NBA continues pandemic leadership

Just as it has been said that the closure of regular NBA games signalled the start of the pandemic, are we now witnessing the restarting NBA taking the lead in what it means to adjust to the pandemic? — Charles N. I think the NBA’s message on health and medical protocols is a great example for people who follow them. That they are doing just what they say we should be doing also resonates. The Raptors, in particular, have been good that way since they got to Naples at the end of June. Fred VanVleet has had an excellent first few games and I am enjoying the way he plays the game. With his pending free agency, the local talking heads won’t stop talking about it. We know he’s unrestricted. Do the Raps hold his Bird rights? Can they sign him regardless of the cap? Any thoughts on how it will go? — E.P. Yes, the Raptors have full Bird rights (which allow teams to go over the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents) on VanVleet and I cannot imagine them letting him go.

I think they will find a way to make the money work so that both sides are happy, even if the money is going to be all screwed up given the losses in the pandemic. I’ve not seen referee Ed Malloy in any NBA bubble games. I’m happy about that, especially since he’s rated as one of the leaders in overturned calls. He also seems to rub our Raps the wrong way. Do you know if he’s on the ref roster? — Brian He is not in Orlando, but he’s also rated one of the best in the game by some people. Do you know if the NBA has any plans to increase the number of journalists in the bubble when the playoffs start? — Andrew No, there’s no plan to substantially increase the number of journalists, although some may be redistributed as teams bow out. They have a workable number for such things as testing, rooms, health and safety protocols, logistics right down to limited seating in the arenas, and things are working so well that there’s no reason to mess with them.