NBA Owners, Players, Agents Optimistic 19-20 Season Will Be Saved

[RealGM Wiretap]

The NBA Board of Governors will meet on Friday in a virtual video session. The most pressing topic will surely be the NBA's plan for resuming the season.

While Adam Silver has said no substantive update will be made until at least May 1st, there will be discussions on strategies and concerns during the meeting.

Sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic "that optimism abounds in the ownership, player, agent and league office ranks" in terms of saving the 19-20 season.

The NBA is considering Las Vegas as its "Bubbly City" to play out the remaining season. Unlike the MLB, the NBA has just a short amount of time remaining in its season, which makes the isolation scenario more viable.

“Basketball guys are for it — they want to play,” one NBA player from a title-contending team wrote. “MLB (is) different (because) they have a whole season. We just have 1-2 months to finish up.”

Via Sam Amick/The Athletic

[nedleeds]

The players are probably fine. Staff and other associated A/V people are the riskier group because they are harder to isolate. Vegas is a ghost town right now though, and the hotels are certainly empty.

[Metallikid]

Stop giving us false hope, Adam.

[njknicks]

1998/99 = 50 game season ( Lockout )
2011/12 = 66 game season ( Lockout )
2019/20 = 65 games so far ( COVID19 )

NYC has issued moratorium for COVID until May 15 ( 1 month extension of stay @ home orders ) -- league offices & majority of NBA operational staff are also, ironically, based in NYC.

Given NYC will likely take a conservative approach to re-opening ( due to unfortunately being at the center of this pandemic ) -- NBA can not possibly rush back until after NYC re-evaluates after May 15. Also -- no vaccines have been approved & massive scale country wide testing is still being ramped up.

With the May 15 pause by NYC -- NBA trainers / teams are asking for +25 days lead time to start the season ( i.e. logistics, get teams ready ) -- which means Weds June 10th @ ( or 2nd week of June ) may be the earliest to start the season following the current timeframes.

If NBA DOES return -- which they are pushing hard to do behind the scenes -- its possible / likely that the the remaining 15+ regular season games will mirror summer league games in Vegas ( crowd will be relegated to being fully tested staff ) to finish off regular season.

The playoffs / finals will mirror Olympic qualifier events ( again crowd will be relegated to tested staff ).

If NYC extends their pause beyond May 15 ( highly likely into June / July ) any discussions to restart the season may be effectively over -- we can all speculate, but the optimism & hope still remains of life returning back to normal soon.

[rrdjutriurt]

Does anyone really want to see a gimmick filled resumption if they don't follow the usual playoff format the NBA has always used? Just shut it down for good already. If that's the case any Champion will always be asterisked and considered less then valid. You can't have a tournament like structure and expect people to consider a tournament type winner the true NBA Champion.

[Disinformation]

To anyone who really understands what's going on right now, the idea of finishing this season is a pipe dream at this point.

[popfan]

The 2019-20 regular season is done. An abbreviated playoffs is possible.

Each week RealGS publishes multiple articles about the ownership's bubbly optimism to reboot the season. Yet each has been premature. Why should this one be any different? RealGS, you've cried wolf one too many times.

[Vegeta10176]

The 2019-20 regular season is done. An abbreviated playoffs is possible.

Each week RealGS publishes multiple articles about the ownership's bubbly optimism to reboot the season. Yet each has been premature. Why should this one be any different? RealGS, you've cried wolf one too many times.

It is impossible without more testing available.. They can not make it work till those tests exists since the US is handling the situation so poorly it's unlikely this will get done in time.. The season getting back up is looking less likely..

[d-train]

I like the idea of the NBA playing games in Las Vegas. It's important that host cities lose as much money as possible while the NBA and its players have to scramble to salvage their franchises. Nowhere knows better than Las Vegas, how to turn a big attraction into beautiful profit.

[d-train]

The players are probably fine. Staff and other associated A/V people are the riskier group because they are harder to isolate. Vegas is a ghost town right now though, and the hotels are certainly empty.

The NBA is the right medicine to get things hopping again.

[d-train]

The 2019-20 regular season is done. An abbreviated playoffs is possible.

The 2019-20 season is not done because there will be a playoffs. There won't be a 20-21 until the 19-20 playoffs are completed. This is just common sense. The NBA is not going to play less profitable 20-21 games until its most profitable 19-20 games are played. That's business 101. These guys aren't sitting on one of the greatest franchises in history because they are willing to shutdown more profitable games in favor of playing less profitable games.