"We're going to Disney World!" NBA to resume season July 31 at WDW

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

If they get clearance, the NBA should simply run a full league March-Madness style tourney over the course of a few weeks. They can use the latest standings for seeding purposes.

They almost certainly won't be playing in front of a live crowd anytime soon but I suspect TNT or ESPN/ABC would clamor for this sort of live sports content anytime over the next few months. Doing something like this also doesn't really change how the league decides to start a new season or even resume the old one.

It also allows the league to test the mid-season tourney format that has been proposed amid what will presumably be a very favorable backdrop for them.

I suspect I am not alone in saying that I would happily watch the Knicks second/third unit face that of the Bulls in a competitive game right now.

 

[the moops]

If they get clearance, the NBA should simply run a full league March-Madness style tourney over the course of a few weeks. They can use the latest standings for seeding purposes.

Love this idea

 

[BaseballJones]

Love this idea

Even if they don't call them the NBA champs, call them the 2020 NBA tournament champs. Players will definitely get after it, and it would be super intense.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Love this idea

Its almost too obvious. You could give the Bucks and Lakers a first round bye and then have the remaining 28 teams play the first round. Imagine a scenario where the Suns defeat the Nuggets in the first round or the Knicks win their game against the Pacers. Pretty much every fanbase would have some form of hope and I suspect the audience of even very casual sports fans would be immense.

The only downside to my scenario (at least for people who don't use Tony Armas name in their handle and people local to me) is that the low seeded Warriors get Klay Thompson back and go on a deep run. But I suspect even Golden State/Curry haters could stomach that outcome in lieu of no games.

Edit: The other cool thing from an NBA perspective is that it would allow the league to showcase their young superstars in Williamson and Morant as well as Doncic, and Young in a playoff-like setting in terms of the importance of the games.

 

[the moops]

Its almost too obvious. You could give the Bucks and Lakers a first round bye and then have the remaining 28 teams play the first round.

Makes too much sense

 

[the moops]

Need to re-seed after first round.

BYES

(1)Bucks

(2)Lakers

FIRST ROUND

(3)Raptors vs (30)Warriors

(4)Clippers vs (29)Wolves

(5)Celtics vs (28)Cavs

(6)Nuggets vs (27)Hawks

(7)Jazz vs (26)Pistons

(8)Heat vs (25)Knicks

(9)Thunder vs (24)Bulls

(10)Rockets vs (23)Hornets

(11)Mavericks vs (22)Wizards

(12)Pacers vs (21)Suns

(13)Sixers vs (20)Spurs

(14)Grizzlies vs (19)Kings

(15)Nets vs (18)Pelicans

(16)Magic vs (17)Blazers

 

[RedOctober3829]

If they get clearance, the NBA should simply run a full league March-Madness style tourney over the course of a few weeks. They can use the latest standings for seeding purposes.

They almost certainly won't be playing in front of a live crowd anytime soon but I suspect TNT or ESPN/ABC would clamor for this sort of live sports content anytime over the next few months. Doing something like this also doesn't really change how the league decides to start a new season or even resume the old one.

It also allows the league to test the mid-season tourney format that has been proposed amid what will presumably be a very favorable backdrop for them.

I suspect I am not alone in saying that I would happily watch the Knicks second/third unit face that of the Bulls in a competitive game right now.

Are you wanting to bring every team back for a training camp and the possibility that like half of them will only play one real game?

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Are you wanting to bring every team back for a training camp and the possibility that like half of them will only play one real game?

Give each team a week to practice in advance or something like that. You are right that it may only be one game but I suspect that many people with the league would jump at the chance to do something that brings some form of basketball back. The league can also build in conditions to be met to play each game and finish the tourney (e.g. testing of everyone involved several times before each game, hygiene measures and all non-players wearing some form of PPE). If they really wanted to be clever, they could use some of the proceeds to support local and national charities like food banks.

Does this make sense? In the context of what we have come to expect as "normal", no. However, given that the NBA season is almost certainly over even though it was never completed, this gives the league, players and fans closure. And it gives audiences live sports.

Practically, its probably not going to happen. Where do they hold these games? Do teams stay together? There would be a lot of planning to work out and its probably not doable in the space of a few months. However it would be cool as hell.

Btw, I love moops' seeding based on overall record. That is a wrinkle I should have considered.

 

[RedOctober3829]

Give each team a week to practice in advance or something like that. You are right that it may only be one game but I suspect that many people with the league would jump at the chance to do something that brings some form of basketball back. The league can also build in conditions to be met to play each game and finish the tourney (e.g. testing of everyone involved several times before each game, hygiene measures and all non-players wearing some form of PPE). If they really wanted to be clever, they could use some of the proceeds to support local and national charities like food banks.

