Published 11:39 IST, July 3rd 2020
NBA shares photos of practice floors installations ahead of league return in Orlando
NBA Orlando courts: The NBA recently shared images of the NBA practice floors from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex which were recently installed.
The NBA is set to return on July 30 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. While the players will start travelling to the NBA bubble from July 8, the league has started preparing the venue for the team practices scheduled before the seeding games. The NBA recently shared images of the NBA practice floors from the NBA Orlando courts which were recently installed.
NBA Practice floors: League shares images of NBA practice floors installations ahead of NBA restart at Disney World
Laying down the practice floors!
— NBA (@NBA) July 2, 2020
NBA Restart begins July 30th with daily & nightly games on ESPN, TNT, ABC, NBA TV & NBA League Pass! #WholeNewGame pic.twitter.com/whbSl8iqsy
The NBA season will start on July 30, with all of the 22 teams travelling to Orlando playing eight regular season seeding gamed before advancing to the traditional playoff series. The games will start with Utah Jazz facing the New Orleans Pelicans (6:30 p.m. ET), followed by the LA Clippers playing the Los Angeles Lakers (9 p.m. ET). Before the post-season begins in August, there could also be a play-in tournament to determine the No. 8 team. Eight teams from each conference will move to the playoffs.
Teams will start travelling to Orlando on July 7 and will have three weeks before the season resumes on the NBA Orlando Courts. The NBA practice floors images at the NBA Orlando courts are where training camps and inter-squad scrimmages will happen. The Athletic's Shams Charania released a travel schedule for the NBA teams, stating that teams will travel to the venue on different dates.
- July 7: Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and Washinton Wizards
- July 8: Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sacramento Kings
- July 9: Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors
The NBA Orlando courts photo shared by the league indicate that players will play in the same area. Fans once again expressed concern over the NBA's plan, asking the league how they will contain the coronavirus in such a setup. The NBA's idea to play at the NBA Orlando courts is to help limit the COVID-19 spread among players, coaches and other staff members.
Concerns regarding safety were raised last week when sixteen NBA players tested positive before the games started. As per the league's protocol, players will have to remain in isolation and test negative two times before reporting to Orlando. If a player tests positive while at the NBA bubble, he will be isolated while the league continues playing.
NBA Orlando hotels
NBA teams will be staying at the three hotels in the resort – Gran Destino, Grand Floridian and the Yacht Club. As per reports, the hotels have been allocated according to the teams seeding. Teams expected to be at the venue for more time are allotted the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs, as it is the supposed to be the 'main' hotel. If a team staying at the Grand Floridian or Yacht Club remains in the league longer than expected, they might be asked to move later on.
Sources: NBA teams Disney hotels based on seeding:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2020
-Grand Destino: Bucks, Lakers, Raptors, Clippers, Celtics, Nuggets, Jazz, Heat
-Grand Floridian: Thunder, 76ers, Rockets, Pacers, Mavericks, Nets, Grizzlies, Magic
-Yacht Club: Blazers, Kings, Pelicans, Spurs, Suns, Wizards
Complete NBA restart schedule
The NBA today released its complete game schedule and national television schedules for TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV for the “seeding games,” which will be played July 30 – Aug. 14 to tip off the resumption of the 2019-20 season. #WholeNewGame https://t.co/REVq8KJti3
— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2020
How will NBA Orlando seeding be finalized?
The 22 NBA teams – nine from the Eastern Conference and 13 from the Western Conference – will have to play eight seeding games. If the No. 9 seeded team from either conference is within four games of the No.8 seeded team at the end of the seeding games, a play-in tournament will take place to determine the final playoffs spot. The eighth-place team will have single elimination, while the ninth-place team will have a double elimination. If the league follows the schedule they have provided, the NBA finals will take place in October followed by free agency and the 2020 NBA Draft.
(Image source: NBA official Twitter)
Updated 13:05 IST, July 3rd 2020