NBA Owners Meeting to Discuss Schedule Amid Recent Postponements

• NBA owners are set to meet on Tuesday to discuss how to best proceed with the 2020-21 season
• NBA has had to postpone games on three consecutive days as a result of increasing COVID cases
• League denies report of potential in-season pause

While last summer’s NBA campus at Disney World was an undisputed success, the league has had a much more difficult time adapting to life outside the bubble. Since the league began the truncated 2020-21 season last month, the number of positive tests around the NBA has steadily risen.

While the NBA was forced to postpone just one game due to health procedures over the first few weeks of the season, case numbers continue to rise. The league was forced to call of Sunday’s contest between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat because the Celtics couldn’t roster at least eight eligible players due to contact tracing. On Monday, the league decided to put off a scheduled game between the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans because the Mavs had the same issue. Tuesday’s contest between the Celtics and Chicago Bulls has also been taken off the schedule.

Among topics for GM call today centered on tightening protocols, sources tell ESPN: Re-examining shootarounds and practice lengths, pre-and-post game socializing on court (for example, hugs), further restrictions on restaurant dining and tighter rules on mask-wearing.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 11, 2021

Tuesday’s scheduled game between the Heat and Philadelphia 76ers is also at risk. The Sixers were forced to play on Saturday with just seven players because of contact tracing procedures, and they will be in a similar boat for Monday’s game against the Hawks.

As a result of the increasing number of positive tests, the league has scheduled a Board of Governors meeting for Tuesday. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says that the league office planned the conference call with team owners in order to discuss the best course of action for continuing the season.

Could the NBA Pause the Season?

While the league has remained steadfast in its desire to proceed with the season as planned, Woj reports that general managers from around the NBA are set to meet on Monday to discuss possible tweaks to team protocols. Potentially altering the length of team practices and shootaround sessions as well as potentially banning postgame socializing between teams are a couple of the ideas on the table. The NBA is also looking at tightening the rules around mask-wearing.

Another reporter suggested that the league may ultimately decide to pause the schedule in an attempt to get the case numbers under control. Jason Dumas, a reporter with a local Philadelphia TV station, said the league is considering a pause of seven-to-14 days.

However, that report was quickly shot down by the league:

NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said, “We anticipated that there would be game postponements this season and planned the schedule accordingly. There are no plans to pause the season, and we will continue to be guided by our medical experts and health and safety protocols.”

Other Leagues Faced Similar Issues

Late last year, the NBA decided to release just the first half of its 2020-21 regular-season schedule while holding off on a complete reveal. The league opted to go that route in the event that it needed extra time to make up games that had been postponed as a result of health protocols. So far, that’s looking like a smart decision.

News of a surge in positive cases among NBA players is hardly a surprise considering Major League Baseball and the NFL faced similar problems during their most recent seasons that were played outside of a bubble.

A couple of MLB teams, including the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, were forced to play a number of late-season doubleheaders in an attempt to make up for all of their postponed games. A few NFL teams, including the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns, were forced to play shorthanded on a couple of occasions due to health-related circumstances, as well.

The NBA came into the season expecting positive tests to occur, which is exactly what has happened. The league has not yet arranged for players or other league personnel to receive the vaccines, as those are still being reserved for healthcare workers and those in high-risk groups in most areas.