NBA Looking for Second Bubble for Non-Playoff Teams

We’ve seen the COVID-19 pandemic wreak havoc on sports schedules around the globe. Right here in the United States, we’ve seen the NHL and NBA pause their seasons, which they hope to resume later this month. Major League Baseball postponed the start of their season and, after plenty of contentious back and forth between the owners and the MLBPA, their season is scheduled to begin in about three weeks. The NFL made the tough but likely inevitable decision to cancel the Hall of Fame Game and the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for next month. That was the first big move by the league, which got through their offseason relatively unscathed other than moving the draft from Las Vegas to the online platform.

Regarding the NBA, they plan to get their season going with an eight-game seeding schedule with the 22 teams that were within striking distance of the postseason when the season was paused. Those games will take place at the Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando. For the eight teams that won’t be in Orlando, one of the major issues was figuring out how those teams would have an opportunity to practice and stay sharp during the offseason. Now, it appears as though the league has an answer for that.

According to Jackie MacMullan at ESPN, the league is closing in on creating a second bubble for the teams that aren’t taking part in the restart. Reports state that the eight non-playoff teams would congregate in Chicago, allowing them to have training camp along with scrimmaging and playing the other teams in an effort to get work in while the other teams are involved in the postseason. The hope for that setup is that the second bubble would be open and ready to go in September, giving those teams a chance to get some work in.

While there has been pushback from teams who want to stay closer to their own home cities in an effort to train, NBPA president Michele Roberts wants the players from those teams to follow the same protocols that the other 22 teams are dealing with at this point. At least one front office member of a non-playoff team expressed their frustration about the bubble. "Michele has made it clear that's how it's going to be. Adam is going along with it. I understand their point, but it's frustrating for us that we can't loosen the restrictions a bit so we can get some work done in our own gyms."

While this sort of setup wouldn’t benefit a team like Golden State, which had made five straight NBA Finals appearances before falling off a cliff this season, there are plenty of teams that have youth that could use the reps in game situations. Just take a look at some of the teams that aren’t in the Orlando bubble and the youth that is on those teams. Atlanta has Trae Young, John Collins, De’Andre Hunter and Kevin Huerter, among others, as their nucleus to get up to speed. Minnesota has Jarrett Culver, Omari Spellman, Jarred Vanderbilt, Josh Okogie, Jacob Evans and Jaylen Nowell in their roster while even Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell are both 24. Chicago has Coby White, Daniel Gafford, Wendell Carter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen among their young guys.

While the logistics could be problematic, the fact that the teams are committing to sending players to the bubble is something that is an endorsement for the league. Even Golden State is committing to sending a team though one has to think that Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green wouldn’t be on the floor should that take place. Having the opportunity to give young players reps in game situations, whether they are meaningful or not, is something that can’t be taken lightly.

The concept that putting the eight teams that missed the Orlando bubble under the same regulations and restrictions, including testing, is a smart plan. It ensures that everyone has the same playing field, which is something that was a concern since the decision to not bring all 30 teams to Orlando was made. While there are those who want to want to stay home and there are players who may ultimately opt out, much like we have seen with the Orlando bubble, the majority of teams will want the young guys to get some action and avoid missing out on opportunities to get work done.

There are no right or easy answers in this regard. Still, the NBA is doing all they can in order to lock down an equitable situation for all involved. That’s something that can be embraced at this stage of things.