As the NBA continues to plan for its 2019-20 season to restart at some point later this summer, teams are doing their part behind the scenes.
2019-20 NBA season
The NBA is planning to resume the season on July 31. Owners are expected to approve the plan in short order before it’s sent to the players for final approval.
As of right now, 22 teams are expected to return to a bubble city in Orlando. Fans will not be in attendance. The playoffs themselves are set to be expanded. We should hear more about this in the next few days.
NBA practice facilities
The five-time defending Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors are the latest team to open their practice facility, leaving the Bulls, Pistons and Spurs as the only teams to have their facilities still shut down amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Local policies regarding the pandemic played a role in the Warriors having to delay reopening their facility to players. Northern California in general was among the first to issue shelter-at-home orders due to COVID-19 back in March. It has also been slow to open up as the United States continues to battle the pandemic.
On the court, this means very little. Golden State entered the suspended portion of the season with a league-worst 15-50 record. The most-recent plan for resuming the season includes only 22 teams. Steve Kerr and Co. obviously wouldn’t be one of those squads.