The NBA is still trying to make sure that the restart of the 2019-20 season in Orlando goes smoothly. There are still hurdles that have to be cleared to ensure it even happens. Players can’t continue to test positive for the playoffs to occur.
Nonetheless, the NBA is still considering a second bubble in Chicago. This bubble would include all of the teams that were too low in the standings to go to Orlando.
There is no place in Chicago like Disney World. In Orlando, the league is able to make somewhat of a campus for the players. That isn’t going to happen in a city like Chicago.
They also need to get the players’ approval. There are currently several players who don’t want to play in the restart in Orlando or can’t because of a positive test.
Wilson Chandler, Willie Cauley-Stein, Avery Bradley, and Trevor Ariza are all confirmed to be out of the restart because of family safety. Also, many players don’t want to take attention off of the current social justice issues.
Not Up For A Bubble
Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey took a poll among coaches not in the restart to see what they preferred to do. Most of them would like to hold their own mini-camps.
“We’d rather do that than go to the bubble,” Casey said, “because unlike those teams in Orlando, we wouldn’t be playing for the same reason. The reason we want these mini-camps is to get our team together, to have that camaraderie, to improve and enjoy some competition.
“We feel we can do that safely in our own environment. We can’t let these guys sit around from March 11 to December without something. It’s going to hurt their careers. It’s too long of a layoff.”
If players don’t want to play with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line, there are going to be plenty who don’t want to play in a Chicago restart. There seems to be a lot of risk involved for no end reason.
Not to mention, these games would get a lot fewer ratings than Orlando. These are the teams that weren’t good enough for a playoff run.
But there would be some rookies and young guys that would be fun to watch. RJ Barrett for the Knicks has potential, and fans haven’t seen him in a full season.
Coby White would get the opportunity to play in his city of Chicago. The former North Carolina Tar Heel could be a star in the next couple of years.
Trae Young might be the biggest name that isn’t getting to go to Orlando. The Hawks have some young talent in he and De’Andre Hunter that could generate a fun team in a few years.
For now, the NBA needs to make sure that the Orlando bubble is a success. It seems like that will be enough to worry about for a while. Fans would love more basketball, but not at a low level with many players not showing up.
