Kings keep quiet but rivals make their case for NBA return

MThe NBA could be days away from deciding when, where and how to resume the season. It's still unclear whether teams like the Kings will get a chance to resume their playoff pursuits, but they have two vocal proponents in Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

NBA officials are examining numerous return-to-play scenarios leading up to Friday's conference call with the Board of Governors with emphasis on health and safety, competitive balance and league finances. The league is expected to make final decisions regarding location and format in early June. The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando has emerged as the likely destination.

Lobbying from players, owners and executives is intensifying as the NBA tries to determine what is fair, equitable, feasible and safe. The Kings referred questions to the league office when asked about a fair return to play in the NBA, but some individuals are speaking out. Lillard made his position clear in multiple interviews over the past two days, saying teams that were in playoff contention before the coronavirus shutdown should still have an opportunity to reach the postseason.

"If we come back and they're just like, 'We're adding a few games to finish the regular season,' and they're throwing us out there for meaningless games and we don't have a true opportunity to get into the playoffs, I'm going to be with my team because I'm a part of the team," Lillard told Yahoo Sports. "But I'm not going to be participating. I'm telling you that right now."

Lillard elaborated later on the Basketball Jones web show, noting how close the playoff race was in the Western Conference with five teams within four games of each other when play was suspended March 11. The Kings, Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans were tied for ninth in the West, 3 1/2 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies, who faced the most difficult portion of their schedule in the final weeks of the regular season. The San Antonio Spurs were another half-game back.

“We want to play, and a lot of us have been training, preparing for that," Lillard said. "We started the season so of course we want to finish it, but right before we had this break, right before COVID-19 hit, we were in the middle of a playoff race, a pretty tight playoff race. Not just with us, but the 10th-, 11th- and 12th-place teams in the Western Conference are within striking distance, and you're looking at 15, 16 games remaining, (so) you've got an opportunity to close in.

“Now, with these things happening, you just would hope that when we do come back

and play that you still have an opportunity to still be in pursuit of that instead of just coming back and playing just to play. That's not what anybody wants. We want to play, but we want to play for something."

That might include the Kings — mired in the NBA's longest playoff drought after 13 consecutive losing seasons — who were surging when the season was suspended. In April, coach Luke Walton was asked about the possibility of missing out on an opportunity to compete for the playoffs due to a shortened season. Walton said he will support whatever decisions the league makes.

"This is one of those few times where truly the most important thing is that we get past this (pandemic) together," Walton said. "And by together, I mean everybody. Together, we get past this. If that's what it takes for the NBA to come to a decision, we will be behind it. Normally I would say basketball is more important than most things I've gone through in life, but with this the only thing that really matters is that we get through it."

Play-in games might provide a solution if the league is unable to play out all remaining regular-season games. One idea being discussed, according to ESPN, would bring back the four teams on the Western Conference playoff bubble — the Grizzlies, Kings, Blazers and Pelicans — for play-in purposes, but none in the Eastern Conference. The Orlando Magic was eighth in the East when play was suspended, a full 5 1/2 games ahead of the Washington Wizards.

Lillard seemingly endorsed that idea Wednesday when he was asked how the season should be restructured during the Jalen and Jacoby show on ESPN.

"I would design some type of play-in tournament between all the teams that were in striking distance, because Sacramento was playing their best basketball of the season," Lillard said.