NBA Re-Open Thread

[DrWood]

Rockets need to go all out from game 1. They can finish anywhere from 3-7. Harden will have to play heavy minutes right away.

7 is obviously a bit of a problem. But I dont think there is any difference between 3 and 6 without any home court advantage.

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How will the referees know whom to call fouls on if there's no home court?

[FrieAaron]

Man this Toronto announcer is annoying

[WeekapaugGroove]

As a bucks and suns fan I have to say I'm pretty happy Philly decided to trade Mikal Bridges. He'd be such a good fit with Embiid and Simmons.

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[Badgerlander]

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[FlagsFlyForever]

The NBA has progressed on a plan for the eight teams not in the season restart to practice and possibly hold group workouts next month, three sources with direct knowledge of the league’s discussions told the Observer. All three sources described the talks as moving along, to the extent an announcement could come next week.

The proposal under discussion — which has not yet been approved by the league or the players union — would include:

▪ A week of practice at individual teams’ home facilities, starting the second week of August.

▪ Possibly two weeks of group workouts hosted by two teams not in the restart. Those cities have not yet been finalized. Teams traveling would likely be contingent on the players union approving teams scrimmaging each other.

A key factor in all this is approval from the players association, required for any offseason organized practices. Union executive director Michele Roberts said last month that any activity by teams not at Disney would have to conform to the same stringent health and safety standards for the restart “bubble.”

“I know there are some players, particularly young players, that seem concerned they’re not getting enough” offseason activity, Roberts said during a media conference call. “But I am concerned ... in terms of play that doesn’t have the same guarantee of safety and health that we’ve provided in Orlando. “It’s a standard that’s got to be met, and if it’s not met, ‘next question’ as far as I’m concerned.”

The league has asked players not to scrimmage on their own outside team facilities. However, three Hornets — Devonte Graham, Miles Bridges and Dwayne Bacon — were recently on video distributed on Twitter, playing 5-on-5 in Florida. Another NBA player in that game, Michael Beasley, subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, keeping him from signing with the Brooklyn Nets.

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/charlotte-hornets/article244483582.html

[Jez2983]

Harden played 36 mins tonight.

I read his reasoning for this and I thought it made a ton of sense.

Yeah, it's interesting.

From a Strength and Conditioning perspective one would want to peak right when required (i.e. season proper) so the argument would be that you would taper through the pre-season.

But we're talking about guys that haven't had intense match simulation (obviously not 100% intense) for a while now. Some guys need more of that to hit peak condition. Alternatively more minutes = more injury risk, maybe.

I think whoever wins gets their method lauded as the best, and whoever doesn't gets criticised. I guess time will tell, and in reality there are so many factors at go into performance that it's hard to say it's one thing that makes the difference.

It's interesting, and Harden's reasoning is indeed sensible.

[skbucks1985]

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That's interesting. Boston's got a pretty easy seeding game schedule and Toronto has a pretty difficult one so its not out of the realm of possibility that they could catch the Raptors and if they win their h2h matchup (hard to imagine they could catch them without winning said game) they'll have the tiebreaker. Even though there's no home court, the 6 seed is going to give you a much tougher series than the 7 seed. And that could be especially helpful for Boston given that Gordon Hayward has said he's going to leave for the birth of his child, which if it coincides with the 1st round being at 2 would make that departure much more manageable. Conversely, Miami also has a difficult schedule and Philly and Indiana are probably too far back to have a chance at catching the Celtics so they don't have much worry about dropping lower than 3.

[tedbrogen]

I assume Stevens cares more about having his guys tuned up and healthy for the playoffs and probably has zero fear of Indy or Philly even if Hayward is not available.

I mean after the last couple seasons why would Boston have any fear of either of those teams? Are they both better than the Nets? Yep. Do either one of them have the systems/coaching to get past Stevens? Very unlikely.

[skbucks1985]

Its a balance that every team has to strike between not overdoing it and risking injury and that these games can be very meaningful. But even if Philly or Indiana don't worry you, those are good teams and with Kemba's uncertainty and Hayward having said that he'll leave the bubble and will almost certainly have the 10-day quarantine upon his return, that would give you incentive to want to get that 2-seed because even if you think you can beat Indiana and Philly, that 7-seed which will probably be Orlando is not a threat unless Tatum gets injured.

[Ron Swanson]

Could absolutely see Philly or Indiana besting Boston in a 7-game series. They're not some juggernaut that can afford to take either of those teams lightly.

[HurricaneKid]

Isaac is back for Orl. Sabonis and likely Dipo are out for the Pacers. The Pacers are by far the better team of the two but in these circumstances I dont know that there is a sizable difference. Now if Philly ends at 6, the 3 is probably a bad spot. Especially so for Bos. But given Philly's soft schedule I doubt it happens.

The lack of any tangible advantage for being a higher seed is pretty striking and really impacts the calculus more than people think.

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[tedbrogen]

Stevens lives rent-free in the heads of the Simmons-Embiid Sixers. A worse version of the Celtics just swept the Pacers last season. (I know, I know the Pacers didn't have Martin Borgan)

Celtics frighten me, especially if they are allowed to set those moving screens where the screener becomes a fullback and blocks for the ball-handler all the way to the rim.

[SupremeHustle]

Stevens lives rent-free in the heads of the Simmons-Embiid Sixers. A worse version of the Celtics just swept the Pacers last season. (I know, I know the Pacers didn't have Martin Borgan)

Celtics frighten me, especially if they are allowed to set those moving screens where the screener becomes a fullback and blocks for the ball-handler all the way to the rim.

Plus one for Martin Borgan. Minus one for being afraid of the Celtics.

[paulpressey25]

Have zero clue how many of these teams will fare in the resumed season. Long, long layoff. Bizarre circumstances in the bubble.

I only know that Giannis will come to play. And hard. Bodes well for Milwaukee.

[WRau1]

[LuessiT]

Read on Twitter

No Pat or Bled tomorrow.

[MickeyDavis]

No surprise that those two aren't ready to play yet. Give them a few more days.

[Chuck Diesel]

Indiana has no chance against Boston in the first round.

[tedbrogen]

Indiana has no chance against Boston in the first round.

Yep. No Dipo, no Sabonis. Stevens knows Morton B. has the slowest release of any guard in the league.

Edit - also, who is guarding Kemba? Marten B.?