The NBA season could be returning even sooner than fans expected.
We may only be talking about a difference of one day, but that can seem quite significant when there has been no competitive basketball for three months. Initial reports indicated that the NBA was targeting July 31 as the date to resume play, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that the 2019-20 season is expected to resume on July 30.
The NBA is targeting a slightly earlier date for the restart of the season in Orlando, sources tell ESPN: July 30.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 11, 2020
The NBA is still sorting through some details, such as what teams are going to do if players test positive for the coronavirus or choose not to take part in the resumption of the season. However, the structure of the season seems to be pretty well set.
When play does resume, 22 teams will be battling for 16 playoff spots. There will be eight more regular season games and two possible play-in tournaments for the final postseason spot in each conference. Fans are desperate for any type of competitive live sport to watch, so resuming the season on a Thursday rather than a Friday will be a welcome adjustment, albeit a minor one.
