Woj: Some Players getting cold feet about playing in Orlando

[RamonSessions7]

Kyrie talking about sacrificing for the cause. Let’s see how much he’ll be willing to sit out when he’s actually available to play.

[Time for Change]

Let’s say the 19/20 season gets canceled because this plan doesn’t end up coming to fruition because a significant number of players decide to not player for a combination of reasons.

The question I would pose to those with health concerns is when do you think it will be safe to play again? I have serious doubts that later this year will be any better than right now. By all accounts there is a second wave to come. Will next year be better? Maybe, but it might not be if this virus continues to circulate and no vaccine is found. If COVID-19 is here to stay, then until a vaccine or effective treatment is found it’s going to be mightily difficult to get any sports played without accepting some element of risk.

At the end of the day how long are people willing to wait for a vaccine or effective treatment? End of the year? End of next year? Indefinitely? The most optimistic estimates are 12-18 months for a vaccine but they can’t guarantee it. Even if one is found it’s going to be a challenge to create enough to vaccinate the entire population. So there are going to be significant challenges to overcome for the foreseeable future.

I am the first to admit that health comes first. I live in a shielded household. So if the players don’t feel safe then they shouldn’t play, but if the players decide not to play and the 19/20 season gets cancelled, then potentially it brings into question whether the 20/21 season can start and be played because conditions will not be significantly different, nor will they until a vaccine or an effective treatment is found, or perhaps the virus burns out.

Dare I say it, the same can even go for the social issues that people are fighting for. Is everything going to be solved by the beginning of the 20/21 basketball season? No. What about 21/22 season? I’d probably say no. There is a lot of change that needs to happen in society and that’s not going to happen overnight. The people in Washington DC and beyond are going to have to make the changes otherwise unrest and dissatisfaction is going to continue. If players don’t want to play until the social issues are dealt with, or at least until things calm down, then fair enough but there could be a very long wait. I want the changes in society to be made and until those changes are made we should all continue to demand and fight for them, but is holding out from playing sports going to make the politicians in Washington act faster? Probably not.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what come of this. In honesty I was always in the camp for cancelling the 19/20 season and focusing on how to get the 20/21 season started on time and played safely and in full. At this time they are rushing to get this season completed and will end up creating issues for next season as well.

I’ve thought since March that this was going to cost the NBA two seasons. Same for the other major sports, although baseball is pretty distanced already and they could probably wear masks because they aren’t undergoing constant activity like basketball or football.

I also think moving the Olympics to 2021 was naively optimistic, it will probably get postponed again (the Olympics is much more dangerous than a major sport, you have people from across the entire world coming together).

Very few people seem to grasp that this virus is a multi-year thing, or if they do they don’t want to say it because they sound crazy, like you probably think I do. The Spanish Flu lasted from 1918 to 1920.

[themoneyteam2]

Kyrie leading the short-sighted charge to not play and potentially leading to a lockout and re-structuring of the CBA to be significantly less player friendly and introduce long-term damaging effects to his own peer group is the only logical evolution for Kyrie Irving

[Hellcrooner]

Let’s say the 19/20 season gets canceled because this plan doesn’t end up coming to fruition because a significant number of players decide to not player for a combination of reasons.

The question I would pose to those with health concerns is when do you think it will be safe to play again? I have serious doubts that later this year will be any better than right now. By all accounts there is a second wave to come. Will next year be better? Maybe, but it might not be if this virus continues to circulate and no vaccine is found. If COVID-19 is here to stay, then until a vaccine or effective treatment is found it’s going to be mightily difficult to get any sports played without accepting some element of risk.

At the end of the day how long are people willing to wait for a vaccine or effective treatment? End of the year? End of next year? Indefinitely? The most optimistic estimates are 12-18 months for a vaccine but they can’t guarantee it. Even if one is found it’s going to be a challenge to create enough to vaccinate the entire population. So there are going to be significant challenges to overcome for the foreseeable future.

I am the first to admit that health comes first. I live in a shielded household. So if the players don’t feel safe then they shouldn’t play, but if the players decide not to play and the 19/20 season gets cancelled, then potentially it brings into question whether the 20/21 season can start and be played because conditions will not be significantly different, nor will they until a vaccine or an effective treatment is found, or perhaps the virus burns out.

