Windhorst: NBA Looking At 25-Day Preparation Window For Potential Return

[RealGM Wiretap]

The NBA is considering a plan that would take 25 days for teams and players to prepare for games, reported Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

"They’re spending a lot of time getting a back-to-basketball plan ready. They hope they get to use it. In talking to executives and trainers around the league, what they're looking at is a 25-day return to basketball window. Hopefully at some point they can enact it.

"An 11-day series of individual workouts, where there'd be social distancing for a period of time, and then hopefully, if the clearance comes that they can play five-on-five basketball, a 14-day training camp," said Windhorst on Sportscenter.

Windhorst, who was recently scolded by the league for being too pessimistic about the season returning, added that the timetable meant that the NBA would put out a 3-and-a-half to four week notice if the season were to restart. 

Via Brian Windhorst/ESPN

[njknicks]

Essentially NBA is looking to do a mini-preseason before the season resumes.

Great approach because you want to insure everyone is healthy, capable of performing -- and most importantly avoid injury.

Ultimately, for the league to get back on its feet - the fans have to be in the seats -- and for that to happen, Hospitals have to be operating normally, curfews have to be lifted, social distancing measures minimized.

Stay safe / healthy ... one day life will be back to normal & we will be cheering on athletes / medical professionals alike.

[Vegeta10176]

Essentially NBA is looking to do a mini-preseason before the season resumes.

Great approach because you want to insure everyone is healthy, capable of performing -- and most importantly avoid injury.

Ultimately, for the league to get back on its feet - the fans have to be in the seats -- and for that to happen, Hospitals have to be operating normally, curfews have to be lifted, social distancing measures minimized.

Stay safe / healthy ... one day life will be back to normal & we will be cheering on athletes / medical professionals alike.

Basically you will be waiting for the vaccine for the to happen.. Most likely NBA will start playing this season again or next with no fans in seats and since nearly everyone watches it on TV and not at the game that is not really an issue.. I like going to the games but if they can get the NBA season finished with no fans would be happy to see watch it on TV as I do and by far the most ppl do for most games..

[TheCage4]

I appreciate the optimism. We all want this nightmare to be over. However, I still think it’s way to early to open any type of professional sports back up without even an effective treatment for COVID-19.

A vaccine would be an end game, but a medicinal regimen to stifle the virus is needed right now for any kind of return to normalcy, and no one in the medical profession can give us that at this moment.

I think it would be more morally crushing to have the season start back up only to be immediately shut back down. We all want to floor the gas pedal back to our everyday lives, but we need to ride the brake a little longer.

[ProcessDoctor]

The NBA needs to cancel this season and move on already. No need to rush back and potentially put more American lives at risk. As a diehard fan, I understand this is still just a game.

[Clippers2020]

Windhorst should be kept at a distance permanently.

[Chi Dynasty12]

I don't wanna see guys get injured because we rushed back into this. The season is already mucked up, we can wait as long as we need.

[liveod]

There is no reason to rush. Silly. 25 days is a pipe dream. End the season and focus on staying healthy and away from others.

[Max Power]

I’m certainly ok with the NBA at least prepping to bring the season back, whether it happens or not, having a logistics plan is a smart play. Do I think it’ll happen? Hard to say, there’s been a slow down in new infections, albeit incremental. Death rate isn’t though and while that’s still on the rise I say the NBA needs to wait a little longer. If it’s me, I go with a straight to the playoffs format with a 2-3 week camp to make sure players are ready and everyone needed from coaching and team staffs to tv production crews are safe. No fans. I think we need to wait on that till later in the year. Play the games in a city where there’s enough viable venues to run it. The only options are probably Las Vegas or Arizona due to Casino convention space, and maybe a couple college arenas. LA and New York are obviously out due to their massive infection rates.

[Dr Huge Pecs]

Dont even televise it, hell dont even video it. Right the scores down...post it in newspapers no one reads anymore, cram them up you a** then hand out participation trophies.

Seriously.. no one gives a f#$&

[cpower]

is NBA going to play all the games in China only?

[BigTex]

The NBA needs to cancel this season and move on already. No need to rush back and potentially put more American lives at risk. As a diehard fan, I understand this is still just a game.

I think that’s what ultimately will happen. But hope shrubs eternal and people make contingency plans. But so you have the chance of a player becoming infected, I don’t know how you start. Because once that guy become infected, you have to shut the whole thing down all over again. He’s the new Rudy Gobert.