2020 End of Season / Playoffs

[slaw]

Tomorrow is the deadline for players to decide if they are going to play or not. So far Davis Bertans and Trevor Ariza are the two who said they won't. And their reasons to not play had nothing to do with covid-19. Davis is concerned because he's a UFA and doesn't want to hurt that with a potential injury. Ariza is dealing with some custody issue regarding his child. I am not sure about Ariza but I bet Bertans would have finished the season if it was never stalled.

All 17 Raptors went to Florida today so I think they are all planning to play.

If I was on one of those teams on the outside of the playoffs with no chance of winning a round I'd be inclined to sit out as well. So much time has passed and the risk of injury likely isn't worth it. By the way, that's not much different from how teams normally handle end of the season games anyway. They should have just went straight to the playoffs to avoid the optics of players not playing but I get why they didn't.

[007]

Avery Bradley has opted out of playing, the first guy on a contender to do so

[Demographic Shift]

Of the players and teams coming in for the start of the season one more time....

• Does anyone besides the usual suspect come in to camp with an extra 15 pounds of not so lean muscle mass ?
  • If anyone besides Embiid shows up heavy it might be Luca Doncic. This guy has to be living the life of Reilly back home in Slovenia

• Which team is the first to have a member of the organization inside the bubble in Orlando record a positive test ?
  • Phoenix Suns

• Will Devin Booker,get to play a meaningful game in his 5th season if the Suns can wiggle close enough for a play-in playoff game ?
  • No. Maybe next year.

• Will anyone of the bottom tier pool of teams (Washington, Phoenix, Sacto, New Orleans, Portland or the Spurs not win a single game during the 8 game warmup to the playoffs ?
  • I am going to put my money on the Wizards to go 0 and 8.

• Order of finish in the East ?
  • Milwaukee, Toronto, Boston, Miami, Philly, Indy, Orlando, Nets

• Order of finish in the West ?
  • Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Thunder, Mavs, Rockets, Jazz, Memphis

[Puffer]

Of the players and teams coming in for the start of the season one more time....

• Does anyone besides the usual suspect come in to camp with an extra 15 pounds of not so lean muscle mass ?
  • If anyone besides Embiid shows up heavy it might be Luca Doncic. This guy has to be living the life of Reilly back home in Slovenia

• Which team is the first to have a member of the organization inside the bubble in Orlando record a positive test ?
  • Phoenix Suns

• Will Devin Booker,get to play a meaningful game in his 5th season if the Suns can wiggle close enough for a play-in playoff game ?
  • No. Maybe next year.

• Will anyone of the bottom tier pool of teams (Washington, Phoenix, Sacto, New Orleans, Portland or the Spurs not win a single game during the 8 game warmup to the playoffs ?
  • I am going to put my money on the Wizards to go 0 and 8.

• Order of finish in the East ?
  • Milwaukee, Toronto, Boston, Miami, Philly, Indy, Orlando, Nets

• Order of finish in the West ?
  • Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Thunder, Mavs, Rockets, Jazz, Memphis

Back to Demo predictions. The season resumes right here.

[LJ2]

Joker tested positive for COVID-19. Expected to fly back to Denver in a week, but wonder what sort of protocols the NBA has about how quickly a player can come back to the team?

[G__Deane]

Odds they start the season and still can't finish it?

[slaw]

Odds they start the season and still can't finish it?

I'd say 60-40. They should have been starting up July 1 and this delay caused by their foot-dragging might bite them.

[Apollo]

Of the players and teams coming in for the start of the season one more time....[LIST][*]Does anyone besides the usual suspect come in to camp with an extra 15 pounds of not so lean muscle mass ?

• If anyone besides Embiid shows up heavy it might be Luca Doncic. This guy has to be living the life of Reilly back home in Slovenia

There were already stories of it being implied Doncic was out of shape but was getting back on track. I read this maybe a month ago?

If Embiid stayed professional while off to himself I can't think of anyone who could have benefited more from the layoff than Glass-Man.

[S.R.]

Overall looks like the players are in great shape, which makes sense to me. A normal summer some guys may let themselves go a bit, but they know the upcoming schedule and if they're pros they know when they'll be back into peak shape during the season, usually a point they're totally fine with (there's the occasional guy who just doesn't stay in shape). But this time around, nobody knew when things would restart or how much time they'd have, if any, to play themselves into shape when it did. And everything was shut down and what does a pro athlete have to do other than hit the gym and hang out at that point. I'd say we see more Gasol/Joker stories of guys coming back in great shape, even better than usual, than we do of guys pulling a Boris Diaw.

[Demographic Shift]

Back to Demo predictions. The season resumes right here.

It’s predicting.... or continuing to listen to Mrs. Shifts unyielding assault on the absence of hair and nail salons not opening fast enough.

Predicting it is.

[Demographic Shift]

There were already stories of it being implied Doncic was out of shape but was getting back on track. I read this maybe a month ago?

If Embiid stayed professional while off to himself I can't think of anyone who could have benefited more from the layoff than Glass-Man.

I hadn’t heard of or read about that....but Luca probably hasn’t had to do a ton of nutrition and gym work while he was coming up through the EuroLeagues in his teens

He may come back looking great..but if there was a notable player that fell off or never got on the workout/diet wagon my guess is Doncic.

[Demographic Shift]

Odds they start the season and still can't finish it?

80/20....
80 finish
20 no finish.

[KeonClark]

Man, it's real hard to hate this Giannis fella...but I Wanna!!!

This little girl made art projects for Giannis over a year and a half and got a chance to give it to him. Tugged at the ol heart strings

[RandomGuy]

Man, it's real hard to hate this Giannis fella...but I Wanna!!!

This little girl made art projects for Giannis over a year and a half and got a chance to give it to him. Tugged at the ol heart strings

There's nothing to hate about him. He represents old school sportsmanship.

[inthepaint]

Man, it's real hard to hate this Giannis fella...but I Wanna!!!

This little girl made art projects for Giannis over a year and a half and got a chance to give it to him. Tugged at the ol heart strings

America needs more of that. Let's not cancel sports.