victories, they will take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Aug. 18.

Los Angeles Lakers – JaVale McGee (Nevada 2006–08)

No. 1 seed in the West
Overall Record: 52-19 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 9pm ET vs Memphis/Portland

The Lakers clinched the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference on Aug. 4, the first time since the 2019-10 season.

The Lakers haven’t been at their best since the restart, but they’ll have to step it up if they’re serious about getting their 17th NBA championship. Anthony Davis and LeBron James lead the team with an average of 26.1 and 25.3 points per game, respectively. The superstar duo hasn’t been performing as expected, so the team has relied on other players like Kyle Kuzma to step up.

Javale McGee, a 7’0 center, is one of the Lakers who has seen the most games this season. He has made 68 appearances, all as a starter.

Head coach Frank Vogel announced that the team is bringing reinforcements. Rajon Rondo, who injured his thumb and had surgery in July, has entered the bubble and is doing the required quarantine.

Los Angeles Clippers – Paul George (Fresno State 2008-10), Kawhi Leonard (SDSU 2009-11)

No. 2 seed in the East
Overall Record: 49-23 Bubble: 5-3
Game 1: Aug. 17 9pm ET vs Mavericks

The Clippers will face the Dallas Mavericks in a playoff game for the first time in NBA history. 

The Mavericks count on the young, but talented, duo of Luka Dončić and Kristaps Porzingis. The Clippers top two players, who happen to be alumni of Mountain West schools, have a lot more experience. Kawhi Leonard is a two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP. Paul George is a six-time NBA All-Star. Meanwhile, this will be Dončić’ and Porzingis’ playoff debuts.

Leonard and George are averaging 27.1 and 21.5 points respectively. The third highest scorer on the stat sheet is Montrezl Harrell, who was not in the bubble due to family matters and hasn’t played an NBA game since March 10. Harrell, a 6th man of the year finalist, has made it into the bubble and is expected to clear quarantine in time for the first playoff game.

Miami Heat – Derrick Jones (UNLV 2015–16)

No. 5 seed in the East
Overall Record: 44-29 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 6:30pm ET vs Indiana

The Heat Clinch No. 5 Seed in Eastern Conference after a loss to the Pacers on Friday. The Pacers locked in the No. 4 seed, and the two teams will face each other again for the first round of the playoffs.

Miami is led by Jimmy Butler who is averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game. The Heat have been have struck by injuries lately, which have given them mixed results in the bubble. Recent headlines were about Derrick Jones Jr.

Jones Jr. has been dealing with a knee injury but was cleared to play on Friday. He played against the Pacers but had to be carried off the court on a stretcher in the third quarter after a hard collision. It appeared serious but the team announced later that evening that he had suffered a neck strain and would be re-evaluated again over the weekend.

Toronto Raptors – Paul Watson (Fresno State 2013-17), Patrick McCaw UNLV (2014–16)

No. 2 seed in the East
Overall Record: 53-19 Bubble: 7-1
Game 1: Aug. 17 4pm ET vs Brooklyn

The Raptors are the defending NBA champions and this year’s No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The canadian team has talent. Six players are scoring in double digits, with Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet at the top of the stat sheet with 22.9ppg, 19.4ppg and 17.6ppg respectively. But there are also other members of the team who can contribute.

Paul Watson trained with player development coach Rico Hines, who has worked with Siakam, last offseason. Watson was a standout at Toronto’s G-League affiliate before signing a two-way deal with the Raptors in January. He showed his worth on Friday when Toronto defeated the Denver Nuggets 117-109 and he helped with 22 points. That performance earned Watson and Fresno a shoutout on ESPN. 

The team has another former Mountain West player, Patrick McCaw as a reserve forward, but he left the bubble earlier this month to receive treatment for a benign mass on the back of his left knee. 

