Jeff Van Gundy’s latest take on the NBA is a rather ominous one.
The former coach and current ESPN analyst offered a prediction for the rest of the season during Wednesday’s game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I really feel that at some point there’s gonna be a pause to our season [or] a bubble to our season,” Van Gundy said, per Mediaite. “The way that they’re predicting these cases to continue to go … I don’t see any way around it.”
“Clearly we hope that you’re wrong,” Van Gundy’s broadcast partner Mike Breen responded.
The NBA has seen an increase in players entering health and safety protocols due to positive tests for COVID-19. As of Thursday afternoon, 63 players have entered protocols this season. That includes 47 in just the month of December alone, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Earlier this week, the Brooklyn Nets had to play a game against the Toronto Raptors with only eight active players after almost half of their roster was forced into protocols. The Charlotte Hornets, the Sacramento Kings, and the Chicago Bulls are among other teams who have had recent case increases. In the case of the Bulls, the NBA made the decision this week to postpone their next two games after 10 total Chicago players landed in protocols.
Of course, there are plenty of different reasons why Van Gundy’s prediction is highly unlikely to come to fruition. Logistics would be a nightmare with over 50 games left in the season, not counting the play-in tournament or the playoffs. Additionally, the players are extremely unlikely to agree to another bubble given how miserable many of them were in the last one. Informed media members have also said that the league is not going to pause the season or go into a bubble.
Furthermore, it is important to note that many NBA players in protocols have been asymptomatic. Society in general also has better tools to fight off the disease than when the NBA’s Orlando bubble occurred in late 2020. All things considered, it is probably a safe bet that Van Gundy’s prediction will not come true.
Photo: Feb 5, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy watches the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. The Spurs defeat the Mavericks 116-90. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
