After teams are eliminated from contention in Orlando, their players can utilize home team facilities for voluntary workouts if they’re under contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The NBA will allow up to four players at a time at the facility with one staff member per individual workout. Coronavirus testing will be optional and the teams would have to foot the bill for those tests, Charania adds.
We have more notes from the Disney World complex:
- Being confined to the Orlando campus has become an increasingly difficult challenge for the players, according to The Associated Press’ Brian Mahoney. The players have become more stressed in the playoffs and can’t get away from the unique atmosphere. “We don’t get to go home. We don’t get to be away from basketball, even for a few hours,” Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “If things were normal, we’d be back home playing in our home court and after the game we’d go home. … You’re just comfortable. But now it just feels like we’re always at work. You cannot escape basketball.”
- The league has reported five consecutive rounds of no positive tests but there’s concern about what will happen when guests arrive in Orlando after the first round of the playoffs, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes notes. Via guidelines established by the league and the Players’ Association, each player will be allowed to bring in four guests — and they can exceed that figure for children. Those guests can travel on team charters following coronavirus testing. The earliest clearance date for guests to enter the bubble itself would be August 31.
- In case you missed it, commissioner Adam Silver said late last week that the start of next season would likely be moved beyond the previous projected date of December 1.
Some players are running out of mojo and that makes results surprising and reliant on conditioning and/or adrenaline.
Taller players seem to be affected most… Perhaps seven-footers have to work harder to achieve a functioning social normality in their lives and the camp restrictions hurt them the most.
You’re getting a SMALL taste of what it’s like in the military being deployed….except no one is trying to kill you in Orlando….well…. maybe that mouse guy.
Oh….and you’re making 1000 times more than those guys….and playing a kids game. So cry me a River bout how hard it is.
The mouse guy should be happy about the true home team!
No doubt…it isn’t the Battle of the Bulge. Giannis, grab a fishing pole, write some poetry, read a book out by the pond. Chill out, my man.
Who cares!!!
For 2 months what’s the big deal. It means the finals. I’m more worried about next yr. Lets just get thru this one.