Uncertainty norm following shortest offseason ever
For the Lakers and Heat, it was the shortest offseason ever.
For the Warriors and seven other teams that haven’t played since March, the offseason dragged far longer than most.
And for all 30 clubs, questions are far more prevalent than answers now.
Ready or not, the NBA is back.
Training camps open Tuesday, though oncourt sessions are limited to individual workouts and for players with three negative coronavirus test results. Mandatory “group training activities,” a way to describe practice now, begin Friday and for most clubs Sunday.
“I feel like a kid getting excited for the first day of school again,” Atlanta guard Trae Young tweeted.
As with school, tests await at camp. Lots of them.
Players and coaches will tested for coronavirus daily and a positive result at this point would likely derail someone for most of camp and into the preseason. The rules are so strict that clubs can’t hold team dinners until at least Dec. 11.
“We’re all going to have to be very nimble, first of all keeping guys safe and healthy,” Utah general manager Justin Zanik said Monday. “We’ll get an idea of the schedule, how travel is, how the pandemic affects us. … No one in the NBA, other than a threemonth bubble, has ever gone through what we’re about to go through.”
The regular season starts on Dec. 22, three weeks from Tuesday. A schedule for the first half of the shortened 72game regular season could be known in the coming days, and many teams are still deciding whether they can begin the season with fans in their arenas or not. The NBA champion Lakers have already said they aren’t having fans in their building to start the season; Charlotte and Oklahoma City announced Monday that they will begin their home schedules the same way.
“This is going to be a challenging season for us,” Phoenix GM James Jones said. “We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that we try to stay COVIDfree and try to stay healthy. With 72 games in a condensed season and more or increased backtobacks means that we’ll have to manage our time appropriately.”
Nine new coaches await: Tom Thibodeau in New York, Steve Nash in Brooklyn, Billy Donovan in Chicago, Doc Rivers in Philadelphia, Nate Bjorkgren in Indiana, Stan Van Gundy in New Orleans, Stephen Silas in Houston, Mark Daigneault in Oklahoma City and Tyronn Lue with the Los Angeles Clippers.
It’ll be the first training camp as head coach for J. B. Bickerstaff in Cleveland; he took over as coach in February.
Some teams haven’t played since March 11. Others saw their seasons resume in July, then end in August or September. And for the Lakers and the Heat, the NBA finalists, the season went until midOctober.
Not even two months later, it’s time to play again.
“I think it’s fair to say that coming into the season, given everything that’s going on in the country relative to COVID and the effects that it’s having on everybody both locally and nationally, this is going to be a pretty unique season,” Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti said.
“We’ve never been through a season like this before. No team has.”
Davis talks: Anthony Davis and his agent are scheduled to meet with the Lakers on Tuesday, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Davis opted out of the final year of his contract to become a free agent. The sort of contract Davis seeks remains a mystery. The 6foot10 forward can sign a twoyear contract with a player option for the 202122 season worth about $ 68 million and become a free agent at the same time as LeBron James.
Hornets resign center: Bismack Biyombo was resigned and all four of this year’s draft picks were signed by Charlotte, including firstround selection LaMelo Ball. Along with Ball, the team inked centers Vernon Carey Jr. and Nick Richards, both secondround picks. Charlotte also signed Grant Riller, a late secondround choice.
Hawks hurting: Three Atlanta newcomers are injured, including firstround pick Onyeka Okongwu, on the eve of camp. The former USC star taken sixth overall has inflammation in a foot bone. Guards Kris Dunn ( knee cartilage) and Tony Snell ( foot inflammation) underwent MRIs.