Post by Admin on Jun 3, 2020 12:14:46 GMT -4
But not until July have still wait and see how this will go.
THE WAY IT WAS.....
In advance of a Board of Governors call Thursday that is reportedly expected to culminate in owners approving a final plan for resuming the 2019-20 season, details on the league's proposed regular season resolution and play-in tournament have emerged.
Here's the breakdown:
22 teams will be invited to Orlando, Fla. to complete the 2019-20 season. Target date of July 31 to resume, with a potential Game 7 of the NBA Finals falling on Oct. 12 (via ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski)
Those 22 teams will be the current 16 playoff teams, plus all non-playoff teams within six games of their conference's eighth seed - i.e. the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards (via Wojnarowski)
Each of the 22 teams invited will play out eight regular season games for seeding purposes (via Wojnarowski)
At the end of those games, if the ninth seed is more than four games behind the eighth seed, the eighth seed is automatically awarded a playoff spot (via The Athletic's Shams Charania)
If the ninth seed is within four games of the eighth seed, the two teams will play out a mini play-in tournament for the eighth seed. Single-elimination for the ninth seed, double-elimination for the eighth seed (via Charania)
Note: The Blazers (No. 9), Pelicans (No. 10) and Kings (No. 11) are 3.5 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the West's eighth seed. The Spurs (No. 12) are four games back in the West, the Suns (No. 13) are six games back. The Wizards (No. 9) are 5.5 games back of the Magic in the East. No alterations to tiebreaker rules has been reported, though, as Zach Lowe noted, the league may need to get creative given that all of above teams will end the regular season having played anywhere from 71 to 74 games.
And yes, that all adds up to no more Bulls games in the 2019-20 calendar.
The league had reportedly previously discussed a litany of alternative formats, including all 30 teams returning to resolve the regular season. Sources told NBC Sports Chicago that the Bulls were open to returning if the league determined that a 30-team scenario was most beneficial, but emphasized safety concerns for the entire traveling party as their main priority.
Still, the team has opened the Advocate Center for voluntary, socially distanced workouts with coaches. Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley will soon be headed to Chicago. Even if the Bulls don't play basketball again this season, the evaluation process (and the changes that come with that) will continue.
Wojnarowski also reported that the draft and free agency are expected to occur sequentially in October. Though the 2020-21 season beginning on Christmas Day has been widely reported and speculated, two months and change is an incredibly tight window to squeeze the draft, free agency, summer league, training camps and a preseason - normally, roughly four months is allotted for the offseason, which includes a decompressatory month of August.
Regardless of those specifics, once again, the bounce of the lottery ball will be one to watch for Bulls fans.
THE WAY IT WAS.....
In advance of a Board of Governors call Thursday that is reportedly expected to culminate in owners approving a final plan for resuming the 2019-20 season, details on the league's proposed regular season resolution and play-in tournament have emerged.
Here's the breakdown:
22 teams will be invited to Orlando, Fla. to complete the 2019-20 season. Target date of July 31 to resume, with a potential Game 7 of the NBA Finals falling on Oct. 12 (via ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski)
Those 22 teams will be the current 16 playoff teams, plus all non-playoff teams within six games of their conference's eighth seed - i.e. the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards (via Wojnarowski)
Each of the 22 teams invited will play out eight regular season games for seeding purposes (via Wojnarowski)
At the end of those games, if the ninth seed is more than four games behind the eighth seed, the eighth seed is automatically awarded a playoff spot (via The Athletic's Shams Charania)
If the ninth seed is within four games of the eighth seed, the two teams will play out a mini play-in tournament for the eighth seed. Single-elimination for the ninth seed, double-elimination for the eighth seed (via Charania)
Note: The Blazers (No. 9), Pelicans (No. 10) and Kings (No. 11) are 3.5 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the West's eighth seed. The Spurs (No. 12) are four games back in the West, the Suns (No. 13) are six games back. The Wizards (No. 9) are 5.5 games back of the Magic in the East. No alterations to tiebreaker rules has been reported, though, as Zach Lowe noted, the league may need to get creative given that all of above teams will end the regular season having played anywhere from 71 to 74 games.
And yes, that all adds up to no more Bulls games in the 2019-20 calendar.
The league had reportedly previously discussed a litany of alternative formats, including all 30 teams returning to resolve the regular season. Sources told NBC Sports Chicago that the Bulls were open to returning if the league determined that a 30-team scenario was most beneficial, but emphasized safety concerns for the entire traveling party as their main priority.
Still, the team has opened the Advocate Center for voluntary, socially distanced workouts with coaches. Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley will soon be headed to Chicago. Even if the Bulls don't play basketball again this season, the evaluation process (and the changes that come with that) will continue.
Wojnarowski also reported that the draft and free agency are expected to occur sequentially in October. Though the 2020-21 season beginning on Christmas Day has been widely reported and speculated, two months and change is an incredibly tight window to squeeze the draft, free agency, summer league, training camps and a preseason - normally, roughly four months is allotted for the offseason, which includes a decompressatory month of August.
Regardless of those specifics, once again, the bounce of the lottery ball will be one to watch for Bulls fans.
