Tag: Orlando

Sixers express multitude of concerns about playing in Orlando bubble

A multitude of Philadelphia 76ers players have expressed concerns over the Orlando bubble.

The good news is, the NBA is returning! After being in suspension since March 11, the league has found a way to safely resume the season at Disney World in Orlando.

The bad news is, the world is still dealing with a global pandemic and it can be tough playing under such conditions and Joel Embiid already expressed that he hated this idea. The Philadelphia 76ers will be one of the 22 teams heading down to Orlando on Thursday to resume the season and it can be tough to play this way, but in the current circumstances, this is probably the best way they can handle things.

“I don’t think we should be playing, but I think the NBA is doing all that they can to make the environment safe as possible,” said Shake Milton. “So, my teammates want to play. We’re going down there to try and get a win.”

Glenn Robinson III agreed with Milton that this is probably the best idea the NBA could come up with to keep everybody safe at the moment.

“Obviously, you see all of the stuff on social media and hear all of the talks about it, but honestly, it’s as good of a job as they can do right now,” he echoed. “We see all of the money they’re spending. Just seeing the plan, hearing the action, I don’t know if we could get better than this right now for something that we’ve never done, but it should be interesting. It’s just the unknown, if someone gets it what happens? I think all of us are just thinking like that, but in terms of the NBA, I think it’s as good a job as they can do.”

A few members of the Sixers roster are fathers and they will be leaving their children for a while to go play basketball in the middle of a pandemic and a huge Civil Rights movement at the moment. All of that can be tough and draining for anybody.

“We’re just going off of ‘we’ll see’,” said Mike Scott “We just can only go off of what people are saying, explaining what it’s going to be like down there, and giving us an idea of what’s to come, but we don’t really know. We’re really just going off of ‘we’ll see what happens when we get down there’. Hopefully, they’ll try and make everybody safe, but that’s how I feel. We’ll see. I don’t know anything until I get down there and see.”

The Sixers will be staying at a hotel at Disney World for weeks and possibly months depending on how far they go into the playoffs. That can be really tough for a lot of guys to stay away from their family like that.

“I think the hardest thing will be just being away from the people we love and being away from our friends and family,” said guard Raul Neto. “I think that’s the thing I’m most concerned about and I think it’s going to be the hardest for me personally, because I think the NBA is doing a great job just setting the bubble the way they did with a lot of entertainment for us, with a lot of things that we can do besides basketball, protecting us.”

It is difficult for anybody to be away from their family and friends for this long time and try to focus on doing their job and playing basketball. None of this is going to be easy for anybody in the Orlando bubble.

“It’s pretty difficult,” Josh Richardson added. “I’m not excited to be in that situation, but I’m excited to play. I’m excited to go to war with my teammates so it’s a silver lining to everything so I’m excited for it.”

Even for a veteran like Al Horford, this is all so entirely new to him. He has been in the NBA for 13 years now and his mindset is so focused on just being prepared for any challenge thrown at him while in Orlando.

“The reality is that the world has changed for all of us,” he explained. “These are things that are unexpected and you can’t predict. Now, the way that I look at it we have another opportunity. We have a reset type of button and we’re healthy as a team. For me, it’s just about being as prepared as I can.”

Philadelphia begins their biggest challenge on August 1 against the Indiana Pacers. [lawrence-related id=34358,34321,34335]

Alvin Gentry cleared to join Pelicans at NBA’s restart in Orlando

Moments before the Pelicans’ departure to Orlando on Wednesday, head coach Alvin Gentry received word he was cleared to join them.

Moments before the New Orleans Pelicans boarded the plan to head to the NBA’s bubble in Orlando on Wednesday, head coach Alvin Gentry received word from the league that he would be cleared to join them. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report that Gentry would be cleared.

Prior to Wednesday, the Pelicans had multiple coaches that would not be joining the team in Orlando. Associate head coach Jeff Bdzelik, known as one of the brighter defensive minds in the league, opted to stay in New Orleans due to his age. On Tuesday, assistant Jamelle McMillan also made the decision to remain in Louisiana to remain with his newborn son.

The decision to allow Gentry to join the team sets an interesting precedent for older coaches in the NBA’s restart. Gentry, 65, is one of the handful of coaches who were flagged by the league due to their age. Another high-profile one in Mike D’Antoni, who is four years older than Gentry, will also find out his decision in the immediate future as the Rockets are set to travel to Orlando on Thursday.

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Pelicans associate coach Jeff Bzdelik to not travel to Orlando, Alvin Gentry status uncertain

Pelicans associate head coach Jeff Bzdelik will opt not to join the team in Orlando for the league’s restart while Alvin Gentry’s status is still undecided.

