NBA Answers Questions Regarding Season Return

Wondering how the NBA is going to restore the season? The NBA answered long awaited questions to help fans understand the return of the season on July 31st.

Author:
Quierra Luck
Jun 6, 2020 1:33 PM EDT

Wondering how the NBA is going to restore the season? The NBA answered long awaited questions to help fans understand the return of the season on July 31st.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement regarding return of the NBA but are still embracing players community responsibilities amid intense racial conditions and safety precautions for COVID-19.

“The Board’s approval of the restart format is a necessary step toward resuming the NBA season,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “While the COVID-19 pandemic presents formidable challenges, we are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalized with public health officials and medical experts.

We also recognize that as we prepare to resume play, our society is reeling from recent tragedies of racial violence and injustice, and we will continue to work closely with our teams and players to use our collective resources and influence to address these issues in very real and concrete ways.”

When does the season start and end?

July 31 is the tentative start date. The Finals would end no later than Oct. 12.

Which teams will be returning?

A total of 22 teams would return to play this season.
Eastern Conference
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Toronto Raptors
- Boston Celtics
- Miami Heat
- Indiana Pacers
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Brooklyn Nets
- Orlando Magic
- Washington Wizards
Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers
LA Clippers
Denver Nuggets
Utah Jazz
Oklahoma City Thunder
Houston Rockets
Dallas Mavericks
Memphis Grizzlies
Portland Trail Blazers
New Orleans Pelicans
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Phoenix Suns

Seedings?

The eight remaining games each returning team would play before the playoffs begin. The games would be selected from a team's remaining regular-season matchups.
Playoff seedings

The seven teams in each conference with the best records (regular-season games + seeding games) would have clinched a playoff spot. The usual tie-breaker scenarios would be in place for those seeds. The eighth seed could potentially come down to a play-in tournament.

Where will games be played?

Games and practices would be held near Orlando as the season restart is contingent on an agreement with The Walt Disney Company to use Walt Disney World Resort. It would be a single site location, featuring a campus that would house players for the remainder of the season.

How many games will be played before the playoffs begin?

It varies by team, but most of the 22 teams would play 72 or 73 games after the eight "seeding games" are added to their regular-season game total. The Dallas Mavericks would have played the most total games (75) and the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers would have played the least (71).

Play-In tournament groundwork:

Play-In tournament groundwork:If the team with the eighth-best record in its conference is more than four games ahead of the team with the ninth-best record in the same conference, no play-in tournament would be necessary.
The final playoff berth would simply go to the team with the eighth best record (regular-season games + seeding games). But if the team with the eighth-best record in its conference is four games or fewer ahead of the team with the ninth-best record in the same conference, then we'll have a battle for the final spot between those two teams.
The tournament would basically be a best-of-two series -- where the No. 9 seed would have to win two head-to-head matchups to take over the No. 8 spot.