The worldwide spread pandemic, commonly known as COVID-19, has everyone downhearted as performances, games, shows, and everything crowd-forming and fun is being canceled. People are locked up in houses, and if they are not, work and grocery shopping are the only outing options they have.
Similarly, for basketball enthusiasts, it’s a rough time as the NBA has been on hiatus for the past five months. However, good NBA news was delivered, and the games are said to return at the end of this month. The games are up again and the teams participating are also decided still due to the enduring pandemic, some changes have been made as to how the games will commence.
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Teams
In this return NBA season, there will be a total of 22 teams playing regular-season seeding games. There is also a possibility of play-in series at the end. The units are divided into two categories, namely, Eastern Conference Team and Western Conference Team. There are nine teams in the former and 13 in the latter. Following are the teams added in both groups:
Eastern Conference teams
Milwaukee Bucks
Toronto Raptors
Boston Celtics
Miami Heat
Indiana Pacers
Philadelphia 76ers
Brooklyn Nets
Orlando Magic
Washington Wizards
Western Conference teams
Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Clippers
Denver Nuggets
Utah Jazz
Oklahoma City Thunder
Houston Rockets
Dallas Mavericks
Memphis Grizzlies
Portland Trail Blazers
New Orleans Pelicans
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Phoenix Suns
Venue
The NBA has returned, but things are going to be different and limited as to how they were before. The safety of the players is also a demanding factor to consider before holding matches. Hence, the board has devised thorough plans for the protection and screenings of the players. As soon as a threat is detected, the players’ safety will not be compromised, but the matches might be.
As Disney owns football now, it has the right to decide where the games will be played and how. Therefore, the football official, NBA, and Disney came to the decision that due to the pandemic, it would be better to hold games at limited arenas.
One of them will be ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. All of the games, seeds, play-ins, and play-offs will be held at this revenue, including the Field House and Visa Athletic Center.
Fans Attendance
Due to the ongoing virus, the government has banned public gatherings, and seeing how far the NBA is going to safeguard players from the pandemic, the decision of not letting in audiences seems quite fair. It has been ruled out that no audience will be present during the games, and the players will hold matches by themselves. However, the events will be broadcast live and can be caught on sports channels.
Schedule
The matches schedule and their air dates are present in the NBA.com site, and more information can be gathered from sports sites like lines.com that provide accurate information and intel in exciting articles. So until all the players arrive at Florida, the registering and reconstructing of teams will go on as some players are rumored to forfeit. After the beginning of the seeding games, the end will be seen on 14 of August, that is, if play-on games won’t happen, if they do, it’ll be extended to 16th August. Subsequently, playoffs will commence on 17th August.
In the Event of Virus Contact
Establishing that no tickets will be sold in this season, players are to earn decreased salaries of about 20 percent. So when a player forfeits due to virus complaint and tested by health professionals as “not severe,” then they could have a lot more of salary cut from the aggregate total of games held. But if a player is really in need of medical attention to the severity of coronavirus, they will be excused and also receive full salary entailed.