NBA moves closer to reopening season with help from Mickey and Minnie

The+NBA+plans+to+restart+their+season+in+Disney+World+near+Orlando%2C+Fla.

Barbara Ann Spengler (Flickr)

The NBA plans to restart their season in Disney World near Orlando, Fla.

Ole Olafson, Reporter

Over the last three days, the NBA owners and the Players Association have approved Commissioner Adam Silver’s plan to restart the NBA season in Orlando, Fla.

The plan calls for 22 teams to restart the season, which was paused on March 11, on or around July 31 in Disney World.  There are apparently still some details to be worked out, but the owners and players seem to be moving ahead — at least in principal.

According to Brad Botkin of cbssports.com, after everyone gets tested for coronavirus, training camps could begin around the end of June in each team’s respective city.  Players and staff would travel to Orlando early in July and the season should restart around July 31.

The 22 teams will reportedly play an eight-game “seeding” tournament, which will determine the playoff positions of any teams which haven’t already clinched a spot, based on their record when the season paused.  It’s also a way for teams that are already in the playoffs to knock off the rust caused by nearly five months of down time since the season paused.  At the end of the play-in tournament, if the #9 team is within four games of the #8 seed there will be a play-in series for the final spot in each conference.

Once the playoffs begin, things will proceed as normal…except everyone will be playing in Disney World and getting tested for coronavirus every day.  Coincidentally, if a player or coach tests positive, that person will be quarantined and those who were in contact with them will continue to be monitored, according to the plan.

Since a team’s draft position can’t be negatively affected by games played in Orlando – unless they make the playoffs – there’s some concern that certain teams in a favorable draft position may not try their hardest to get into the first round, only to potentially get knocked around by a #1 seed and lose their good draft spot.

There would also be no home court advantage (except maybe for Orlando, but there will be no fans), which is kind of unfair for teams that earned the benefits that come with a top seed.

Another concern comes from the fact that this season’s playoffs won’t end until November, and the league plans on starting next year’s season on December 1.  That only leaves a few weeks for the top playoff teams to recuperate – and get unpacked before the new season starts.