With one of the older coaching staffs in the league, the New Orleans Pelicans could see some changes on the sideline with the team’s trip to Florida. On Friday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that associate head coach Jeff Bzdelik, known as a defensive specialist, will not travel with the team to Orlando. At 67 years old, Bzdelik falls into one of the higher risk categories and, after speaking with team physicians, will opt to stay in New Orleans.

Wojnarowski also noted that Bzdelik had the support of the New Orleans Pelicans franchise in his decision.

Interestingly, Alvin Gentry, who is 65 years old, falls into the same category as Bzdelik. He, however, has not made a decision on whether he will join the team in Orlando.

Positive cases of the coronavirus have spiked nationwide to record levels, particularly in Florida. On Thursday, Florida reported 10,109 new cases, a record-high amount, breaking the mark set on June 27.

Currently, most teams are slated to arrive in Florida by the end of the second week of July.

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Pelicans’ eight-game restart schedule revealed, match-up with Jazz on opening night set

The Pelicans will be featured heavily in the NBA’s restart, including an opening night showdown in the first game in Orlando against Utah.

The NBA took some criticism for its restart plan which included non-playoff teams including Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans. Seen as a way to get Williamson back on national television and potentially in the playoffs, the NBA will feature the star rookie from the very get-go in the restart.

On Friday, the eight-game restart schedules for all NBA teams were released with the Pelicans being the first game of the restart. New Orleans will meet Utah in the first game of a double-header that will precede a Lakers-Clippers showdown.

Unlike originally thought, the NBA schedule will not simply be the eight games that would have happened as that likely presented too many hurdles in replacing holes in schedules for teams that would not have made the trip to Orlando.

Still, the Pelicans, who were slated to have the easiest schedule in the league prior to the season coming to a halt, will still have the easiest schedule in the restart. New Orleans is the only team where their opponents’ cumulative win percentage is below .500

Here is a full look at the Pelicans’ schedule.

On top of three nationally televised games on ESPN, the Pelicans’ game against Sacramento on Aug. 11 will also be on TNT, meaning half of New Orleans’ remaining games will be nationally televised.

Each team will have one back-to-back in the restart with New Orleans’ featuring the Kings and Wizards. Originally, Washington would not have been on the Pelicans’ schedule had the next eight games been played.

The Pelicans will meet the Grizzlies just once in the restart, another change from their original schedule. However, two games against the Kings will also prove particularly vital as well as the match-up against the Spurs with each of those sides fighting for the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in the Western Conference playoffs.

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NBA and NBPA announce finalized plan to restart season at Disney World

The league and the player’s union sent out a joint press release on Friday confirming their plan to restart the season has been finalized.

The NBA and the National Basketball Player’s Association made a pair of statements on Friday indicating they are moving forward with their plan to finish the season starting late next month at the Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

The league announced that 16 out of 302 players tested positive for COVID-19 and only a few minutes later released a statement from the league and union officially saying that the season’s restart plan has been agreed to. They also noted that they would try to develop plans to bring out real change on social issues, while also indicating the plan’s support from medical experts. The announcement also comes on a day when Florida announced it had over 9,000 coronavirus infections on Thursday.

“It is very exciting to officially announce the restart of the 2019-2020 season,” said NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts in the press release.  “It has taken true collaboration between the League and the Union – special kudos to our Executive Committee and several other team reps – along with the continued support and assistance from medical experts, public health officials and many others.  Additionally, our platform in Orlando presents a unique opportunity to extend the ongoing fight against systemic racism and police brutality in this country.  We will continue to work with our players and the League to develop specific plans in Orlando as well as long-term initiatives to bring about real change on these issues.”

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Watch: Steph Curry is back in the Warriors practice facility getting up shots

Although the Golden State Warriors aren’t heading to Orlando for the NBA restart, Stephen Curry is back in the practice facility working out.

With the NBA’s worst record, the Warriors won’t be competing in the league’s 22-team restart in Orlando. Although they won’t participate in the stretch run of the season, their practice facility is back open for business.

After a three-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, San Francisco’s Chase Center has opened its doors for individual player workouts. On Wednesday, the Warriors shared a video montage of Stephen Curry going through a shooting routine at Chase Center’s practice court.

Watch Curry’s shooting montage via @warriors on Twitter:

When the Warriors reopened their practice facility in early June, Curry was among the first group of players in the building. Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damion Lee, Chasson Randle and Kevon Looney have also been spotted working out since the long-awaited reopening.

After missing a significant chunk of the season with a hand injury, Curry can use Golden State’s early offseason to shake off the rust and familiarize himself with his new group of teammates like Eric Paschall, Andrew Wiggins and Marquese Chriss.

