NBA variable No. 3: Veteran rust might be a real factor
The fact that the NBA won’t be resuming until after more than four months off from the initial hiatus is not a great factor for teams that are “older.” Keep in mind, the hiatus essentially was a second offseason during the year. For teams that are more veteran-laden, that can’t be a great variable.
Keep in mind, teams will be expecting to have a mini-training camp and then just eight “warmup” games before the playoffs officially begin. Teams will be expected to essentially go from 1-100 in roughly two weeks. Not great.
Most veterans take time to get their bodies back into the swing of the NBA season, perhaps somewhat by design. Will veterans be able to make the proper adjustments? Many star players had the luxury of a gym during the hiatus, but I’m sure not everyone had that same luxury.
How will that impact the results, if at all, during the Orlando bubble? If nothing else, it’s something to keep in mind.