Tag: orlando bubble

Celtics, top seeds may hope for other perks after losing home court

The Boston Celtics and other top seeds may hope the NBA confers some other advantage to top-seeded teams in a home-court-less postseason.

As a top-four team in the East, the Boston Celtics might have a bone to pick about losing a hard-earned home court advantage in the new format adopted by the NBA to resume the 2019-20 season.

If they have voiced concerns about it, it hasn’t been leaked.

The issue is that by holding all games in a single-site location to prevent as much risk as possible to players, staff and other necessary support, all teams participating in the postseason will effectively be playing on a neutral site — and with that, lose whatever advantage the home crowd brings.

For some teams, that may not be a massive issue, but for anyone who’s ever attended a game of import at TD Garden, it’s certainly not a negligible one, either.

There have been some creative ideas ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports as being tossed around to try and find ways to replicate that advantage, earned by the top four teams in terms of record in each conference.

Some are parsimonious, some absurd — we’ll let you judge which are which.

They include the ‘home court’ team get an extra coaches’ challenge, or get possession of the ball automatically at the start of some periods (instead of a jump ball), or have a designated player with an extra, seventh foul.

There’s even been a suggestion of letting teams bring their entire home court itself, thereby giving them quite literally their home court to play on.

Sans audience, of course.

It doesn’t seem likely the NBA will be doing much (if anything) to address such concerns given the magnitude of the challenge they have before them in trying to safely conduct a basketball season in a pandemic. But, it will be curious to see what effect — if any — the neutral court concept has on games.

Like so much right now, we have been forced into an awful, unintended experiment when it comes to what works in professional sports.

Fingers crossed we actually get to the point of having games we were irked no one had home court, but got played nonetheless.

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ESPN’s Rose likes the Celtics to make the NBA Finals from the East

ESPN NBA analyst Jalen Rose thinks the Boston Celtics are the team to beat in the East coming out of the hiatus.

ESPN’s Jalen Rose likes the Boston Celtics to come out of the East in the NBA’s new format to resume the season.

Speaking about who he believes will excel in the novel format being planned for 22 of the NBA’s 30 teams headed to Lake Buena Vista, Florida to complete the 2019-20 season, the NBA analyst was especially supportive of the Celtics’ prospects.

The new format will see teams play without audiences in the Disney-provided single-site location as a means of mitigating the risk of professional sports during a pandemic.

That single location format will eliminate home court advantage and shorten the rest of each team’s regular season to the next eight contests on their original schedule with teams invited to the Florida-based complex.

Because of these factors, the Michigan product believes the Celtics have the advantage.

“In a neutral situation, the way the season is about to be shotgun-started again, I’m taking the Celtics in the East,” he explained.

“I’m taking the Celtics in the East, because one of the great things about the Bucks — of course, their game does travel — but their home court was a huge advantage for them, a major advantage. If we’re playing pickup ball, and the Celtics and Bucks players are in the gym, I’m going to pick Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the next four or five picks are going to be Celtics.”

“That’s my choice to come out of the East,” he added.

What specifically is it about Boston, though, does Rose like? More than anything else, their style of play, it seems.

“Small ball, spread it out and take advantage of the big guys that can’t score against little guys. That’s really what it’s going to be. It’s gonna be like AAU out there,” the ESPN analyst offered.

“Boston’s winning the East. The more I think about this — god, strike me down — I hadn’t said this out of my mouth or even thought about it one time until we had this conversation, until right now. Boston’s winning the East, and don’t sleep on Houston in the West, but they’re not better than the Lakers or the Clippers.”

There are still skeptics as to whether both teams’ frontcourts will be able to excel in the sort of slower halfcourt playoff-style game that tends to dominate the NBA postseason.

But, it will be interesting to see whether Boston’s center-by-committee approach and the Rockets’ “pocket” approach bear fruit as both teams hope the recent tumult can come with some silver linings for their respective playoff aspirations.

And with the league having committed to a July 31st target restart date, we won’t have too long to wait to find out.