While the Golden State Warriors won’t be hitting the court for game action anytime soon, a video of the two-time Most Valuable Player getting up some shots might be the next best thing.

NBA Players Association approves league’s 22-team restart proposal

The NBA cleared its final hurdle to restart the 2019-20 season with a vote of approval from the NBA Players Association

The NBA cleared its final hurdle to restart the 2019-20 season with a vote of approval from the NBA Players Association (NBAPA), though some caveats were included. As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, player representatives voted to confirm the league’s 22-team plan to finish the season in Orlando by mid-October.

However, NBAPA Executive Director Michele Roberts noted that plans for the start of the 2020-21 season as well as dates for the NBA Draft and Draft Lottery would all be negotiated in the coming days and weeks.

The Pelicans’ player representative is Nicolo Melli.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on some of the finer details in regards to the restart. The NBA is planning on two or three exhibition games before the eight-game regular season. Up to three family members per player may attend after the first round of the playoffs. There will also be daily testing of players for COVID-19 and a quarantine of at least seven days will be required if a player tests positive, though the league will continue on through a positive test.

Teams are set to begin training camp in early July and the first regular season game is planned for July 31.

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3 questions the New Orleans Pelicans must answer when the NBA returns

With the NBA season officially coming back, the New Orleans Pelicans will have a lifeline to get into the playoffs.

With the NBA’s return now official, the New Orleans Pelicans will be apart of the 22-team field. The hyper-abbreviated regular season will feature an eight-game sprint to the finish line. New Orleans, and the rest of the teams chasing the eighth seed, were given a lifeline as they need only be four games back of the eighth seed by the end of the sprint to enter a play-in tournament.

As it stands, the Pelicans, Trail Blazers and Kings all sit 3.5 games back of the Grizzlies. New Orleans will have a chance to play both the Grizzlies and Kings multiple times in the eight-game span and will have a chance to make up ground in the race.

There will be lots of questions surrounding not just the Pelicans but the rest of the NBA. But focusing in on the Pelicans, here are three questions they’ll need to answer to make a playoff run.

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Warriors season over as NBA’s Board of Governors approves 22-team return format

The Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season is over.

After a significant layoff due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA is set to resume the 2019-20 season. On a conference call on Thursday, the NBA’s Board of Governors approved Commissioner Adam Silver’s 22-team return format.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the vote to restart the season with 22 teams was approved 29-1.

Starting July 31, the league will send 22 teams to Orlando, Florida to play eight regular-season games to determine playoff seeding prior to heading into the postseason.

With a league-worst 15-50 record, the Golden State Warriors will be one of eight teams to not partake in the NBA’s return plan. Golden State’s 131-107 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers will go down as the final game of an unprecedented debut season in San Francisco’s Chase Center.

With Golden State’s season over, Bob Myers and Steve Kerr can turn their full attention to the NBA Draft. After ending the year with a bottom record, the Warriors are locked in for a top-five pick in the 2020 draft. According to Tankathon.com, the Warriors have a 14% chance to land the top pick and a 52.1% chance to stick in the top-four.

Golden State will now have an idea of where they’ll pick in the top-five with a new date for the Lottery set in place. With the Board of Governors vote, new dates have been settled for the NBA Draft Lottery and the Draft.

According to Wojnarowski, the Lottery will take place on Aug. 25 with the Draft following on Oct. 15. Free Agency is set to begin just days after the draft on Oct. 18.

While 22-teams battle it out in Orlando, Golden State will get a jumpstart on a unique edition of the offseason.

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NBA set to resume regular season with 22-team format in Orlando

After much deliberation and debate, the NBA is set to return to the hardwood in Orlando with a 22-team, abbreviated regular season.

After much deliberation and debate, the NBA is set to return to the hardwood in Orlando with a 22-team, abbreviated regular season before the resumption of the postseason, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday. The 22 teams will be comprised of the 16 teams currently in the playoffs as well as New Orleans, San Antonio, Sacramento and Portland and Phoenix in the Western Conference and Washington in the Eastern Conference.

All teams will play an eight-game regular season comprised of what would have been the next eight games on the schedule, though the details of those games may likely need some fine-tuning. If, after those eight games, the ninth seed is within four games of the eighth seed, a play-in tournament will occur between the two teams in which the No. 9 seed will need to beat the No. 8 seed twice before the No. 8 seed wins once.

Currently, the Blazers, Pelicans and Kings are all 3.5 games behind the No. 8 seed while the Spurs are four games back and the Suns six games back. In the Eastern Conference, the Magic are 5.5 ahead of the Wizards.

The season is set to begin July 31 with the latest possible finish date being an NBA Finals Game 7 on October 12 with all of it taking place in Orlando at Disney.

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