Does this make sense? In the context of what we have come to expect as "normal", no. However, given that the NBA season is almost certainly over even though it was never completed, this gives the league, players and fans closure. And it gives audiences live sports.

Practically, its probably not going to happen. Where do they hold these games? Do teams stay together? There would be a lot of planning to work out and its probably not doable in the space of a few months. However it would be cool as hell.

Btw, I love moops' seeding based on overall record. That is a wrinkle I should have considered.

I love the idea for the mid-season tournaments. I just don't know it's the right way to end the year. I'd just bring back the current playoff teams and play the postseason.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

I love the idea for the mid-season tournaments. I just don't know it's the right way to end the year. I'd just bring back the current playoff teams and play the postseason.

The problem with playing the postseason is what do you do about teams who are on the outside looking in when the season was frozen. Most teams had ~17 regular season games remaining so you have the Pelicans, Kings, Blazers, Spurs and even the Suns who can make a case that they might have closed the gap between them and the Grizzlies had the season concluded. Realistically, most of those teams probably wouldn't have done so but they have a mathematical basis to make the argument.

Also, while 16 teams/eight series is presumably easier to manage than 30 teams, how do you structure the format? It also strikes me that a multi-game series playoff format has a higher chance of getting stopped from an infection/cluster than a one-and-done format over a few weeks.

Finally, I would envision the league doing this to draw in as many fans as possible. Allowing all 30 teams to play would be cool as hell imo.

 

[RedOctober3829]

The problem with playing the postseason is what do you do about teams who are on the outside looking in when the season was frozen. Most teams had ~17 regular season games remaining so you have the Pelicans, Kings, Blazers, Spurs and even the Suns who can make a case that they might have closed the gap between them and the Grizzlies had the season concluded. Realistically, most of those teams probably wouldn't have done so but they have a mathematical basis to make the argument.

Also, while 16 teams/eight series is presumably easier to manage than 30 teams, how do you structure the format? It also strikes me that a multi-game series playoff format has a higher chance of getting stopped from an infection/cluster than a one-and-done format over a few weeks.

Finally, I would envision the league doing this to draw in as many fans as possible. Allowing all 30 teams to play would be cool as hell imo.

A solution would be to play like 5-6 regular season games to get everyone to play the same number of games.

Could shorten first 2 rounds to best of 3 or 5 and conference finals/Finals play best of 7.

 

[PC Drunken Friar]

The NBA would much rather have 2 shortened seasons that have an NBA finals than 1 aborted season and the next being a full 82 game season.

What about having a 20-21 NBA champ? Somehow finish this season, with a tournament/playoffs. Recognize the team. Then start again on Christmas and do a shortened season and playoffs. Both winners face off.

If the Bucks win both or something...figure something else out so there is some meaningful end?

 

[ElUno20]

I hate the tournament idea. I dont give a sht about being "fun". 1/2 of the league shouldn't even be on a bracket with a chance to win anything. Hate it.

 

[lexrageorge]

One option: give the top 7 seeds in each conference a bye. Bottom 8 seeds fight each other in a single elimination tourney for the 8th and final playoff spot in each conference. Still need to shorten at least the first round to best of 5, preferably first 2 rounds.

Another option: eliminate the bottom 3 seeds in each conference after playing a small handful of regular season games. First round is best-of-3, with top 4 seeds in each conference getting a bye. Second and 3rd rounds are best of 5, conference and league final still best of 7.

 

[Sam Ray Not]

I hate the tournament idea. I dont give a sht about being "fun". 1/2 of the league shouldn't even be on a bracket with a chance to win anything. Hate it.

 

[NoXInNixon]

The Celtics in the dreaded 5-12 upset special spot? Do not want!

 

[lexrageorge]

The Celtics in the dreaded 5-12 upset special spot? Do not want!

Had the season not been suspended, and if they ended up as 5th seed, they were unlikely to go anywhere regardless of the playoff format.

 

[the moops]

I hate the tournament idea. I dont give a sht about being "fun". 1/2 of the league shouldn't even be on a bracket with a chance to win anything. Hate it.

If your choice is no basketball or a fun tournament, which do you choose?

 

[NoXInNixon]

Need to re-seed after first round.

BYES

(1)Bucks

(2)Lakers

FIRST ROUND

Why not preserve East/West?