Brooklyn Nets – Tyler Johnson (Fresno State 2010-14)

No. 7 seed in the East
Overall Record: 35-37 Bubble: 5-3
Game 1: Aug. 17 4pm ET vs Raptors

The Nets would be a more intimidating team if they weren’t missing big-name players like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, as well as shot creator Spencer Dinwiddie. However, Caris LeVert has managed to carry the team with an average of 18.7 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Tyler Johnson, previously with the Phoenix Suns, signed with the team late June. He makes a good pair with Chris Chiozza and has already shown what he can give the Nets. He scored 21 points during a 129-120 win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Aug. 9. After the game, LeVert had a lot of good things to say about his new teammate.

“Tyler’s been huge for us…His basketball IQ is very high,” LeVert said. “He’s huge for us, knocking down shots, being in the right spot defensively and just knowing what to do.”

Orlando Magic – Khem Birch (UNLV 2012-14)

No. 8 seed in the East
Overall Record: 33-40 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 1:30pm ET vs Milwaukee

Orlando’s depth has been stretched thin several times during this season, so even making it into the playoffs is an accomplishment.

Mo Bamba, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on June 11, left the NBA bubble for a “comprehensive post-Coronavirus evaluation,” the team announced Friday. Bamba had been splitting time with Khem Birch as backup center for Nikola Vucevic throughout the season. Birch was seeing more time during the restart. He has has appeared in 48 games this season, starting in 24 of those, while averaging 19.2 minutes per game. 

The Magic finished the regular season with a win against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans had already been eliminated and were resting all of their starters during that game, but the Magic still had a good performance. 

The team shot at 73% from beyond the arc during the first half, hitting 13 out of 18 attempts. Eight different players contributed to this. By the end of the game the team had finished 15-of-28 in three pointers. This stat was a big deal for Orlando since the team had been struggling in this category.

 

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Report: NBA and NBPA are in ‘serious talks’ for in-market bubbles for the eight non-restart teams

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA and NBPA are in “serious talks” for the Golden State Warriors and the seven other non-restart teams to join in-market practice bubbles.

It’s been over five months since the Golden State Warriors suited up for a basketball game.

Although NBA action has returned to the court at Disney World, the Warriors are one of eight teams not included in the NBA’s restart plans. Despite their league-worst record eliminating Golden State from the Orlando Bubble, the Warriors could be making their way back to the court for practice in September.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA and NBPA are in “serious talks” for in-market bubbles for the eight teams outside the Orlando Bubble. The in-market bubble program would include daily testing for the coronavirus, individual workouts and group practices with five-on-five scrimmages.

Via @ShamsCharania on Twitter:

With coronavirus restrictions in place, the Warriors have been limited to individual workouts at Chase Center in San Francisco. An in-market bubble would provide Golden State the chance to practice together for the first time in months.

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After injuries ravaged Golden State’s rotation in 2019-20, the Warriors could use extra court time as a unit. New arrivals Andrew Wiggins, Marquese Chriss and Eric Paschall have only spent limited time on the floor with Golden State’s Splash Brother duo. With Steph Curry and Klay Thompson healthy, Steve Kerr and Bob Myers could get a glimpse at what the Warriors could look like in the 2020-21 season.

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Steph Curry had ‘major FOMO’ watching the first week of games at the Orlando Bubble

During the first week of NBA restart action in the Orlando Bubble, Stephen Curry admitted he had “major FOMO.”

After leading the Golden State Warriors to five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, Stephen Curry has spent most of the 2019-20 season on the sidelines. After missing a majority of the season with a hand injury he suffered in October, Curry’s return to the court was limited to only one game after the league was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fast forward to the NBA’s restart in August, Curry’s Warriors are one of the eight teams on the outside of the Orlando Bubble. With no games on the calendar for an extended period of time, Curry is missing hoops.

In an interview with Marc Stein of the New York Times, Curry revealed he had “major FOMO” watching games at Disney World. During the first week of seeding games in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble, Curry admitted he suffered from the fear of missing out.

Via The New York Times:

Obviously I was happy to see basketball back on TV, but that first week I had major FOMO.

Once you see Bron and Kawhi and P.G. go at it, and you remember how much fun it is to play in those types of games and that kind of level, you miss it badly.

