How Many Games Will the NBA Play This Season?
How many games will the NBA play this season? The answer may surprise you.
Introduction
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to affect the world, the NBA has yet to release an official schedule for the 2020-2021 season. However, there have been several reports about what the season may look like. According to ESPN, the league is planning to play a 72-game regular season that would start on December 22, 2020 and end on April 11, 2021. The playoffs would then begin on April 18 and conclude no later than July 22.
While nothing has been confirmed, it seems likely that the NBA will play a similar schedule to last season. If so, each team will play 82 games with 41 home games and 41 away games. The regular season would start in late October or early November and end in April. The playoffs would then begin in late April or early May and last until mid-June.
The NBA’s Plan
The NBA has a plan to play an 82-game regular season, followed by a traditional playoff format. The start of the season has been pushed back to Dec. 22, and the playoffs will begin on May 22. All games will be played at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
The Players’ Union’s Plan
NBA players and owners have approved a plan to play 72 games in the 2020-21 season, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The plan — which still needs to be ratified by the NBA Board of Governors — calls for a Dec. 22 start to the season, sources said. The league’s Christmas games would go on as scheduled, according to sources.
The regular season would end on May 16, and the playoffs would begin on May 18 and end no later than July 22. The NBA Finals would end no later than July 26, according to the league’s calendar.
The Fans’ Plan
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the sports world, the NBA has been forced to adapt once again. The league was able to finish its 2019-2020 season by holding a quasi-bubble in Orlando, Florida, but it is unclear if that will be possible for the 2020-2021 season.
One plan that has been surfaces is to have all 30 teams play 72 games each. This would mean that the regular season would start on December 22 and end on May 16. The playoffs would then begin on May 18 and the NBA Finals would conclude no later than July 22.
Another plan being considered is a 50-game season. This would start on December 22 and end on April 11. The playoffs would then begin on April 13 and the NBA Finals would conclude no later than June 27.
A decision has not been made yet, but it is clear that the league is considering all options. Whatever decision is made, it will undoubtedly be made with the safety of the players and staff in mind first and foremost.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can expect the NBA to play between 60 and 66 games this season. This is a significant decrease from the usual 82 games, but it is still a good amount of basketball for fans to enjoy. With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to cause problems around the world, it is understandable that the league would want to play fewer games. This will help to keep players and staff safe, and it will also reduce the amount of travel that teams have to do.