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WATCH: Enes Kanter shares video of his most recent COVID-19 swab test

Boston Celtics big man Enes Kanter shared a video of his most recent COVID-19 swab test on his instagram.

Outspoken Boston Celtics big man Enes Kanter recently made a 20-hour trip from Chicago to Boston to participate in local demonstrations about the killing of George Floyd — but also to prepare for the resumption of the suspended 2019-20 NBA season

The protests and return to action alike necessitate testing, given Kanter’s trip back from Illinois — where he was sheltering in place — put him at elevated risk for contracting COVID-19, and his participation in the protests did as well.

So, being the responsible teammate and person that he is, the Turkish big man made a point of getting tested again for the virus behind the pandemic.

All Celtics players were tested after being exposed to Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz after Gobert’s positive results, and players hoping to play in the resumed season will also need to demonstrate they are clear of an active infection.

Kanter did just that, sharing a video of what the swab test itself used for detecting the virus is like on his Instagram.

“Put your head up a little bit,” instructs a healthcare provider off-camera save for their hand. “Okay, let’s do this,” followed Kanter, with hesitant enthusiasm.

The healthcare provider inserted a long, Q-tip like swab into the Zurich native’s nostril, going well into Kanter’s sinus cavity as he winced in obvious if not extreme discomfort.

“I hate this,” he proclaimed upon the swab’s removal, “my eyes are watering.”

“That’s it?” he asked after collecting himself a bit, swiveling to address his test administerer. “That is it,” they replied to his relief. “I think I’m ready to play now,” quipped Kanter.

If you have been protesting — or have any reason to believe you might be infected — and have the ability to do so, consider getting tested as well.

It could save lives.

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G League, Red Claws officially cancel the rest of 2019-20 season

The NBA’s G League officially announced the cancellation of their 2019-20 season, which the Maine Red Claws released a statement to address Thursday.

The G League has officially canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season, according to a press release circulated by the NBA Thursday.

The NBA’s developmental league, also on hold since the day after the March 11th cessation of league activities, was canceled by G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim today.

Unlike the NBA, the vast majority of the G League’s teams were nearly done with their seasons anyway, with the season having been set to end on its own on March 28.

The statement released by Abdur-Rahim about the G League read as follows:

“While canceling the remainder of our season weighs heavily on us, we recognize that it is the most appropriate action to take for our league … I extend my sincere gratitude to NBA G League players and coaches for giving their all to their teams and fans this season. And to our fans, I thank you and look forward to resuming play for the 2020-21 season.”

The G League plans to announce season-end awards “in the coming weeks,” including the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year award, G League Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, and more.

Boston’s G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, released a statement as well:

“While we are disappointed with the official cancellation of the 2019-20 NBA G League season, the Maine Red Claws accept and understand the league’s decision. We as an organization were well on track to have our most successful season, both on and off the court, and are focused on continuing to make a positive impact in the Greater Portland community this offseason. We are excited for, and have our sights set on a return to the Expo for the 2020-21 season.”

It is still unclear whether G League players will be allowed to participate in the 2020 NBA Playoffs slated to be held in Lake Buena Vista, Florida at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.

They will be able to play in the final eight games of the regular season to be held there, however.

So, the 2019-20 seasons of Boston’s two players Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters continues for at least eight more games with the parent club.

News about the availability of G League players in this year’s postseason should be forthcoming soon.

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How a 22-team return will affect the Celtics’ 2020 NBA draft odds

The new format and its draft odds will likely benefit the Boston Celtics’ potential draft odds, though not through their own draft picks.

ESPN senior writer Zach Lowe related how the new return-to-play format approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors will affect the NBA Draft Thursday.

The approved format will see 22 teams descend on Lake Buena Vista, Florida to resume the 2019-20 season at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Walt Disney World at the end of July with many changes to the usual course of a season due to the pandemic which delayed the season to begin with.

For the purposes of sussing out how these changes will affect the 2020 NBA Draft (now to be held on October 15th) many have been wondering how this will impact draft odds compared to previous seasons.

