What is next for the Memphis Grizzlies?
For the last few months, NBA fans have been working so hard at figuring out if the NBA would return, that comparatively little thought was put in how a return like that would happen. That’s not a bad thing either, it’s best to take these things one step at a time, but now that it seems like the NBA will come back, there’s only one question: What happens now for the Memphis Grizzlies and the rest of the NBA.
The NBA Players Association voted to approve the return to play plan on Friday–which would see 22 teams enter into a “bubble city” at the Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida–and the league and the union will engage in talks through next week about specifics, with play beginning on July 31st. With the teams, game officials, production crew, and hotel maintenance staff–as well as three family members for the players–the league is expecting a residency of about 1,600 people.
What will the season look like?
There were a lot of ideas for a return to play plan, and in fairness, nothing has been decided on yet. But, judging from this ESPN write-up on the plan, it seems like the league will be inviting 22 teams to the bubble city; the 16 playoff teams as well as any team withing six games of the eighth seed. That means that the Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, and Phoenix Suns will all be joining the 16 playoff teams.
As of now, it sounds like the NBA’s preferred option is to continue forward with the traditional 16-team playoff format, and to have those 22 teams play the remainder of the season (excluding the games against teams not invited) to determine seeding. Of the eight teams omitted, just three had more than 20 wins on the season. Only one of those teams, the injury-plagued Golden State Warriors, had been eliminated from the playoffs before the hiatus.
Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, this system doesn’t provide much more rest. Under a 22-team regular season setup, the Grizzlies only have one game removed from their schedule. In comparison, the Wizards and Blazers–the ninth seeds in their respective conferences–have two and six games eliminated respectively.
Still, the Grizzlies are used to being the underdogs. Coming into the season with one of the youngest squads in the league, and a new front office which had seen little to no experience in their current roles, there was hope for future seasons, but expectations were low. With a 3.5 game head start on their competition, the season resume plan is just another way for the Grizzlies to defy all the odds.