Dare I say it, the same can even go for the social issues that people are fighting for. Is everything going to be solved by the beginning of the 20/21 basketball season? No. What about 21/22 season? I’d probably say no. There is a lot of change that needs to happen in society and that’s not going to happen overnight. The people in Washington DC and beyond are going to have to make the changes otherwise unrest and dissatisfaction is going to continue. If players don’t want to play until the social issues are dealt with, or at least until things calm down, then fair enough but there could be a very long wait. I want the changes in society to be made and until those changes are made we should all continue to demand and fight for them, but is holding out from playing sports going to make the politicians in Washington act faster? Probably not.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what come of this. In honesty I was always in the camp for cancelling the 19/20 season and focusing on how to get the 20/21 season started on time and played safely and in full. At this time they are rushing to get this season completed and will end up creating issues for next season as well.

I’ve thought since March that this was going to cost the NBA two seasons. Same for the other major sports, although baseball is pretty distanced already and they could probably wear masks because they aren’t undergoing constant activity like basketball or football.

I also think moving the Olympics to 2021 was naively optimistic, it will probably get postponed again (the Olympics is much more dangerous than a major sport, you have people from across the entire world coming together).

Very few people seem to grasp that this virus is a multi-year thing, or if they do they don’t want to say it because they sound crazy, like you probably think I do. The Spanish Flu lasted from 1918 to 1920.

wonder when is going to be removed the Spanish from that flu.

SPain had nothing to do with it.

Except havin the only journals with the balls to write about it.

[G R E Y]

Some good arguments here:

Read on Twitter

[themoneyteam2]

A great argument here and one that Austin Rivers mentioned as well:

Read on Twitter

?s=20

[Zombiesonics]

rivers being polite about it but kyrie suggesting to hault the nba's return in the name of justice is flat out impractical. The main issue here is the nba has no plan moving forward, they kind of have thrown this thing together at last minute and are dodging a long list of questions. There is nothing definitive from silver on hot button issues regarding the bubble like ; who exactly is permitted in and out of it, pre-existing conditions of players/coaches, or are they really doing the replacement player thing and how is that going to work?

[WestGOAT]

rivers being polite about it but kyrie suggesting to hault the nba's return in the name of justice is flat out impractical. The main issue here is the nba has no plan moving forward, they kind of have thrown this thing together at last minute and are dodging a long list of questions. There is nothing definitive from silver on hot button issues regarding the bubble like ; who exactly is permitted in and out of it, pre-existing conditions of players/coaches, or are they really doing the replacement player thing and how is that going to work?

Yea there are legit concerns with this "bubble"-plan, Kyrie is doing very good job of distracting people from these issues though.

Seems quite convenient for the NBA tbh that this Kryie-lead drama is "breaking news". Perhaps Silver is instructing Woj?

[Rich Rane]

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Let me guess what this means in General Board speak...Clippers are afraid of Lakers. Lou Williams should just shut up and dribble.

[themoneyteam2]

Read on Twitter

?s=20

I don’t see how the NBA doesn’t come back due to the financial implications

[thebigbird]

Players' attitudes toward fans are really making me consider whether I want to keep supporting the NBA moving forward. Like, screw fans for missing basketball and wanting it to start back up. I'll take my support somewhere else.

Read on Twitter

?s=21

[picc]

Im guessing everyone has smoke for kyrie because he’s low hanging fruit and the typical response to something you disagree with on this board is personal attack on a players faults and mistakes. So without really reading im counting on you all being predictable and petty enough to have gone in on him all thread.

But how much smoke does everyone have for the plethora of over players who feel the same way?

What personal failures or missteps do they have that you’ll use to de-legitimize their opinions? While having much less personal perspective of the situation yourself, but like true narcissists not believing in the slightest there’s anything to de-value your own anonymous and irrelevant thoughts.

Questions im eager to see answered as I read through.

[levon]

Im guessing everyone has smoke for kyrie because he’s low hanging fruit and the typical response to something you disagree with on this board is personal attack on a players faults and mistakes. But how much smoke does everyone have for the plethora of over players who feel the same way?

Especially when it's your own team's players. Bradley and Dwight are hesitant on coming back. Sounds like Lou Will is too.

[Richard4444]

My 2 cents about the subject:

1) Sports industry is important. NBA has value to the society as a form of escapism, a form of entertainment, a mean to connect friends, family and strangers. Thats why these players make millions.

