NBA: The next sport set for a return after three month layoff

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The coronavirus pandemic has meant that virtually all sports have grounded to halt, but slowly and surely we are now seeing a return. Different sports are now emerging for the three-month break, with the likes of horse racing, boxing, soccer, and the UFC all being at the forefront of returns. Basketball and the NBA in general now appear to be next to see a return.

Players have now started to return to the market and have begun their testing. From the start, it has all been about looking through the data in order to put a date in place for a return of the NBA. This was been a long wait for fans who have seen the UFC return nearly two months ago, and soccer also returning across many areas of Europe and the world. The NBA has put a lot of planning in place in order for a safe and successful return and they now believe they have found this.

NBA owners have set a restart of July 31st with all the remainder of the games taking place in Florida. It is a state that is now seeing rising numbers of coronavirus in recent days, which could yet derail the plans for the NBA. The rising numbers across the US are a warning for other countries who could yet see a similar scenario occur as each continues to ease their lockdowns. That could result in a number of sports having to be postponed again which would all but lead to cancellations with time running out for sports to finish in order to start next season afresh.

The NBA’s plan put in place in order for basketball to return will see all the remainder of the season taking place at Disney World near Orlando in Florida. Orange County in Florida is being used as a ‘bubble’ for the NBA in order for it to return and complete the current season. This was originally proposed by team owners, which will see 22 teams playing eight games each in order to determine the final playoff field of 16 sides. This means only eight of the leagues 30 teams will not be playing. That first vote ended with a 29 to 1 in favor, with only the Portland Trail Blazers against seeing the NBA resume in July.

Due to the lengthy break, it has meant that there is limited time in order to finish the current season and leave time for next season to begin at a reasonable time. This will be done by:

July 7-9: All Teams travel to Florida
July 30: Regular season games restart
Aug. 17: Playoffs then kickstart
Oct. 13: Game 7 of the Finals (if necessary)
Oct. 16: Draft
Oct. 18: Free agency begins
Dec. 1: 2020-21 season begins

When the season resumes, it is likely to result in a busy period and with players missing this could yet affect the market prices. Fans will be looking for the best sites on offer in order to support their teams for success on their returns. If you base it around how popular the markets have been across other sports, then it sets up for a very busy remainder of the current NBA campaign. This means it is also now all the more important to use legal betting sites so you are betting safely and without the possibility of being scammed. The Los Angeles Lakers remain the favorites for the NBA Championship, with key threats set to come from the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers.

As mentioned, there are going to be some players missing, which could yet play a role in the remainder of the campaign. This is due to some players remaining hesitant about returning and leaving their families. That is also despite the organization creating a health and safety document for players to follow. A number of the key names that will not be returning to finish the season are Trevor Ariza from the Trail Blazers, Davis Bertans from the Wizards, and Avery Bradley from the Lakers. The latter will be a big loss to the current favorites for the title, as he has been a solid player to date for the team.