For many weeks, the NBA has been thinking about the least bad format to resume and end its NBA season. There have been rumors, news, progressive advances, and today we have a real recovery plan that is set by Adam Silver. Spoiler, eight teams are not invited to complete the 2019-20 campaign at Disney.
Because yes, we should therefore have a recovery of 22 teams in total. The Athletic has just announced the plot for the NBA plan for the rest of the 2019-20 campaign, and that’s what it turns out. The 16 teams virtually qualified for the Playoffs are obviously there, with six other teams still in the running to participate in the postseason. These six teams will be the six franchises most likely to reach the Top 8 in the current ranking, namely the Blazers, Pelicans, Kings, Suns, Spurs and finally the Wizards, the only representative of the Eastern Conference. According to Adrian Wojnarowski ofESPN, each team that will be in Orlando will play eight regular season games to determine the final standings and incidentally allow players to regain rhythm while fulfilling the famous conditions of television rights with local broadcast channels. Once all of these regular season games are played, here’s what will happen. A word of advice, get your neck wet.
So the NBA’s inviting 22 teams to Orlando: 13 Western Conference, 9 Eastern Conference. Eight-regular season games per team. Play-in for the 8th seeds. July 31-October 12. Vote tomorrow to ratify.
The NBA’s back.– Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 3, 2020
To determine the eighth conference spot, which is the last qualifying spot for the Playoffs, a play-in tournament will actually take place between the eighth and ninth of each conference, but on one condition. Indeed, if there is a difference of more than four games between the two teams, the opposition falls into the water. For example, in the East, if Orlando keeps a margin of more than four games over Washington, the Magic will be directly qualified for the Playoffs. If the difference is less, then there will be a play-in tournament. Ditto to the West. This play-in tournament will take place as follows. For the ninth, he will be knockout, which means that a defeat will be fatal. For the eighth on the other hand, he will be entitled to a defeat but will have to win the next match to hope to qualify. In other words, and to summarize:
- A play-in tournament will be held in each conference between the eighth and ninth only if the gap is less than four games in the regular season standings;
- If the eighth wins the first game against the ninth, he qualifies for the Playoffs;
- If the ninth wins the first match against the eighth, he must also win the second to qualify;
- If the ninth wins the first match against the eighth, the latter will qualify if he wins the second.
The play-in format requires a double-elimination format for the 8th seed, a single-elimination for the 9th seed, per sources.
– Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 3, 2020
As stated this morning, the rest of the NBA season is set to unfold between July 31 and October 12 at the latest in case of Game 7 during the NBA Finals. All this must now be validated and that’s good, a Board of Governors is scheduled tomorrow at 12:30 pm New York time, that is to say 6:30 pm with us, to vote and ratify this proposal. Since Adam Silver has his hands on the situation and the whole NBA seems to trust him, this plan should pass without worry. As a reminder, it must be validated by 75% of the 30 teams making up the League.
The NBA has never been closer to a comeback. All that’s missing is formalization, but it’s probably just a formality. Yes, the Grande Ligue will return, the 2019-20 season will not be canceled, and we will therefore have a future champion.
Text source: The Athletic / ESPN
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