With the NBA recently laying out its plans on how it intends to see out the remainder of the 2019-20 season, it was also made clear that for the other eight teams that did not get an invite to Disney World in Florida, their respective seasons are now over. In line with this, what we are proposing here today is that the league should also seriously consider creating a mini-bubble for these eight teams, namely, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets, and the Chicago Bulls.
The league's decision to exclude these eight teams turned out as a huge blow for all these squads from a number of compelling reasons. For one, the financial impact of not being able to carry one with the remaining 20% (roughly) of the regular season will surely have a negative effect on each team's profit margin for the year — something that may have a lasting effect for years to come. Moreover, this development will also have a significant effect on the players, most especially the younger ones that are looking to get as much experience under their belts. For teams not vying for the playoffs, the tail end of the regular season is usually reserved for experimental lineups. This provides more playing time for younger players, and is one of the most crucial aspects of their development.
All these will be thrown out of the window for these eight teams. They're offseason has now begun, and they will need to find ways in order to compensate for the aforementioned losses — both financially and otherwise. As such, perhaps it is ideal for the league to also take the necessary steps to somehow support these teams the rest of the way.
In a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the NBA insider already detailed how some of these teams have already explored how they can create some semblance of the remainder of the season. Some ideas presented to the league include:
- A combination of voluntary and mandatory workouts for two weeks in July.
- Regional minicamps in August that include joint practices for a period of days and approximately three televised games.
- Organized team activities (OTAs) for mid-September.
- Teams want an opportunity for training camps to start seven to 10 days earlier for the 2020-21 season for those teams left out of Orlando.
The second proposal on the list — a regional minicamp that will also include several televised games — seems to address both issues posted above. The revenues from the nationally-televised games will provide teams with at least some income to help augment the losses in their books. On the other hand, the high competitive level in the camp should also aid in the development of the younger players on the team. Adding some form of incentive for the winner(s) of the minicamp should also result in teams taking the games more seriously.
At the end of the day, though, we fully support commissioner Adam Silver's decision to exclude these eight teams from contending in the Orlando bubble. They have nothing more to play for this season, and the logical decision from a health risk perspective is to just ask them to stay home. Nevertheless, these teams cannot be left in the dark completely. Something more needs to be done as the NBA moves into uncertain territory.
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