Lakers’ Anthony Davis and Miami Heat Legend Express Displeasure With NBA’s Short Offseason

The NBA set an example on how to successfully conduct the playoffs during a pandemic. But after a successful season in the Orlando Bubble, the league had another daunting task assigned to them- planning the next season as efficiently as possible. As a 71-day offseason edges closer to the finish line, Anthony Davis and Udonis Haslem showed off their disapproval.

The new season is declared to begin on December 22. This will be a 72-game season planned so that the league can move to its original October-June schedule by the time the 2020-21 season comes. Because the regular season is starting so soon, it means the offseason will also be shorter than before.

A 71-day offseason is the shortest one in the history of the NBA. Although this is very exciting for fans, as they will not have to wait to see their favorite teams back in action, it hasn’t been very easy to digest for the players. Especially for those who played in the finals, like the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, because they get lesser time to recuperate.

Lakers’ Anthony Davis and Former Miami Heat react to the short offseason

The Lakers and Heat battled with one other in the 2020 NBA Finals. From Game 6 on October 11 to the new season, December 22, they have just 71 days of rest, while teams that didn’t make it to the bubble have 285 days for themselves.

When ‘NBA on ESPN’ posted this fact on Instagram, Anthony Davis and Udonis Haslem commented with disapproval.

However, there are well thought out reasons for this. This new timeline ensures that the league-related split of income continues smoothly. Once they recognized this, the players, executives, and teams got on board with it.

They also declared the other significant dates. In-person interviews were allowed to begin from October 16 to November 16. Trade restrictions are expected to be lifted by then and trading can begin soon after.

Free agency is also expected to begin as soon as possible. This is because the training camps begin on December 1. With such a tight schedule, there was bound to be some resistance. However, now, it’s only a matter of time before the hustle begins again.