Report: NBA "Could" Return by July

If you are among the fans who are clamoring for the National Basketball Association (NBA) to resume action, then this will be good news for you.  

It has been more than two months since the NBA went on an indefinite hiatus since the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic forced everyone to drop whatever they were doing as the pandemic literally and figuratively put the entire world on pause. And with the fact that the medical experts have yet to develop the vaccine against the said virus, everyone will have to play the "see and wait" game as uncertainty continues to rule the world.

Fortunately, the NBA is slowly looking to restore basketball as it is slowly gaining momentum for a possible resumption of the 2019-2020 season.

Reports have it that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is expected to make a call on how the NBA will push through with their plans to resume NBA action. Earlier this month, the NBA has already allowed teams to re-open their training facilities as long as the city governments allow them to do so. Players are now being allowed to do individual training regimens at their teams' facilities while following certain health and safety protocols. Then, training camps will be re-opened in the final week of June which could put a possible resumption of the season around the middle of July.

While nothing has been set in stone just yet, it has already been reported that Commissioner Silver will be coming up with a decision by next month and if that is to happen, we might be seeing the NBA back in action by July.

Reports are also saying that the NBA has already informed teams that the league is currently in negotiation with several providers of COVID-19 testing kits in the United States as having the testing kits ready for teams will play a critical role as to whether or not the season will be resumed or not. 

Now, where would the teams play?

The leading option right now is Disney World Resort in Orlando Florida while Las Vegas remains as a viable option too but one thing is for sure by now: the teams won't be completing their usual 82-game season as reports are pointing that the league is looking to cut down the season to just 70 games before jumping into the 2020 playoffs. And yes, each round of the playoffs will be a best-of-seven series. 

Now, assuming that the NBA will cut down the season to just 70 games, it would mean that the Milwaukee Bucks would only need to play five more games as they have already play 65 games thus far. The Los Angeles Lakers, who have a Western Conference-leading 49-14 slate, would only need to play seven more games before making their return to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. And with the LeBron James-led team being five and a half games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers in the standings, the Lakers are almost assured of the top seed in the West while the Bucks are already assured of finishing the season with the best record in the NBA.

Again, nothing has been set in stone just yet but if you look at the possible timeline of events, things are indeed pointing towards a resumption of the NBA this July. 

Photo is from Los Angeles Times