Until the Warriors are able to schedule an offseason mini-camp, Curry will have to settle his hoops fix at individual workouts.

While a group of teams are contending for playoff position in the Orlando Bubble, Curry has been working out in preparation for his long-awaited return to the court. A recent video was shared of the two-time Most Valuable Player throwing down a one-handed alley-oop dunk.

When he’s not in the gym, the six-time All-Star has been chiming in on what’s going on at Disney World. Whether it’s welcoming Joel Embiid to the Under Armour signature shoe family or commenting on his former teammate Andre Iguodala’s play, Curry has been following along with the NBA’s restart.

Former Warrior Alec Burks drops 20 points in 76ers’ loss to Trail Blazers in Orlando Bubble

Former Golden State Warrior Alec Burks tallied 20 or more points for the second consecutive game for the Philadelphia 76ers in the Orlando Bubble.

While Draymond Green is serving as a guest analyst on the NBA on TNT and Stephen Curry is watching the PGA Championship, 22 teams are battling through the round of seeding games at Disney World.

With the Warriors one of the eight teams on the outside of the NBA’s restart plan, Warriors Wire is checking in on former members of Golden State in the Orlando Bubble.

On Sunday, Alec Burks suited up in red, white and blue for the Philadelphia 76ers. With Ben Simmons on the injury report, the former Golden State swingman played 23 minutes off the bench against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Burks notched 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field with one 3-pointer. Since entering the Orlando Bubble, Burks has buried 10-of-16 shots from beyond the arc. Against the Blazers, the Colorado product added five boards and two assists. It was the second consecutive game Burks recorded 20 or more points for the Sixers.

In his first appearance in the bubble, former Dub Glenn Robinson III registered four points and three rebounds in 17 minutes for the Sixers.

Burks was one of five 76ers to score in double-figures against Portland. Josh Richardson led the way, scoring 34 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the field. However, it wasn’t enough.

Oakland native Damian Lillard exploded for 51 points on 16-of-28 shooting with four 3-pointers. Along with his game-high scoring mark, the All-Star point guard tacked on seven assists, three rebounds and two steals in Portland’s 124-121 victory.

Robinson III and Burks will be back on the floor on Tuesday against Devin Booker and the red-hot Phoenix Suns.

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Memphis Grizzlies’ Brandon Clarke can’t be overlooked

Memphis Grizzlies’ Brandon Clarke started his college career at SJSU and is now one of the best rookies in the NBA.

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Since SJSU, Brandon Clarke has continued to develop

Contact/Follow @cisabelg & @MWCwire

The Memphis Grizzlies are not the top team in the NBA at the moment, but its young roster has sprung some surprises along the way. Ja Morant is the NBA Rookie of the Year favorite, but he is not the only first-year player making noise for the Grizzlies.

Brandon Clarke is contributing with an average of 12.1 points per game. More impressively, he is shooting at 62.0% from the field, fifth best in the league. That shooting percentage is also putting him on track to break the rookie record, currently held by Steve Johnson at 61.34% during the 1981-81 season.

Clarke almost didn’t finish the season on the court. He suffered a quadriceps injury late February but the NBA pause gave him enough time to heal.

Prior to becoming the No. 21 pick in 2019, the Vancouver native was a college basketball standout at Gonzaga University. But before that he actually started his career at a less high-profile school. After graduating from Desert Vista High School high school in Arizona in 2015, he spent his first two college years in California with the San Jose State Spartans.

His freshman year he averaged 8.8 points per game and was named Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year after putting up 10.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in conference play.

The following year he more than doubled his scoring average. He was registering 17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks, which got him into the All-MW First Team and Mountain West All-Defensive Team.

The Spartans, not usually at the top of the conference, held a 23-38 losing record through 2015-17 even with Clarke in the roster. Head coach Dave Wojcik resigned in July 2017 and Clarke entered the transfer portal not long after. He landed at Gonzaga that August and sat out for the first year.

