The traction on the NBA's plan to bring all 30 teams to Disney World in Orlando "has waned over the last several days," as not every team is "motivated to be there," according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. For the NBA to have all 30 there, “it only adds to an environment that they want to be able to control." The "fewer people you have, for every team you don’t have there, that’s less potential infection of that campus.” There likely will be a "more complete picture of what the NBA’s return to play will look like by the end of this week” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 5/27). Meanwhile, SI.com's Chris Mannix reported many teams will "do whatever the NBA asks coming back." While a number of clubs "aren't all that interested in returning (see Warriors, Golden State) there is an understanding among team officials that finances will play an overwhelming role in the NBA's decisions, and they need to be good soldiers" (SI.com, 5/26).
ARE SOME PLAYERS IN THE DARK? ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted despite NBPA Exec Dir Michele Roberts stating the players really want to play, “not every player and not every team wants the same thing.” A lot of them "don't really know what's going on here." The “two people at the center of this” are NBPA President Chris Paul and NBA Commissioner Adam silver, “working side-by-side … trying to figure out how this makes sense.” Players are "putting incredible trust" in Silver and Paul, who have a “history of making this work together.” Windhorst noted Roberts "left open" the option of membership holding a vote, "but as we look at other sports, specifically baseball, making a deal with the union is just as hard as creating a plan to come back” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 5/26).
SAFETY FIRST: Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban said the team is "not in any rush" to let players back into the facility. Cuban: "We’ll just let the science guide us. We think we’re getting closer. I want to have complete confidence and make sure our guys have complete (confidence).” He added, “We just want to make sure that we’re seeing a decline in cases. The phase one, phase two, phase three type things, that’s important to us. We’re really trying to stick to the rules and make sure we follow them” (“Lunch Talk Live,” NBCSN, 5/26).
EMBRACE THE RETURN: CBSSPORTS.com's Bill Reiter wrote the NBA's potential return "should be embraced no matter the uncertainty," so we should "stop with the defeatist attitude that because things are hard in these hard times they're not legitimate." If the league and the players "get us back to basketball, the least we can do is celebrate the return of hoops -- and whatever team prevails in these wild, uncertain times" (CBSSPORTS.com, 5/26).
THE BIG QUESTION: In Denver, Mike Singer writes Silver "has to ask himself one fundamental question: How much risk can the league tolerate in its attempt to resume the '19-20 season?" It is "tough to square Silver's background -- a TV visionary who's openly considered midseason tournaments and expanding the playoffs -- as someone who would bypass an opportunity to experiment." Silver's task is to "strike the right balance without overexposing his league, satiating owners hungry to recoup lost revenue, and appeasing players through negotiations with the union." Singer: "That's some needle to thread -- which is exactly why a return to play is so ambitious" (DENVER POST, 5/27). THE RINGER's Kevin O'Connor wrote the idea of a 20-team group stage to start the playoffs "offers the most upside for the NBA and how it could work." But now, the big question is "whether the league will stick with what they know, or try something new and innovative that could change the league for the better for years to come" (THERINGER.com, 5/26).