Lowe relates that for all 16 teams that make the playoffs — whether by record alone or qualifying through a potential play-in game — draft order will be by reverse order of how the team performed up to the March 11th suspension of league activities and seeding games combined.

The lottery would be comprised of the eight teams not traveling to Florida for the season restart and the six teams who make the trip to the Disney-hosted ‘bubble’ but do not make the playoffs, and odds would only be derived from their records as of March 11th.

As has been noted by the Celtics Wire previously, this leaves in place the unlikely-but-possible chance that the first round draft pick owed the team by the Memphis Grizzlies could conceivably become a lottery pick.

Should Memphis manage to fall in the standings enough to trigger the play-in game scenario in the West, their 2020 first round pick would enter the lottery, and convey to Boston so long as it is drawn above the top-six protection the Grizzlies placed upon it.

With the Grizzlies just 3.5 games behind the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings, it’s definitely a candidate for the new format.

Any eighth seed within four games of the ninth will have to beat that opponent two times in a row to advance to the postseason, meaning it is actually realistic for Memphis to end up in the lottery, even if it is still more likely they will not.

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How the strength of remaining schedule can impact Boston’s postseason

The Boston Celtics had the 11th-toughest schedule remaining before the hiatus; where do they sit now in the East’s potential outcomes?

The Boston Celtics had the 11th-hardest schedule remaining in the NBA’s soon-to-be-resumed 2019-20, according to data shared by NBA Soundsystem’s Micah Adams.

Because those figures were based on Boston’s (and every team’s) remaining schedule before the pandemic, the schedule in front of the 22 teams who are invited to finish the season is bound to play out differently based on the format being voted on by the Board of Governors Thursday.

Pending likely approval, teams will play the next eight games on their prior schedule, sans the eight teams who will not be traveling to Orlando to finish the season.

Those teams — so bad they had no chance of making even the play-in format adopted by the league in light of pandemic’s limiting factors — helped pad Boston’s schedule before the shift in scheduling, and substituting in tougher opponents could cause some changes even if it is happening with every team.

Estimates on strength of schedule from before the suspension included games that would have been played after the eight each team will play in the resumed season, which should also change the weight of each team’s challenge in the rest of the regular season.

Boston is three games behind the second-place Toronto Raptors and 2.5 ahead of the Miami Heat, and thus almost certain to remain in the third seed no matter what happens to their Eastern Conference peers.

They’ll face the Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards, Raptors, and Brooklyn Nets in their first game back, and the Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat to close out the season.

With more than half their remaining games against sub- .500 teams, Boston may actually have one of the easiest schedules left in the resumed seasons, so a third-place finish seems all but certain.

That said the movement in the standings that could most affect them is among their potential playoff opponents.

Currently poised to face the Philadelphia 76ers, the Indiana Pacers and Miami loom as potential playoff adversaries as well with the 76ers and Pacers tied at 39-26 and the Heat just two games up on them both in the standings at 41-24.

With time off to heal, it’s possible teams like Boston, Indy and especially Philly could all be stronger than they were before the hiatus. But that same hiatus exists as an unknown in terms to how well teams will play coming out of the break in ways which will be harder to predict.

We do know that the Sixers have one of the toughest schedules left in the league, and that the Heat aren’t far behind them.

Philly plays Indiana, Toronto, Phoenix Suns and Portland for its first four games, then the Wizards, Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs.

The Pacers will play the 76ers, the Heat, Phoenix and Orlando for their first four games, followed by the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, closing out against both the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.

The Heat are looking at games against the Bucks, Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, followed by four more vs. the Suns and Celtics and Indiana and Boston both a second time.

This gives the 76ers a schedule on par with Boston with just three opponents with winning records remaining, the Pacers five teams with winning records, and the Heat face a murder’s row with only the Suns as a sub- .500 club left on their schedule.

Both Boston and Philadelphia may find themselves with latitude to impact the final standings with games against the Spurs and Heat to close out their respective schedules, so we could see some pretty unusual lineups from these teams to end the 2019-20 season.

