How Many Games Will the NBA Season Have This Year?
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The NBA season is just around the corner and everyone is wondering how many games will be played. Will it be a full 82 game season?
Or will the coronavirus pandemic force the league to shorten the season?
Get the latest updates and predictions here.
With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the NBA has been put in a tough spot. They have to decide how to proceed with the safety of their players and staff in mind. The season was supposed to start in October, but now it is looking like it may be delayed.
The NBA’s original plan
The NBA originally planned to have an 82 game season this year, with the playoffs beginning in mid-April and the Finals ending in late June.
But due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the season was put on hold indefinitely on March 11th.
Since then, the league has been working on multiple plans to resume the season.
The most recent plan is to have all 30 teams play 8 regular season games each, followed by a play-in tournament for the 7 and 8 seeds in each conference.
The playoffs would then proceed as normal, with a best-of-seven format in each round.
This plan is still subject to change, as the situation surrounding the coronavirus is still very fluid.
The NBA’s new plan
The NBA has announced a new plan to resume its season this year. The plan includes a condensed schedule of games, a new playoff format, and a revised drug testing policy.
The condensed schedule will see each team playing a total of 72 games, down from the usual 82. The regular season will begin on December 22nd and end on May 16th.
The new playoff format will include 16 teams instead of the usual 14. The top two teams in each conference will receive a bye to the second round, while the remaining teams will play each other in a single-elimination first round.
The revised drug testing policy will allow players to use marijuana for medicinal purposes without fear of punishment from the league. This change is in line with the league’s recently announced commitment to social justice reform.
How Many Games Will the Season Have?
The NBA is one of the most popular basketball leagues in the world. It is made up of 30 teams that play an 82-game regular season. The regular season usually starts in October and ends in April. However, this year the season may be shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What the players want
The players want a 72-game season that would start on December 22nd and end in late-May or early-June. The league is reluctant to start that late because it would compress the schedule too much, but the players’ contention is that starting in December gives them enough time to both ramp up and get into game shape while also allowing for a larger portion of the season to be played in more favorable weather conditions.
The league has proposed a 50-game season that would start on December 1st and end in mid-March. The players have rejected this proposal, feeling that it is too short and does not allow for enough time to get into game shape. The league has countered by proposing a 54-game season that would start on December 15th, with the players currently mulling this over.
What the fans want
The fans have been vocal about what they want to see from the NBA this season. They want to see more games, and they want to see them sooner rather than later.
The NBA has heard the fans loud and clear, and they are working on a plan that would increase the number of games in the season. The plan is still in the early stages, but it would most likely add an additional 10-15 games to the season.
While the fans may want more games, the players will need to be on board with any plans to increase the season length. The Players Association will need to sign off on any changes to the schedule, and they will also need to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the league.
It is still early in the process, but it seems like both sides are open to adding more games to the season. It remains to be seen how many games will be added, but it is clear that the fans want more basketball this year.
What the owners want
The NBA’s Board of Governors met virtually Wednesday to discuss the league’s plans for the 2020-21 season, and while no formal decisions were made, the general sense from the meeting was that the league is still aiming to start the season on time in December, though a delay until January is not out of the question.
One thing that is certain is that the league wants to play as many games as possible. Given the uncertain financial landscape caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is in the best interest of the owners to salvage as much of the television revenue as possible, and that means playing as many games as possible. A typical NBA season is 82 games long, but it’s possible that this year’s season could be shorter. Nothing has been decided yet, but it’s something that will be discussed in future meetings.
Conclusion
After much discussion, it was decided that the 2020-2021 NBA season will have 72 games. This is down from the traditional 82 game season, but with the coronavirus pandemic still raging on, it was deemed necessary in order to ensure the safety of players and staff. While some fans are disappointed that the season will be shorter, many are just happy that there will be basketball at all.