(1) Bucks

(8)Magic/(9)Wizards

(5)Pacers/(12)Knicks

(4)Heat/(13)Pistons

(3)Celtics/(14)Hawks

(6)Sixers/(11)Bulls

(7)Nets/(10)Hornets

(2)Raptors/(15)Cavs

(1)Lakers

(8)Grizzlies/(9)Blazers

(5)Thunder/(12)Spurs

(4)Jazz/(13)Suns

(3)Nuggets/(14)T-Wolves

(6)Rockets/(11)Kings

(7)Mavs/(10)Pelicans

(2)Clippers/(15)Warriors

 

[Euclis20]

If your choice is no basketball or a fun tournament, which do you choose?

That's not the choice being discussed because obviously any basketball is better than no basketball. I'd greatly prefer a setup in which the current playoff teams have a short preseason followed by something resembling the usual playoffs (maybe make the first round or two best of 5, then have the conference and nba finals be best of 7) as opposed to letting anyone have a shot at the title. This season has a big enough asterisk as it is without letting the Hawks and the Suns of the world have a say in who wins the title*. I'm sorry for the 3-4 teams that are on the outside looking in in the west who may have had a shot if the season had been the full 82 games, but I'm not exactly broken up about teams that are 8+ games under .500 missing the playoffs.

 

[Ale Xander]

I'd prefer top 4 teams in each conference play best of 5, then 7, and 7. But that's only because my team is one of the top 4.

I don't see how putting the Warriors in a playoffs is in any way fair.

 

[nighthob]

There’s no way they’re going to be able to get that much basketball in safely. If it happens at all it’s going to be using a tournament style format. Likely a small number of teams with a round robin section with the top four teams playing for the cup.

 

[lovegtm]

There’s no way they’re going to be able to get that much basketball in safely. If it happens at all it’s going to be using a tournament style format. Likely a small number of teams with a round robin section with the top four teams playing for the cup.

Even if you severely cut games (an inevitability, I agree), I'd try to skew it as much as possible in the direction of compelling series rather than one-off elimination games.

Playoff basketball and the associated planning and adjustments are the most unique/valuable thing about the NBA relative to other basketball product (and sports in general). I agree with posters who want to emphasize that over the wackiness of some possible Hawks/Suns/Warriors upsets.

I'd prefer to go straight to a final 4/6/8/10/12, depending on time available. That gives the best product and cheapens the outcome the least imo. You can do some 1-3 game series for the Rockets/Thunder/Sixers/Pacers tier teams to quickly handle the bottom part of the bracket.

I'm not sure why you'd do a full-league free-for-all over something like the above, unless you really just thought the season was too screwed up and unrepresentative because of the time off. At that point I guess I can see the rationale behind just blowing it all up and having Wacky Time Fun Tournament.

 

[nighthob]

Right, but if you go with an Olympic style format the round robin doesn’t result in an uninvited team upsetting its way through. The top eight to ten teams go through a round robin with the top four playing for the cup. Whether those three series are three, five, or seven games would depend on the conditions.

 

[Ale Xander]

NBA and team logo masks for charity:
https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/nba-creating-face-masks-with-proceeds-to-benefit-food-related-charities-1203562647/View: https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1251129575293235201?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

 

[Sam Ray Not]

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/FrankCaliendo/status/1250950502612795392

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

The Jordan/Bulls doc starts tonight.

 

[Sam Ray Not]

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/RealBillRussell/status/1251893410555781120

 

[The Social Chair]

The Last Dance probably deserves its own topic.

 

[ifmanis5]

I guess some teams will have an advantage in how soon they can start to practice:
View: https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1254168619761704962

Beginning on May 1, the NBA is allowing teams to open their practice facilities to players in cities and states where local governments have eased stay-at-home orders, sources tell ESPN.

View: https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1254170287509307393

As Georgia moves toward opening certain businesses -- including gymasiums -- some players were asking their teams if they should consider traveling there to find a way to play. Organizations wants players in safe/clean team environments, not a fitness center in suburban Atlanta.

View: https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1254171418813751297

NBA's decision on opening practice facilities to players in markets where governments may be loosening stay-at-home orders doesn't mean a resumption of season is imminent. The NBA is still unsure on if/when it can play again. But getting players safely into gyms was a priority.

 

[Ale Xander]

That doesn't seem fair

 

[jon abbey]

Or smart, as Woj points out in the middle tweet there:

"Organizations wants players in safe/clean team environments, not a fitness center in suburban Atlanta."

 

[bankshot1]

For the greater public good, I imagine it wouldn't be imposible for Gov of closed states to executive order that if NBA teams meet stringent testing requirements and all public health guidelines, are essential and can practice in well-defined and confined areas, not open to the public, to presumably prepare for TV games.

