Ok y’all we talked MLB yesterday, and the NBA returns to play in the “Orlando Bubble” with scrimmage games this week and a season re-start on July 30th. Here is what we know:
- Over the next week participating teams will compete in three inter-squad scrimmages in final preparation for the resumption of the season. The scrimmages will be scheduled by the league office and officiated by NBA referees. While in Orlando, all players and team employees included in their team’s traveling party will undergo regular coronavirus testing and health monitoring processes.
- Who are those participating teams you may ask? Based on a competitive format approved by the NBA Board of Governors and the NBPA, 22 teams will return to play during the 2019-20 NBA season. The 22 teams consist of the 16 teams (eight per conference) in current playoff positions and the six teams that are currently six games or fewer behind the eighth seed in their respective conferences.
- The season is expected to resume on July 30 with participating teams competing in eight “Seeding Games.” The matchups for the Seeding Games will be based on the regular season games that were originally scheduled to be played after March 11, 2020 (when the hiatus began), selected in chronological order (eliminating games as necessary to create a feasible schedule). The Seeding Games will not necessarily be played in the same order that the matchups were originally scheduled to occur during the regular season.
- August 15-16: If the team with the eighth-best combined winning percentage (regular season games and Seeding Games) in a conference is more than four games ahead of the team with the ninth-best combined winning percentage in that conference, then the team with the eighth-best combined winning percentage will be the eighth seed in the playoffs, and no Play-In Game(s) would be played, for that conference.
- August 17: Once the 16-team playoff field is set, the first round of the playoffs will begin on August 17. The first day of the playoffs may move up if no Play-In Games are necessary to finalize the 16-team playoff field. The playoffs will be played in a traditional format (16 teams and four rounds in best-of-seven-games series). Once a participating team’s season is over, the team’s travel party will depart Orlando after completion of the health and safety protocols applicable to departing teams.
- August 31 – Conference Semis
- Sept. 15- Conference Finals
- Sept.30-Oct. 13- NBA Finals
Participating Teams:
East Conference: Boston, Brooklyn, Indy, Miami, Milwaukee, Orlando, Philly, Toronto, Washington
West Conference: Dallas, Denver, Houston, Clippers, Lakers, Memphis, New Orleans, OKC, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Utah
Since I really know nothing about the NBA y’all I will spare you any picks. But Go Grizz.
