The 2019-20 NBA season is set to resume on July 30 at Walt Disney World in sunny Orlando, Florida. 22 teams will play eight seeding games before the start of the 2020 playoffs.
The Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards will battle it out for the final two playoff spots in the East, while the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns will jostle for the eighth seed out West.
With basketball almost back, we take a look at the five ways the NBA’s restart has been perfectly put together by commissioner Adam Silver and his partners.
1. Daily COVID-19 tests
The central tenet of being in the NBA bubble is the daily COVID-19 tests for the hundreds of players, coaches and team personnel staying on the campus.
Per Joe Vardon of The Athletic — who is one of the few NBA reporters at Disney World — someone from BioReference Laboratories swabs the back of everyone’s throats and the tips of their noses. The samples are collected and driven 75 minutes away to a lab in Melbourne, Florida for analysis.
The NBA made daily testing mandatory for this setup.
2. Snitch hotline
Although some players might not like it, the snitch hotline was needed since guys like Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard were walking around the campus without masks on.
NBA players need to follow the campus rules strictly if this plan is going to work. If a player isn’t adhering to the rules and is seen by someone from another team, the snitch hotline will be used.
Sure, it’s weird to think about NBA players ratting out their fellow brothers. However, COVID-19 is a serious matter and the virus has already entered the bubble, as two players tested positive.
With that said, players have to wear their maks anytime they leave their hotel room, something Howard surely learned after being snitched on.
3. Strict rules in regards to leaving bubble
A player who breaks the bubble and leaves the Disney campus will be quarantined for at least 10 days and will have to undergo deep-nasal testing. Players can’t go into each other’s rooms but can socialize with video games, one-on-one ping pong games and golf outings.
Sacramento Kings big man Richaun Holmes and Houston Rockets forward Bruno Caboclo have already broken the rules and are back in quarantine. Caboclo left his room during the initial quarantine period, while Holmes crossed the campus line to pick up some food.
These might seem like minor offenses, but this is why the NBA should be commended. They are taking all the necessary precautions and don’t want to risk COVID-19 spreading in the bubble and infecting hundreds of people.
4. Players can’t lick fingers/can wear Oura ring
The NBA has told players to not lick their fingers during practices and games. Players will also have the option to wear the Oura ring, a titanium ring that monitors NBA players’ heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate and temperature to craft a risk score in an attempt to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The NBA has stated that team staff will not have access to the data collected by the Oura ring unless it indicates a player may be at higher risk for COVID-19.
5. Seeding games
Each team will play eight seeding games starting on July 30. It’s a neat way for teams to knock off the rust after such a long layoff.
Moreover, it adds a little excitement for the teams trying to make the playoffs. NBA fans are intrigued by the possibility of Zion Williamson (assuming he returns to the bubble soon) and the Pelicans overtaking Ja Morant and the Grizzlies for the eighth spot in the West so we can see New Orleans take on LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs out West.
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