2) Of course, NBA is not a crucial service to operate in the worst stage of an epidemic. But like almost everyone, people have to return to work, eventually. After the peak of the epidemic but before the total eradication of the disease. They cant stop work for more than 5 or 6 months. And players cant work remotely.

3) NBA will take all of safety measures to lessen the probability of contagion. They will spend million on it. And there are a Public Relations concern to avoid players contagion at all cost. They are much more safe than the average Joe.

4) Many many professionals are forced to stay some months away of their family at business trips, conferences, MBAs. Its a common thing. Even movie stars go filming in exotic locations away of their family. Its not a big tragedy. It is a minor inconvenience.

5) Players are healthy young dudes and are not in the risk group. The odds of complications in the event of contagion are little. Elderly coachs could work remotely passing instructions by streaming and cell phones to their assistants.

6) I think players should have the right to stay at home if they are concerned, not getting paid for these games. Specially players who are in special situations: risk group, sick relatives, etc. Teams should have the right to call Free Agents to play in their place (maybe even giving teams an exception to make possible to pay more than minimum salary).

7) Social justice concerns strikes me as an excuse. By playing players can attract much more attention to the cause. People use to follow more their tweets with more attention. They will get a spotlight to discuss politics.

8) By not playing, the league and, consequently, the players will lose billions this year. Besides it can have ramifications to the next years. No one want to sponsor/contract a sport where the players refuse to play at not ideal circumstances.

[bisme37]

Im guessing everyone has smoke for kyrie because he’s low hanging fruit and the typical response to something you disagree with on this board is personal attack on a players faults and mistakes. But how much smoke does everyone have for the plethora of over players who feel the same way?

I have no problem with the guys who don't want to play. The thing I'm not getting is they already said players don't have to play if they don't want to. So if you don't want to, don't.

But why are the players who don't want to play trying to prevent other players from playing? Each individual player should be able to choose for himself, and that's the way it's already set up without all this drama.

And I especially don't get it coming from an injured player who's out anyway.

[WestGOAT]

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Let me guess what this means in General Board speak...Clippers are afraid of Lakers. Lou Williams should just shut up and dribble.

The NBA resuming gives these players another platform to voice their concerns about whatever social/justice reforms want.. I don't see why it has to be mutually exclusive. People not protesting cause the NBA is on their TV, well did they really give a **** anyway?

I mean yea sports is normally used to distract the masses from stuff that really matters, but that doesn't have to be that way anymore.

[bisme37]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[picc]

Im guessing everyone has smoke for kyrie because he’s low hanging fruit and the typical response to something you disagree with on this board is personal attack on a players faults and mistakes. But how much smoke does everyone have for the plethora of over players who feel the same way?

I have no problem with the guys who don't want to play. The thing I'm not getting is they already said players don't have to play if they don't want to. So if you don't want to, don't.

But why are the players who don't want to play trying to prevent other players from playing? Each individual player should be able to choose for himself, and that's the way it's already set up without all this drama.

And I especially don't get it coming from an injured player who's out anyway.

Because to them its a big picture matter, with the season resuming meaning more important issues will receive less attention and care. Whether thats true or not, its a valid opinion coming from a place of well intent.

But kudos for the fair and balanced take that doesnt depend on using irrelevant things to devalue an opinion that Is undoubtedly closer to the source than yours could ever be. Which is all im reading so far.

[Nate505]

Players' attitudes toward fans are really making me consider whether I want to keep supporting the NBA moving forward. Like, screw fans for missing basketball and wanting it to start back up. I'll take my support somewhere else.

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?s=21

Ok...where are you going to take it to?

[Catchall]

Read on Twitter

Let me guess what this means in General Board speak...Clippers are afraid of Lakers. Lou Williams should just shut up and dribble.

So are lots of people planning to quit their jobs so they can keep the protests going? Or would it be possible for people to maintain their livelihoods and also participate in protests?

One solution would be to set up a protest stage for NBA players inside the bubble and schedule events there.

Players that want to play can play.
Players that don't want to play don't have to.
Players that want to protest have that opportunity.
The league supporting its players and the protest might be even better.

Basketball doesn't have to be a distraction from the protests if the league builds the protests into their forum.