Report: NBA General Managers Surveyed On Formats To Restart 2019-20 Season

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – General managers for all 30 NBA teams received a survey regarding the potential formats to complete the remainder of the 2019-20 season, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

According to the report, GMs received the survey on Friday, May 22.

The survey sent to the franchise executives “included polling on whether the NBA should do a play-in tournament, the preferred number of teams to enter the playing site and the preferred number of scrimmages or regular-season games prior to the playoffs.”

NBA Restart Formats

Some of the formats to restart the season reportedly included:

• Top eight teams from each conference (based on standings as of March 12) move directly to the postseason
• “Playoffs Plus” (a play-in round or group stage)
• Resume regular season with all 30 teams
• Resume regular season with all 30 teams with the addition of a play-in tournament

NBA surveyed GMs on several formats to restart the season:
– 16 teams directly to playoffs
– “Playoffs Plus” (play-in or group stage)
– All 30 teams — or all 30 teams with play-in tournament

Full story on @TheAthleticNBA: https://t.co/knIzZjGaFY

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 23, 2020

Other items that Charania said general managers were surveyed on included:

• Number of scrimmage games prior to any restart
  Total regular-season games to be played
• Postseason format
• Latest possible date to finish season

Charania also reported that the NBA, led by commissioner Adam Silver, held a conference call with general managers a day prior to the survey being sent out. During the call several topics were reportedly discussed and included the following:

• “A two-step approach to the start of games: Two-week training camp in a team’s market, then a two-week quarantined training camp in the playing location.”
• “Players are resistant to the full nasal swab coronavirus test: As a result, the league is working on acquiring more comfortable testing via saliva or via the tip of the nose.”
• “Once in the bubble site, teams could share support services: This includes doctors and security personnel, to lessen the number of people involved.”

Utah Jazz

The NBA season was put on hold on March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus disease, COVID-19.

Strange scene in OKC. Players, coaches, and other personnel from both the @utahjazz, and @okcthunder left the court and went to the locker rooms seconds before the game was scheduled to tip-off. #TakeNote #UTAatOKC pic.twitter.com/L0twMnzu7X

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 12, 2020

When the season was halted, the Jazz held a 41-23 record and the fourth-best winning percentage in the Western Conference.

The only teams in the West with better records that the Jazz were the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets. Utah was a full game ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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