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We're going to Disney World -- NBA plans to reopen for an abbreviated play-in - playoffs season

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I think there's zero chance this works out. What happens when a superstar becomes infected and can't play? They could be completely healthy with no symptoms but have to sit out an entire series. If a whole team becomes infected do they forfeit? They should've just canceled the season and started the new one in October.

The problem is that this thing is still going to be around in October with the same issues you point to. We are probably looking at at least a year of endemic Covid-19. The NBA is trying to figure out how it can avoid losing vast amounts of money here.
 
How are the players going to play Defense while maintaining social distancing ?

Well, people have been making the same James Harden joke over and over on this for 3 months, so I won't belabor it...
 
The problem is that this thing is still going to be around in October with the same issues you point to. We are probably looking at at least a year of endemic Covid-19. The NBA is trying to figure out how it can avoid losing vast amounts of money here.

The bubble is probably the best solution for right now. I just wonder what they do going into next season if the goal is to start in December. It's the question I think I have for all sports leagues. TV deals can most likely sustain all these leagues until the pandemic is over. How much risk will players be willing to take to get paid that extra money that in person fans will bring? I doubt that percentage of money will really be worth it to the majority of players for the risks.

I think in most leagues the players will push for no fans until there is a vaccine. The question will be how does college football and possible college basketball approach this. The TV exposure should be enough for them and since they don't get paid, why even risk having fans there in person. Maybe allow family and scouts. We were already in a debate if they should get paid before all of this.
 
I thought the single hotel was too small and the timeline was too stretched out when they released the details of the bubble.

I thought Disney World made sense when it was closed down because you could give the NBA players and their families the run of the place with the best hotel suites.

Living out of a hotel room for that long and without the entertainment is going to be hard for players and staff. They need to condense the timeline and find more housing for everyone.

There is no good answer to satisfy everyone in this situation. The contenders won't want to chance losing any of their players to the virus for any amount of time. The non-contenders won't be happy living for 2 months in the bubble and might sneak out.

Yeah I agree. I think there are still major concerns. They have said 1 person getting it won't shut it down, so it will be interesting if a star gets it like has been speculated. So many variables.
 
Yeah I agree. I think there are still major concerns. They have said 1 person getting it won't shut it down, so it will be interesting if a star gets it like has been speculated. So many variables.
I thought the single hotel was too small and the timeline was too stretched out when they released the details of the bubble.

I thought Disney World made sense when it was closed down because you could give the NBA players and their families the run of the place with the best hotel suites.

Living out of a hotel room for that long and without the entertainment is going to be hard for players and staff. They need to condense the timeline and find more housing for everyone.

There is no good answer to satisfy everyone in this situation. The contenders won't want to chance losing any of their players to the virus for any amount of time. The non-contenders won't be happy living for 2 months in the bubble and might sneak out.

I do think 22 teams is too many, and honestly would've been fine with 8; #3-#4 seeds are about the lowest that regularly have a good chance to win their conference i.e. 2011 Mavs, 2018 Cavs, etc.

But Kyrie gonna Kyrie, and apparently is not alone. LOL at the comment near the top about him not wanting LeBron to win a ring:

 
I do think 22 teams is too many, and honestly would've been fine with 8; #3-#4 seeds are about the lowest that regularly have a good chance to win their conference i.e. 2011 Mavs, 2018 Cavs, etc.

But Kyrie gonna Kyrie, and apparently is not alone. LOL at the comment near the top about him not wanting LeBron to win a ring:


The problem I would have with the bubble if I were on a contender is that you have to trust all the players in the bubble because there is so much shared facilities.

What I'd be pushing for is figuring out smaller hotels or accomodations so that each team can be more compartmentalized in the bubble. You are really only as strong as your weakest link in this situation. Peer pressure can get certain guys to act properly but putting that trust that every team will self check their own guys is alot to ask.

I could also see the players not wanting to go to this hotel because living out of a regular hotel room would be real hard for months. I did some research and they only have 30 junior suites, 10 2 bedroom suites, and a couple 3 bedroom executive suites. The rest of the 1900 rooms are just standard hotel rooms.
 
The problem I would have with the bubble if I were on a contender is that you have to trust all the players in the bubble because there is so much shared facilities.

What I'd be pushing for is figuring out smaller hotels or accomodations so that each team can be more compartmentalized in the bubble. You are really only as strong as your weakest link in this situation. Peer pressure can get certain guys to act properly but putting that trust that every team will self check their own guys is alot to ask.

I could also see the players not wanting to go to this hotel because living out of a regular hotel room would be real hard for months. I did some research and they only have 30 junior suites, 10 2 bedroom suites, and a couple 3 bedroom executive suites. The rest of the 1900 rooms are just standard hotel rooms.

It seems like whether it's a gym for a commonplace person, or this, one of the shared facilities solutions is to have people shower at home/in their hotel suite, rather than in the common showers.

This creates its own problems, i.e. your car becomes a moving petri dish from your sweat even if you clean it, but I suppose it's the lesser of two evils.

The sequestering from WAGs and family is also why lengthening the time of playoffs/play-ins for marginal teams, to arguably twice as long as it needs to be, is ridiculous, and I would've honestly looked at best-of-5's across the board instead of 7 in addition to the 8-team scenario.

Gut feeling is that these reports are clickbaiting and that Flat Earther's plans will go nowhere, though.
 
It seems like whether it's a gym for a commonplace person, or this, one of the shared facilities solutions is to have people shower at home/in their hotel suite, rather than in the common showers.

This creates its own problems, i.e. your car becomes a moving petri dish from your sweat even if you clean it, but I suppose it's the lesser of two evils.

The sequestering from WAGs and family is why lengthening the time of playoffs/play-ins for marginal teams, to arguably twice as long as it needs to be, is ridiculous, and I would've honestly looked at best-of-5's across the board instead of 7 in addition to the 8-team scenario.

I agree that the play in and 1st round of the playoffs is too spread out. Also if almost everyone are in standard hotel room, it just going to turn into a dorm situation which is the opposite of what they should want. To keep people safer, more individual space would help everyone keep to their own more. Every player should have a suite or they should have condos to share.
 
Soccer is up and running in Europe. If NBA players want to stay home to avoid Covid or the bubble in Orlando or for any other reason, that’s their decision. Entertainment attention and money will simply go elsewhere.
 
Zach Lowe with a good piece -- basically, people are flying pretty blind here. Major risks.


What they are creating is basically nursing homes with daily testing. This could be thought out alot better. They really should be compartmentalizing teams and auxiliary staff so they can have freedom to move around without constantly interaction with each other. The NBA should have figured out multiple spots around Disney World so teams could create their own circles or villages. Let teams bring their own cleaners and food service people.

I think teams would be happier if they had a bunch of villas and suites for their accommodation for the bubble. Not a 1900 room hotel building with vast majority staying in a standard hotel room.
 
Wow, didn't realize it was a single hotel. Hope they have thought out how AC systems and so on could spread the disease.
 
What they are creating is basically nursing homes with daily testing. This could be thought out alot better. They really should be compartmentalizing teams and auxiliary staff so they can have freedom to move around without constantly interaction with each other. The NBA should have figured out multiple spots around Disney World so teams could create their own circles or villages. Let teams bring their own cleaners and food service people.

I think teams would be happier if they had a bunch of villas and suites for their accommodation for the bubble. Not a 1900 room hotel building with vast majority staying in a standard hotel room.

Which is why Vegas for the West playoffs made a lot of sense, for all of its drawbacks; it keeps half of the teams separate, not to mention the lower humidity than Orlando means they could basically use open windows instead of A/C much of the time.
 

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