As a redshirt junior during the 2018-19 season, Clarke made 37 appearances, 36 of those as a starter. He averaged 16.9 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting at 68.7% from the field. He showed off his shooting abilities against North Dakota State on Nov. 26, 2017 going 9-for-9.

Clarke was first in the West Coast Conference in field goal percentage and made it into The All-WCC First Team. He earned both the WCC Defender and Newcomer of the year honors.

Clarke was part of a Bulldogs roster that went 33-4 overall and 16-0 in the conference and made it to the Elite Eight in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. He set the single game record in an NCAA Tournament game for Gonzaga with 36 points when the Bulldogs played Baylor in the second round of the Big Dance.

Now at the next level of his basketball career, Clarke continues to stand out. He was the 2019 NBA Las Vegas Summer League MVP, and also made the first team All-Summer League.

He has done enough during the regular season to get his name mentioned as a potential member of this season’s All-Rookie Team, one of these mentions coming from ESPN’s Zach Lowe’s ballot.

Clarke has also been talked about for Rookie of the Year and 6th Man of the Year award. When asked about the latter during his media availability on July 22, Clarke didn’t try to hide his confidence but also expressed gratitude.

“Just me as a player, I have a lot of trust in myself. I’m not shocked to have my name there but it is really cool to see that because obviously it’s my first year and there’s so many other great players that come off the bench,” he said. “Just to have my name even near them is something that’s really cool to me and I’m very grateful about it.”

Five Memphis players are scoring in double figures, and four of those are under 25 years old. Morant leads with an average of 17.8 points and 7.1 assists per game.

Jaren Jackson Jr. followed closely with 17.4 points per game while leading the team in blocks with 1.6 per game. The team won’t count with him anymore as he’s out due to a meniscus tear, but they have the third most consistent scorer in 24-year-old Dillon Brooks with 15.7 points per game.

Memphis is still in the running for a spot in the playoffs, but injuries and inexperience are making it more difficult as the Grizzlies have yet to get a win since the restart.

Even though Memphis has been getting itself into an uncomfortable situation, Clarke was still positive on Thursday afternoon.

“Our group is also very, very resilient and able to fight back,” he said in a post-practice press conference. “It’s something that we’ve done pretty much the whole season… We just gotta keep on doing our thing and tune up the things that we were doing wrong and then we’ll be fine.”

 

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Orlando Bubble: Former Warrior Andre Iguodala logs 19 minutes in Heat’s 107-103 loss to Raptors

In his second game in the Orlando Bubble, Former Warrior Andre Iguodala tallied two points in the Heat’s 107-103 loss to the Raptors.

As the NBA ventures into the second wave of games in the Orlando Bubble, the Golden State Warriors are diving into their extended offseason. With the league’s worst record at 15-50, the Warriors are one of the eight teams not included in the NBA’s much-anticipated restart to the 2019-20 season. 

With no Golden State hoops on the calendar for the foreseeable future, Warriors Wire is checking in on former Dubs at Disney World. A group of twelve former Warriors will be in action at the Orlando Bubble, including Golden State’s 2015 Finals Most Valuable Player. 

In his second bubble appearance for the Miami Heat, Andre Iguodala suited up against the defending NBA champs. 

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Iguodala logged 19 minutes, scoring two points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field against Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors. The former Golden State sixth-man added five assists and two rebounds. 

Six different members of the Heat notched double-figures in scoring with Goran Dragic leading the way off the bench with 25 points, five boards, five assists and a pair of steals in 28 minutes. 

However, the Heat’s combined effort wasn’t enough for Fred VanVleet and the Raptors. The Wichita State product tallied 36 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. VanVleet splashed 7-of-12 from beyond the arc. 

Watch highlights from the Raptors vs. Heat tilt via YouTube: 

Iguodala and the Heat will suit up for their third seeding game against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. 

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Other former members of the Golden State Warriors inside the Orlando Bubble include Alec Burks, JaVale McGee, Harrison Barnes, Glenn Robinson III, Kent Bazemore, Quinn Cook, Jamal Crawford, Anthony Tolliver and Marco Belinelli. 

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