Tag: NBA Return

NBA GMs to vote on formats: 72-76 game season, playoffs, playoff-plus

The NBA has asked teams across the league to give their feedback on the various formats for the regular season to potentially return.

As we’ve been writing here for the past week or so, as it looks like the NBA is going to attempt to return in some form or fashion this summer, the details of such hopes to return have not yet been finalized. There are rumors from everyone from reporters to owners about a two-site return in Las Vegas and Orlando, as well as the resumption of a few regular-season games, likely in order to have teams uphold their television deals with local regional sports networks. But these are all just potential paths for the return of pro basketball in North America, but we know that there are more scenarios that the NBA’s decision-makers will give their feedback on.

Shams Charania of The Athletic obtained a memo, which he published on Saturday morning, that includes the details of a survey given to all 30 NBA general managers about how the NBA might return. Among the proposals include questions about whether to continue the regular season at all and if they do want to continue it, their choices are between 72 and 76 games. This would mean that the Lakers play up to 13 regular season games depending on what the results provide.

As far as playoff formats are concerned, there are three options that the memo lays out. First, a regular playoff with the top-8 teams from each conference as of the standings on March 12, meaning no more regular-season games. Also given the extraordinary circumstances, the NBA is also asking teams whether they’d like to uphold the traditional East/West format or reseed the 16 teams once they’ve been finalized.

In addition to the re-seeding, the NBA is also asking teams whether they would consider a “playoff-plus” scenario, that would expand the playoff field from 16 teams to as many as 24 teams. A 24-team scenario would basically give every team a chance to compete for the playoffs, should there be a regular season.

But while the NBA is asking for feedback for the formats, the league is waiting ultimately for the direction from Adam Silver, about how, when, where, and ultimately if, they will come back to play.

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NBA tells teams asymptomatic players will not get coronavirus tests

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reports that the league is telling teams not to expect broad testing for asymptomatic players at the moment.

With the NBA about a week away from the earliest time they expect to open practice facilities for teams in places where stay-at-home orders have been relaxed, the league does not want to catch itself in a firestorm over their access to testing like they had in the earlier stages of the pandemic in North America. According to a report from The Athletic, only about half of the league would be allowed to return to their facilities under current state and local regulations.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported on Thursday that the league told teams that players who are not experiencing symptoms will not get tested for the coronavirus, given that testing is still not widely available on a public level for people experiencing symptoms.

The memo states that, “for the time being, it is not appropriate in the current public health environment to regularly test all players and staff for the coronavirus.”

The NBA is clearly learning from the backlash that came their way back in March players from multiple teams tested positive for COVID-19. While it is true that the NBA finding players who had the virus accelerated the acceptance of the pandemic, the league does not want to appear insensitive to the current public health crisis.

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