 

[ElUno20]

I doubt this is an unforced error by the league in creating unbalanced preparation and kind of painting themselves into a corner to make a season decision.

This just has to mean by May 1 all teams will get to train at their facilities.

 

[nattysez]

I doubt this is an unforced error by the league in creating unbalanced preparation and kind of painting themselves into a corner to make a season decision.

This just has to mean by May 1 all teams will get to train at their facilities.

SF's shelter in place is going to be extended and wasn't scheduled to end before may 3. LA's order lasts until May 15. How do you propose the Warriors, Lakers and Clippers practice?

 

[Ale Xander]

SF's shelter in place is going to be extended and wasn't scheduled to end before may 3. LA's order lasts until May 15. How do you propose the Warriors, Lakers and Clippers practice?

Nets, Knicks, Celtics, Sixers, Bulls in similar boats.

Hawks have a competitive advantage lol.

 

[InstaFace]

SF's shelter in place is going to be extended and wasn't scheduled to end before may 3. LA's order lasts until May 15. How do you propose the Warriors, Lakers and Clippers practice?

Come on, the answer's obvious.

Spoiler

VEGAS BABY!

 

[Bernie Carbohydrate]

Come on, the answer's obvious.

Spoiler

VEGAS BABY!

Two teams enter....one team leaves.

I know people will go pretty far given the amount of money on the table, but I don't see a way to crown a 2019-2020 NBA Champion with any integrity. Start a tournament after a two-month shutdown? I think they're better off ending this season as is -- no champ. Then hope to restart at Christmas and get a decent spring season in.

That wipes another year of LeBron's twilight and prevents the Lakers from collecting a ring. We can all get behind that, right?

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Two teams enter....one team leaves.

I know people will go pretty far given the amount of money on the table, but I don't see a way to crown a 2019-2020 NBA Champion with any integrity. Start a tournament after a two-month shutdown? I think they're better off ending this season as is -- no champ. Then hope to restart at Christmas and get a decent spring season in.

That wipes another year of LeBron's twilight and prevents the Lakers from collecting a ring. We can all get behind that, right?

What do you feel is the priority here.......integrity or hundreds of millions of dollars? The answer is pretty obvious.

 

[johnmd20]

What do you feel is the priority here.......integrity or hundreds of millions of dollars? The answer is pretty obvious.

Seriously. There was an NBA Champion in 1999. There might be one in 2020.

Integrity has nothing to do with it. I'm not even convinced that is the right word, to be honest.

 

[Pablo's TB Lover]

On today's Ringer podcast Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo discussed the logistics of a reduced regular season and playoffs occurring in either Vegas or Disney World/Orlando. They deduced that Disney has the infrastructure and provides a more isolated environment for players/staff/media to be isolated than in Vegas. Also they may have more courts available from their typical sports tournaments, where in Vegas they would need to build courts within existing buildings. Generally their thought is Adam Silver is further down this road than he's indicated in public, mainly because he didn't want to come across to the players as agreeing and reacting to the unpopular president (Trump) right after the sports commissioner meeting.

Something I did not know is many of the regional sports network (RSN) contracts have leeway and the teams are fully paid if there is a minimum 70 games played. That is why this number has been thrown around for a reduced season by many pundits. When the season was put on hold, the lowest number of team games played was 63 and the highest number of games was 67. By playing a handful of games to wind down the regular season, it gets everyone their money and the players don't feel AS rusty once the playoff games start.

Unreal what has to come together for a completion to the season to happen, but probably the one factor above all else is TESTING. With the teams tested in the wake of the "Gobert cancellation game", the NBA does not want to be viewed as hoarding tests at the expense of the general public. The peak of positives will have to be well past cresting I would think, with the capacity of many more tens/hundreds of thousands of tests available.

 

[ElUno20]

Im guessing they'll be using a setup similar to the Bundesliga which is planning to restart very soon

 

[ifmanis5]

What a surprise, lots of teams don't like this unfair plan...
View: https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1254846650385825798

NBA has received significant pushback from teams about idea of re-opening practice facilities in selected states and municipalities, team officials tell ESPN. Competive balance hasn't been issue -- player/staff safety has. Teams are still awaiting a more detailed NBA plan today.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

On today's Ringer podcast Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo discussed the logistics of a reduced regular season and playoffs occurring in either Vegas or Disney World/Orlando. They deduced that Disney has the infrastructure and provides a more isolated environment for players/staff/media to be isolated than in Vegas. Also they may have more courts available from their typical sports tournaments, where in Vegas they would need to build courts within existing buildings. Generally their thought is Adam Silver is further down this road than he's indicated in public, mainly because he didn't want to come across to the players as agreeing and reacting to the unpopular president (Trump) right after the sports commissioner meeting.

