Lillard doesn't believe that other players would be in favor of moving to a December-August scheduleNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Trail Blazers G Damian Lillard said that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and four or five other league execs have "reached out to him to get his thoughts on a potential calendar shift and other scenarios for resuming the season," according to Jamie Goldberg of the Portland OREGONIAN. Lillard has "made it clear to them that he is not in favor of permanently shifting the NBA calendar." He also "doesn't believe that other players would be in favor of moving to a December-August schedule either." Lillard: "I wouldn't want to do anything to sacrifice us starting when we start, even if that meant that we got to shorten the playoff series or do a one-game elimination tournament for the final few teams that were in the playoff race." He added, "When the season does come back, I think it's only right that teams get a chance to make a playoff push, like ourselves, give us a chance to get in or something, some type of tournament-style where it's fair" (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/1). Cavaliers F Kevin Love said of returning to the court, "Drastic times (require) drastic measures, but we would like to keep the same schedule, 82 games" (“The Daily Show,” Comedy Central, 3/31).
EAGER TO HOST: In Philadelphia, Keith Pompey notes Boardwalk Hall "will be the site of the NBA playoffs if Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. has his way." Small confirmed a report that the city is "attempting to lure the league to play at the beachfront arena once the coronavirus pandemic is over." Small said that he "could not provide any other more information and would not say how the initial talks with the league have gone" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/1). In Louisville, Hayes Gardner notes the city also is a "potential location for the NBA playoffs." But Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said that while it is an "exciting prospect, he has yet to speak with the NBA." He added, "If the COVID crisis has passed, it would be awesome to have the NBA playoffs here in Louisville. We have an NBA-ready arena -- you've heard me say that many different times. But there are no conversations taking place in my office right now with the NBA" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 4/1).
JUST STAY HOME: USA TODAY's Dan Wolken dismissed the idea of playing the rest of the season, writing, "Having NBA teams blockaded inside a hotel property for weeks or months on end with no connection to the outside world is a logistical nightmare that should be rejected out of hand by the players' association." The NBA universe is "so large that even if you could get everyone to agree to being under one roof for several weeks to finish the season -- and good luck with that, given recent comments from LeBron James knocking down this theory -- how much can you really control that environment?" Wolken: "How far do you need to go? You're talking about human beings who have a lot going on in their lives beyond basketball. Now, all the sudden, you're asking them to drop everything and move into an NBA biosphere?" (USA TODAY, 4/1).
