Basketball is Back Baby

Yesterday the NBA approved the 22 team proposal to finish out the 2019-20 season. They are heading to mini training camps in June, they will go to Orlando early July for more practice and on July 31st they will start to play real games. This was a nearly unanimous vote. The only team that voted against the proposal was Portland, which I am still a bit confused about since they are one of the non playoff teams being invited.

Needless to say, I am over the moon at this news. I was almost certain up until about two weeks ago that they were going to cancel the season. I just assumed they wouldn't be able to pull it off. And while there is still going to be massive hoops to jump through, while they will need to be extra careful, while I am certain that some players with get sick and contract the virus, I feel like the NBA is being very smart, and more importantly, safe with their plan to finish this out. They seem to have tripled checked everything they are doing, and that is why I think their plan going forward is going to work.

I like a lot about this plan. I love the idea of playing play in tournaments for the final seeds in the East and West. I'm all about the eight extra games to determine seeding. I am stoked that they are going Summer League style and playing games all day long. I get to watch hours and hours of NBA games all day long when they return. That rules. I am curious, and also happy, that they are doing it in one spot and that they are secluding the players in a "bubble". The Wide World of Sports seems like the best possible spot to finish this out. I love that the players are going to get time to get back in shape. To meet up with teammates and coaches again. To see people they like and work with. I am stoked that my team, the Memphis Grizzlies, have a real shot at the playoffs. I love that I will get to see Ja, Zion, LeBron, Kawhi, Chris Paul, Jokic, and so many other stars that I have missed since the season was suspended on March 11th. I even like that the NBA is looking into a way to let guys bring some of their family with them to stay with them while they finish it all out. I am on board with pretty much everything they have set forth as their plan.

The only thing I don't really like is some of the teams they invited. I believe when they were getting closer to a solution last week I said I liked the idea of 20 teams being invited, and having the four extra teams fight for the final playoff spot. I don't get why the Kings, Suns and Wizards are all being invited. The Suns and Kings have a very limited shot at making the playoffs. They have to play flawless basketball for the most part, and they don't have the luxury of facing the Hornets, Warriors or Knicks. All the teams invited are good teams. Washington has an even more uphill battle to fight. They have been not very good all year, and they must play flawless basketball for a shot at the play in tournament. They cannot afford one slip up. It's cool that we will get to see Brad Beal, DeAron Fox and Devin Booker. But, it is going to be eigt games and then they will be sent home. Hell, I could even throw San Antonio in this conversation, but they have the best coach to ever coach the game roaming their sideline, so I still won't count them out.

If the only real problem I see is the addition of two extra teams from what I wanted a week ago. I'd say that is small potatoes. I can live with that. I'm just so very happy that NBA basketball is going to be back. I am also very curious to see how the bench interactions goes, how they deal with social distancing, what they do with crowd noise or if they use mannequins or cardboard cutouts to fill the stands. It is going to be weird at first, but the moment that ball is tossed up and tipped, and these players start playing, I feel like all that will go away for me and I will be grinning from ear to ear because the NBA is back.

This is great news. Real great news. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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