Retired NBA player Jason Terry offered a logical approach for the NBA once it's safe to resume games amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Given the now compromised schedule, some pundits suggest that the NBA should cut straight to the playoffs considering almost all teams have already played around 80 percent of its regular season games.
Terry, however, argued that inactivity will certainly play a factor and teams would need to shake off the rust a little bit. He implied that all 30 teams would benefit from a “mini-exhibition” before the playoffs begin.
“For safety measures for the players, and their physical wellbeing, they probably need to finish out the season in some format of like a 10 game, 8-10 game finish to the regular season and then fall into playoffs. As we’ve seen, though the top six or seven seeds were kind of solidified, that eighth spot, there was three or four teams — New Orleans, Memphis, even Portland was fighting and battling back for that eighth spot,” the 19-year NBA vet explained, per The Dallas Morning News.
“But for those other teams, the conditioning, the soreness and the aches and pains of not playing competitive basketball for two, maybe even three months, they’re going to need — and I hate to say exhibition — but like a 10 game or mini-exhibition season before playoffs ratchets it up,” he furthered.
Jason Terry's sentiments do seem to be the rational approach to take, considering the upper brackets of both conferences seem to have already secured their spots.
Those currently outside the playoff bubble and fighting for the finals spots, however, will also get a chance to enter the postseason if the mini-tourney pushes through.
NBA players, meanwhile, will certainly benefit from this format since they have been self-quarantining for two weeks now. Some are continuing to engage in solo workouts, but the experience of playing in an actual game still can never be replicated.
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