According to the Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBPA players representatives have just voted to start the 2020-2021 NBA season on December 22. It looks like the season will be shortened as expected to a 72 game season. There are still a lot of moving parts that the NBA must consider to move forward with the season.
The 2020 NBA Draft is still set for November 18 and is quickly approaching. Currently, players eligible for the draft are adapting to a new Draft Combine for this year. The players have been allowed to conduct video conferences from September 28 all the way up to November 16. These meetings are with the league and different teams. In October, the players participated in individual skill work videos which included strength and agility, anthropometric measurements, shooting drills and a “Pro Day” video.
The NBA has done a great job adjusting the NBA Draft to accommodate the COVID-19 safety precautions. The only issue that may arise is the short period between the draft and the start of the NBA season. This means that the team chemistry may be lacking for some teams in the beginning of the season. It may just take a little longer for the rookies to get adjusted this season.
While the Players Association approved the start date, there is still more to discuss. According to Wojnarowski, there must be another meeting next week that lays out the financial terms of the season. This also means that there will be discussion about free agency and when it can start. The NBA wants to make sure that there is enough time for teams to work through their free agency options. This means that the start will probably happen as soon as possible so teams can get working.
Similar to the Draft schedule, the start of free agency in this shortened off season will not give the teams a lot of time. This could cause teams to just stay content with their current team and try to make it through the current season. The teams who need pieces to their puzzle may take this opportunity to try and make some championship moves.
The NBA needs to determine how they will safely allow these players to start their season. The plan for the bubble, where they could control everyone’s movements, was very well thought out and detailed. This season, there is no bubble so the NBA has to think a little differently. This plan needs to be something that the players feel comfortable with. Now, the NBA is feeling the pressure of the shortened offseason because they have less time to come up with a safety plan for the season. The NBA needs to start deciding how they are going to handle this in the very near future so that the season will be able to start on December 22.
This NBA season is going to be another adjustment for the players. The world is quite different now and the players need to accept that this may be the normal just for this season. With a short offseason, it is unknown how the players will react to the less rest time. Nonetheless, NBA basketball will start up again in 46 days. (but who’s counting?)
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