Report: NBA GMs, Trainers Want At Least One Month of Preparation Before Games Resume

Many NBA general managers and athletic trainers anticipate that teams will need at least a one-month period for players to acclimate prior to a potential resumption of the season, according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes. 

As the NBA season's suspension continues due to the coronavirus pandemic, team officials reportedly believe that one month of preparation time is needed for players to get back into game shape and avoid potential injuries when games resume. Several team athletic trainers fear that the NBA may rush a return to the season once training facilities are clear to again open, per Holmes. 

"I don't know where the line in the sand is, or where the threshold of pain is," an Eastern Conference general manager said, per ESPN. "Nobody's missed a check yet, but you miss a couple checks, the NBA starts laying people off, those things will start to propel [us forward]. [Then] I'm afraid a little bit more of [how] decisions are made."

One factor that impacts teams' preparation would be if the season resumes straight into the postseason. One general manager of a playoff team said, per ESPN, that at least one week of training camp, one week of exhibition games and two weeks of potential regular-season games would be needed to appropriately prepare for high-intensity games. Athletic trainers also reportedly see value in "preseason-like games" to help players return to "basketball rhythm." 

Concerns also lie in the disparity among NBA players in terms of how they have been training during the suspension, per Holmes. With training centers closed, many players have not been able to access a basketball hoop while others have been able to play at their homes. To get players acclimated, each would have to be assessed before any training programs are designed. 

Still, team officials anticipate that they will not be provided with a month-long period prior to the season resuming, according to Holmes. In that case, one NBA head strength and conditioning coach reportedly said that there would be a focus on "basketball-specific training," while also not pushing the players too soon upon their return. 

One Western Conference general manager acknowledged to ESPN that being able to play at all would potentially be "a driving force and that carries them through the periods of difficulty or maybe being out of shape or dealing with the different circumstances or different environments." Still, another athletic training official believes the longer the suspension lasts, the longer teams will need to acclimate players. 

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he will not deliberate on restarting the season until at least May 1.