NBA: What a revised calendar could look like for 2020-21 and beyond
Exploring what a revised NBA calendar could look like for the 2020-21 season and beyond.
From all indications, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has made it clear that the plan is to play out the remainder of the 2019-20 season one way or another (assuming safety). However, doing so into the summer could spark a change to the 2020-21 season.
It’s already been reported that the league wouldn’t have an issue adjusting. Though, what would such an adjustment look like? Well, for one, let’s assume that the 2019-20 playoffs conclude in late-August.
If the season were to return in July, it would give the NBA six weeks to conduct the playoffs (this is assuming they don’t play any regular-season games). That would mean the league would schedule the NBA Draft for September, let’s say, 10.
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That would make way for the NBA free agency period to begin September 20 or 21, however, the league would want to adjust. Of course, the summer league would not take place. Assuming that we’d still be adjusting to a new normal, a summer league in early-October wouldn’t exactly be the best move.
Plus, training camps would need to open soon.
Now, the NBA would have to figure out what the best new starting date would be. The league normally starts in mid-October. However, this could be the perfect time for the NBA to make new precedent and perhaps experiment a bit.
What if the NBA had an opening day at Christmas? It’s often the day that most casual fans associate the NBA with already and is around the time that most fans start paying closer attention. Part of that is because college football season is over (with the exception of a few bowl games) and the NFL regular season is practically over and is preparing for the postseason.
The MLB is also over by Christmas too.
The NBA’s Opening Day on Christmas makes a ton of sense. So, we’ll go with that. That means training camps would need to open in late-November.
That would push everything back, it means the NBA’s All-Star break would now be in mid-April and the NBA Trade Deadline would also be in April. The regular season would end in mid-June and the playoffs would stretch from mid-June through August. It would reset with the NBA Draft, once again, taking place in late-August or early-September.
This type of move would certainly be historic and one that we haven’t seen in quite a while. However, the more I think about it, the more I believe it makes the most sense. The NBA would avoid going head-to-head with the NFL and would be the center of the sports universe during the traditional summer months.
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It’s a big decision, one that I’m sure Adam Silver will consider at some point over the next few weeks if he hasn’t already. Are you ready for a potential shift in the NBA calendar? With every passing week, it’s becoming more and more of a possibility.