Teams are getting back in shape for the league’s return, which is set to resume in less than a month. As NBA action in finally coming back, there is however a bittersweet feeling for many fans. Out of the 30 teams that comprise the league, only 22 have been chosen to contest for the championship in the Orlando Bubble.
While 13 teams from the west and nine from the east would fight with all their might when they travel to Orlando, it will not be the same case for the teams that are left out. The start of the next season has been pushed back to December, and this scenario does not favor the non-bubble teams.
These eight teams will be without game action for about nine months, considering from the date when the NBA came to a halt. This is a major thing to take up as a concern, and there are reports that reveal what the NBA has in mind for these teams.
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The NBA might organize a Chicago bubble to host the remaining teams
To fill in the playing gap for the remaining eight teams, the NBA might arrange for a second bubble. According to Jackie MacMullan of ESPN, the NBA is in “deep discussion” about hosting a second bubble in the city of Chicago.
“Seven of the eight non-playoff teams participated in a call Thursday with league officials, with the New York Knicks as the lone team without a representative on the call because they were interviewing head-coaching candidates,” MacMullan wrote.
The NBA would reportedly follow the same protocols and a similar league format like the Orlando bubble. But, if the remaining eight teams all agree to play in a bubble, they wouldn’t be competing for the championship.
However, it is tough to get all the teams on board since there is no big prize involved. The main agenda is to enable the remaining eight teams to play organized basketball. But, not every organization is excited about participating in a second bubble.
MacMullan wrote that Detriot Pistons coach Dwane Casey had a different opinion. Apparently Casey informed that the majority of the coaches prefer having their own mini-camps instead of the proposed idea. “We’d rather do that than go to the bubble,” Casey said, “because unlike those teams in Orlando, we wouldn’t be playing for the same reason.
Larry Nance Jr. is ready to play if the league hosts a second bubble
Larry Nance Jr. who represented the Lakers till 2018, provided his take on the suggestion of a second bubble. Nance now plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are struggling at the bottom of their conference table.
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The Cavs have an embarrassing record of 19-46, the second-worst in the league, behind the Golden State Warriors. The 27-year-old took to twitter and expressed his thoughts on the Chicago bubble idea.
“Who’s ready for a Cavs V Warriors part IV,” Nance wrote, in a light notion. Though both teams stand at the bottom of their respective tables, the Cavs’ forward wants to re-ignite a rivalry that recently divided the world of NBA.
Who’s ready for a Cavs V Warriors part IV… 😂🤷🏽♂️ https://t.co/JAqI9orUw5
— Larry Nance Jr (@Larrydn22) July 2, 2020
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The Cavs and the Warriors met each other in 4 straight finals from 2015-2018. No other teams have met each other in more than two consecutive finals. But LeBron James carried the Cavs to four straight finals where they met an immovable Warriors team. Steph Curry and his team enjoy a 3-1 victory in the head-to-head battle.