NBA News and Notes: Still Hope For The Season

It has now been over two months since the last NBA game was played prior to the shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. While time is not on the side of the league, there continues to be a strong belief that a season will resume.
In fact, on Tuesday, strong signs came out from both the NBA and the player’s union in terms of a return. Let’s take a look at those and other stories from around the NBA this week.
Continued Optimism For A Return
While there are a lot of details that need to be hammered out and a lot of hoops that still need to be jumped through, the league seems like it is poised to finish its 2019-20 season. After a call with the Board of Governors and commissioner Adam Silver, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that there is a sense of optimism that a season can continue.
It appears that the next two to four weeks are crucial as the league will be evaluating the state of the county and the virus, especially the ability to consistently test players and staff.
Furthermore, the league keeps its eyes on how other leagues are handling a return to play.
The fear is creating a surge where players and personnel become sick. The league needs to ensure that the players feel comfortable resuming play while also determining whether a single positive test would deter the league, and if not, what that threshold is.
For the players’ part, they seem all-in as well. The players’ union has sent out memos to agents, seemingly preparing them and their clients for the likelihood of a return.
Union president Chris Paul has held conversations with many of the league’s superstars (like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and others), and the consensus seems to be that everyone wants to finish the season.
It remains to be seen if it can come to fruition and what a return would look like, but for NBA fans, all hope is not lost in terms of finishing out the season.
One interesting caveat to all of this is the fact that it is likely that not all 30 teams will play if a season is resumed. Rather, it is more likely that after a little fine-tuning, the season would try to transition into the playoffs sooner than later. For those teams that have no chance of making it, their seasons may already be over.
Practice Facilities Starting To Reopen
Starting last Friday, NBA teams have been allowed to open their practice facilities for individual workouts. While strict social distancing and other policies have been put in place, it is likely a welcome sign for fans and an opportunity for players.
Still, it is not a fast-moving transition to open. The Trail Blazers and Cavaliers opened Friday while the Hawks and Jazz opened theirs on Monday. That leaves a lot of teams still waiting, whether due to person views or state mandates.
One team that isn’t opening is the Dallas Mavericks. Owner Mark Cuban has said that he would prefer to take a more cautious approach, especially until testing can become more prevalent.
Could Griffin Return To Pistons?
Back in December, when Blake Griffin had knee surgery, it seemed like a lost season for him. After the team got a disabled player exception for Griffin, it seemed undeniable that Griffin’s season was done.
With all of that being said, there are some silver linings to the pandemic. With the two months off, Griffin is believed to be on the mend and could likely suit up after June 15 (the date that he would be sidelined due to the disabled player’s exception).
Granted, it is likely that Detroit, being a team that is on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs, might not have to play another game, but it is nice for Pistons fans to think that Griffin is healthy enough that he could play.
In 18 games before his injury, Griffin was averaging 15.7 points on 35.2% shooting alongside 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.