The NBA has established dates for each game of the 2020 Finals, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The tentative dates could potentially be moved up if both the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals end early, but for now the plan is tip off this year’s Finals on Wednesday, September 30, with Game 7 landing on Tuesday, October 13.
As Charania details, there would be one day off between every pair of games except for Games 4 and 5, which would take place on Oct. 6 and Oct. 9, giving teams one extra day of rest.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- After announcing earlier this week that it will name an All-Bubble Team and the Player of the Bubble, the NBA said on Wednesday night that there will also be an award for Coach of the Bubble, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. Monty Williams (Suns) and Jacque Vaughn (Nets) are among the top contenders for that honor, which will be announced on Saturday.
- Jonathan Givony, Mike Schmitz, Kevin Pelton, and Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) provide an update on the draft, examining the challenges facing teams evaluating talent and how clubs’ philosophies may be altered as a result of the unusual pre-draft process. According to Givony, due to uncertainty about finances and the G League, some executives say they’ve been seeking out potential second-rounders who would be willing to play overseas rather than signing in the NBA right away.
- David Aldridge and John Hollinger of The Athletic explore the challenges facing the NBA as it plans its 2020/21 season. We’ve previously touched on some of those logistical and coronavirus-related issues here and here.
- Former NBA guard Andrew Goudelock, who appeared in 49 games for the Lakers and Rockets between 2011-16, has signed a new contract with Rytas Vilnius in Lithuania, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Goudelock has also spent time with teams in Israel, China, and Italy since last playing in the NBA.
Everyone check Adam Morrison on basketball reference and look at his stats he was 12 years old playing overseas
Power Rangers Unite!
It’s difficult to give the Coach of the Bubble award to someone who’s team didn’t reach the playoffs, despite going 8-0 in Orlando. But it has to be Jacque Vaughn winning the award after taking a team decimated by injuries and players opting out of the restart going 5-3 and nearly knocking out the Blazers in just their 3rd loss. The Nets has no business making the playoffs with the players he had to work with. Amazing job coach!
Nope! You wrong! Absolutely irrelevant that PHO didn’t make the playoffs! They did their job. No one ever even the best team in history could do better than a perfect 8-0. They did their job. Monty should be the coach of the bubble without a question about it.
Also remember this is not COY award, is COB & in the bubble no one did better than Monty, playoff consideration isn’t part of the seeding games awards.
My counter-argument is that it was more difficult to lead the makeshift Nets to five wins than the Suns to eight. Vaughn didn’t have the services of Durant, Irving, Dinwiddie, Prince, or Jordan. Not to mention, he coached games without Levert, Allen, and Harris as well. The Suns were merely missing Oubre. They still had Booker, Ayton, and Rubio, who are each better than anyone currently on Brooklyn’s roster.
Furthermore, Vaughn had only been head man for two games prior to the restart. Williams has had much more time to implement his coaching style. That’s not to take away from Monty, but the circumstances for Vaughn were much more dire