I don't understand any of the bolded. Vegas will have dozens and dozens of mostly empty hotels this summer to provide isolation and they can easily have their own floors secured. The Summer League in Vegas runs 10 games a day at the Thomas & Mack Center.....5 on the main court and 5 on the Rebels practice floor, The Cox Pavilion, which is a 3,000-seat area in the same building.

 

[ElUno20]

I don't understand any of the bolded. Vegas will have dozens and dozens of mostly empty hotels this summer to provide isolation and they can easily have their own floors secured. The Summer League in Vegas runs 10 games a day at the Thomas & Mack Center.....5 on the main court and 5 on the Rebels practice floor, The Cox Pavilion, which is a 3,000-seat area in the same building.

Umm yeah, what HRB said.

In terms of the changing training date back because of pushback, it kinda leads me to believe they dont really have a plan if they couldnt have foreseen that.

 

[bankshot1]

I'm just spitballin' and don't have the #s, but maybe the TV revenues and profits from a 2020 NBA schedule would dwarf park revenues at Disney Orlando in the year of the pandemic. So maybe Disney uses Disney Orlando as a loss leader for Disney-ESPN ad revs for a sports starved population and uses all or a signicant part of the park to host the NBA. And it might be easier for a corporation with a vested interest in the two operations, (park and TV) to close or significantly modify its park use, than it is for a municipality to use it hotels to host the NBA quarantine tourney when what it really wants is to reopen its casinos and hotels ASAP.

 

[Pablo's TB Lover]

I don't understand any of the bolded. Vegas will have dozens and dozens of mostly empty hotels this summer to provide isolation and they can easily have their own floors secured. The Summer League in Vegas runs 10 games a day at the Thomas & Mack Center.....5 on the main court and 5 on the Rebels practice floor, The Cox Pavilion, which is a 3,000-seat area in the same building.

It was the 2 of them spitballing (they have Celtics sources obviously but not sure how close to the league office their sources are). One reason for the Disney World thought is Bob Iger has been consulting with the Board of Governors, last known meeting April 18th.(https://wdwnt.com/2020/04/disney-executive-chairman-bob-iger-attends-nba-owners-meeting-on-2019-2020-season-places-emphasis-on-data-not-dates/)

Honestly Vegas would provide more of the infrastructure they need, but the NBA is concerned about isolation and the Vegas mayor's comments could leave them skittish about the city potentially reopening before the season completes sometime in August. However Disney has control of their own property and can stay closed to the public indefinitely. I've seen a UBS advisor say Disney World will not open until 2021, but the Motley Fool says don't believe that and DW could open during the summer *shrug emoji*:

https://www.wfla.com/community/health/coronavirus/disneyland-disney-world-may-not-reopen-until-2021-independent-financial-report-says/amp/
https://www.fool.com/amp/investing/2020/04/26/3-reasons-disney-world-will-open-this-summer.aspx

 

[Smokey Joe]

When they were talking about having all 30 teams in Las Vegas and having some games and then the playoffs there I was going “that’s not gonna happen” for the obvious reason. I mean, you might as well do it in New Orleans and have the games on Bourbon street. Orlando is a great idea. It will be much easier to isolate the teams, they have tons of hotel space, and the Disney-ESPN connection is a natural.
The problem is that while the mayor of Las Vegas is a loose cannon, the governor of Florida is a bigger one.
They should consider the Bahamas. Easy to isolate the teams, lots of hotel rooms. I don’t know how many basketball courts they have, but at least the owners (And some of the players and agents) could visit their bank accounts.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

A couple things about Carolyn Goodman, the Mayor of Las Vegas:

1. Everyone in Nevada knows she is insane. The Governor quickly shot down her idea that Vegas was ready to open its casinos right now.

2. While Goodman has control of downtown, The Strip, is located in Paradise (not in Las Vegas), which is a town under the jurisdiction of Clark County and not Goodman.

3. The Thomas & Mack Center is located in Paradise, NV.

So while Goodman may open up downtown soon without any restrictions coming from her, both the strip hotels and the basketball venue are under the watch of the Clark County Commissioners. I’d be surprised if there is a soft opening before sometime in June. Even with an opening, Vegas will be a ghost town this summer.

 

[Ale Xander]

Only thing more insane than CG in Vegas is that hotels are still requiring resort fees. $45 at the Bellagio, for example (from June, seems it's closed now and in May, or at least not taking reservations). That town is so greedy, it may fall just like Rome.