NBA Will Practically Need Another Training Camp Before Season Resumes

This past Saturday marked the official one month anniversary of perhaps one of the worst days in the NBA. It was the day the league went on suspension just one month before the NBA was supposed to be gearing up for the 2019-2020 playoff period.

But now, due to the coronavirus pandemic, there's going to be a long pause in the season, causing the start of the NBA Playoffs to be pushed back into the summertime. At this point, it's unclear if the NBA will have an opportunity to crown a champion this season.

The league isn't ready to call it quits on a return, but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver won't rule it out either. Everybody wants basketball back as quickly as possible, but NBA General Managers and trainers aren't into the idea of rushing players back for the sake of completing the season. It will take time for players to prepare themselves physically.

At the moment, all team facilities across the NBA are closed down. Every player in the NBA is asked to self-quarantine as much as possible, and to avoid working out anywhere other than their own private gyms or homes. And because of that, General Managers and trainers are pushing for a one-month training camp once the league is cleared for return, according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes.

"You've got some players that are privileged enough to be isolating in their luxury mansions with full gyms and [who] practically built their own Olympic training centers. And you've got some people that are isolating in their 1,200-square foot apartment or at their parents' house. That's the range of the 450 some odd players in the NBA. ... You have to make the determination at the lowest common denominator."

The Philadelphia 76ers offer a good idea of how different players across the league have it. Just last week, Sixers' All-Star center Joel Embiid Instagrammed himself post-workout in a full gym with two hoops where he had the opportunity to work out by himself.

Meanwhile, Sixers rookie Matisse Thybulle has been doing limited workouts in his apartment, which is no larger than 1,600 square feet. "I speak for a lot of us when I say that getting out of shape is one of the worst things ever," Thybulle told The Athletic's Sam Amick recently. "To get back in shape is miserable. So it's been like a real fear and something in the back of my mind every day."

Thybulle for sure isn't alone in this scenario. And it's the rookie's thought process along with a lot of other players in his position, which has anonymous General Managers and NBA trainers around the league pushing for what is going to pretty much be a late-season training camp before the NBA gets back.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_