The NBA season might be returning by July 31st. This is the hope of both NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the league office. There is, however, still much work to be done. For example, the format for the NBA regular season and playoff format has not been determined yet.
NBA Season Could Return by July 31st
The NBA season could be returning by the end of July according to Shams Charania. Charania is a senior lead NBA insider, writer, and analyst for The Athletic and Stadium.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league office informed Board of Governors that July 31 is a target date for return of season, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 29, 2020
The NBA was the first professional sports league in North America to cancel their season because of the coronavirus pandemic. They are also among many leagues in North America trying to finish their current season this year. Furthermore, the NBA has a plan for the regular season and the playoffs.
Format for Rest of Season and Playoffs
Charania has tweeted out the possible formats for the rest of the 2019-20 NBA season and the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
Sources: The NBA discussed four competition scenarios for restart with Board of Governors today:
– 16 teams: Directly to playoffs
– 20: Group/stage play
– 22: Games to determine seeding, play-in tournament for final seed(s)
– 30: 72-game regular season, with play-in tourney— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 29, 2020
The NBA going straight to a 16 team playoff format might be the most difficult proposal to approve for the NBA Board of Governors. This is because 14 other teams will not get to finish their regular season. Furthermore, some of these 14 teams are in the hunt for an NBA playoff spot. These teams include the Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, and the San Antonio Spurs.
However, some of the other scenarios might have an easier time being approved. For example, the 22 team seeding format including a play-in tournament for the final seeds is very similar to the NHL’s planned 24-team format.
However, the notable difference with the NBA playoff format compared to the NHL’s is the seedings. The NBA is rumored of getting rid of NBA conferences according to Benjamin Zweiman of DraftKings Nation. For example, the 16 team playoff format would be ranked by the best regular-season record regardless of conference. This format could also work with a play-in tournament to determine the final seeds of the NBA playoffs.
Prospective Cities where the NBA Could Play In
There are three cities that could host the rest of the NBA season and the playoffs. These are Las Vegas, Orlando, and Toronto. Orlando is seen as the most likely destination who would play at Walt Disney World Resort.
Developing – Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort is on track to win the bid to become the NBA’s playing site to resume the 2019-20 season, with hope emerging of games tipping off by mid-July.
Details from @ShamsCharania & @sam_amick ⤵️
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) May 20, 2020
Las Vegas is the other main city is mentioned. The NBA is thinking of either playing in just Orlando or playing in both Orlando and Las Vegas according to Jenna West of Sports Illustrated.
Toronto has also been mentioned as a possible destination for the NBA season and playoffs. According to Rob Williams for Offside in Vancouver, Yahoo Sports NBA insider said this about Toronto was also mentioned in a conference call. He said it in the Tim and Sid show on Sportsnet.
“[Silver] mentioned Toronto in that conference call too,” said Haynes. “He said Toronto is an option. He said he would like to keep the season in the States, but he said he’s not ruling out Toronto.”
However, it looks like Toronto will be a backup plan for the NBA if both or at least one of the two front-runner cities in Orlando and Las Vegas does not work out.
Overview of the Potential NBA Season and Playoff Format
It is important to note that the NBA has not gone public with its format. So it will be too early to tell until Adam Silver or someone else in the NBA goes public about the details of the regular season and the playoffs.
However, it is unlikely all 30 NBA teams will resume play according to Charania.
Hornets owner Michael Jordan advocated on the call for player safety, and not simply having players return for meaningless games, sources said. Given the NBA is prioritizing health and safety first and foremost, 30 team return is unlikely. https://t.co/03pAvpDPi7
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 29, 2020
Furthermore, it is unlikely that the NBA will officially confirm coming back on July 31st even with a public appearance. This can be seen with the NHL’s commissioner Gary Bettman. He gave dates for when and how the league will be back and running again. However, he also did say these dates were tentative because of health & safety protocols. This is according to Carol Schram of Sports Money.
However, it does look like the NBA could return sooner rather than later. There is light at the end of the tunnel, which gives hope to all NBA and basketball fans around the world.
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