Another issue to watch is the Memphis Grizzlies in the West.

With Boston controlling its 2020 first rounder, a drop out of the playoffs could in theory happen, thereby putting the pick in the lottery.

While there’s a built-in limit to some of the more unlikely outcomes with the pick owed them being top-six protected, it’s not out of the question that the Celtics find themselves with a better pick than the 17th they are currently projected to receive.

But don’t get your hopes up too high — with the New Orleans Pelicans, Kings, and Blazers in a statistical tie 3.5 games behind the Griz, it’s nothing you’d want to count on.

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Celtics to play next 8 games of season vs. teams invited to Orlando

All 22 teams resuming the 2019-20 NBA season will play the next 8 games of their original schedule vs. other teams that were invited to Orlando.

It seems we know the Boston Celtics remaining schedule.

According to Yahoo’s Vincent Goodwill, teams will play their next eight scheduled games according to the NBA schedule laid out at the beginning of the season if the NBA goes ahead with the proposed 22-team return to be voted on in Thursday’s board of Governors meeting.

In the event that one of the teams on the schedule is not among the 22 invited teams, the schedule simply advances to the next team which is.

For the Celtics, that would create a schedule of games against the Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets for the first four games.

The following four games would begin with the Wizards again, followed by the Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat to close out the regular season.

The game against Miami is especially interesting, as it may prove useful for determining Boston’s first-round opponent, depending on how the final eight games shake out.

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What could an 8-game regular season mean for Boston’s playoff seeding?

If the NBA goes ahead with its plan to have eight more games in the 2019-20 regular season, it could shake up the Boston Celtics’ potential opponents in the first round.

The Boston Celtics are very comfortably ensconced in the East’s third seed ahead of the plan for the resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season which will be voted on at Thursday’s planned Board of Governors’ meeting reported by Stadium’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

But is it comfortable enough with eight games being considered for the rest of the regular season?

If the Celtics hope to maintain the third seed, almost certainly. If, as NBA Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg pointed out on Twitter, the Miami Heat were to win seven of their eight remaining games and Boston lost half of the same number of contests, they could leapfrog the Celtics in the standings.

And at 6.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors, they aren’t moving up in the standings in any kind of realistic scenario worth considering.

 

However, we could see the opponent Boston faces change, given the Philadelphia 76ers — the team the Celtics would currently face if the season ended today — are in a tie with the Indiana Pacers (who hold the tiebreaker and thus the fifth seed at the moment).

The Heat are also in the mix at just two games ahead of much-healthier Philly and Indiana franchises, the time off perhaps enough to give the 76ers and/or Pacers momentum to to threaten Miami.

So, it seems very likely the Celtics will have the third seed heading into the playoffs — and may be able to influence their potential opponent given how tight the race four through six is.

However, none of the trio of teams in likely range to face them is going to be a walk in the park, either.

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NBA to present 22-team return-to-play plan for vote Thursday

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports the NBA will present the Board of Governors with a 22-team plan to resume the 2019-20 season Thursday.

The Boston Celtics and the rest of the NBA look poised to resume the 2019-20 NBA season with word from The Athletic’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the NBA plans to hold a vote on a 22-team return to action.

The plan, which would see each of the 22 teams play eight regular season games for purposes of seeding in Orlando before starting the Playoffs, will need to be ratified on the Board of Governors call scheduled Thursday.

Teams included are the 16 franchises who would currently qualify for the postseason based on record along with the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs in the West and Washington Wizards in the East.

According to Wojnarowski, “If the ninth seed is more than four games behind the eighth, No. 8 makes playoffs,” but if less than “four games, a play-in tournament” will be held. Moreover, a “play-in format requires a double-elimination format for the 8th seed, a single-elimination for the 9th seed.”

While there are still many steps between where the wider NBA community is at this moment and another, bonafide tip-off in the currently-suspended season, we are closer than we have been in months to games that count being played again.

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