NBA bubble for 8 eliminated teams might not take place amid COVID-19 crisis: Report

A few weeks ago, the NBA suggested the idea of another NBA bubble where the eight teams that have been eliminated would compete. Though the news was not confirmed, the games in the second bubble were supposed to be held in Chicago. However, recent reports claim that the possibility of a second NBA bubble is low due to the growing risk of COVID-19. 

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NBA second bubble not a plausible option amid COVID-19 health concern

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania and Sam Amick, a general manager stated that there is "nothing happening" regarding the eight teams not invited to the NBA bubble. The manager referred to it as a 'shame' as it is a "huge detriment" for teams that have been left behind. As the tournament might not be held due to the increasing COVID-19 cases, there was already 'pessimism' regarding the NBA's decision to let teams conduct minicamps in their own cities.

These eight teams have stayed off the court since March when the season was suspended after Rudy Gobert contracted the virus. If the league does not allow an offseason camp, these teams will have been off-court for around eight months after the regular season ended. Along with the COVID-19 risk, players will also be more susceptible to injuries after sitting out for months.

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Golden State Warriors against the NBA second bubble idea from the get-go

Even before the current report about the second bubble being cancelled, the Golden State Warriors had spoken about not letting Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green or Andrew Wiggins participate. During an episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN's Jackie MacMullan reported that the Warriors planned to have Curry sit out even if they were invited to play at the bubble in Orlando. "I was told unequivocally by people with Golden State that if Golden State came back, they weren't going to let Steph Curry set foot on the floor," MacMullan explained. "The reason they were worried about Steph Curry is that they didn't feel he had played enough to come back." 

The NBA is closing in on signing off on a second “bubble” in Chicago for the eight teams that were not invited to play in Orlando, enabling mini-training camps and subsequent games against other clubs with a target date of September, sources tell ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn)

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As per the league's current schedule at the NBA bubble, they are hoping to wrap up the NBA Finals in October. Teams will be allowed a month of offseason before pre-season training camps begin. After the league announced the plan to begin the 2020-21 season in December, many reports believed it was 'ambitious' of the league to start the season so soon. 

However, reports suggest that the regular-season tipoff will be postponed to early January or at least late December, considering the league needs to finalise a structure for the season. During a recent interview with ESPN, National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) director Michele Roberts stated that another bubble might be the only way they can commence the 2020-21 NBA season. A bubble is already an expensive option for the league, especially if it the league plays an entire season. The 2019-20 season resumed on July 30. Only two players initially tested positive for COVID-19. However, since they had just arrived at the campus, the virus did not penetrate the NBA bubble. 

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(Image source: AP)