Slowly getting back

Resumption of play is still blurry, but a few NBA teams had started opening their training facilities for individual workouts as some states began easing up on lockdown restrictions. They are to coordinate with local officials and health authorities to ensure that proper protocols are followed to protect players and personnel.

The league updated their rules for this purpose which still includes following social distancing requirements, disinfection procedures, no scrimmages allowed and no more than four players in the training facility at any given time.  

Individual players will have at least a 2-hour half-court session with a trainer or a developmental coach wearing gloves and mask. This will look weird but we’re on a different kind of situation beyond normal.

Philadelphia, Cleveland and Portland were the first to open last Saturday for voluntary player workouts.   It was reported that Toronto, Denver, Miami and Sacramento opened their facilities last Monday, also for individual workouts but most of the players had been on quarantine in their own homes in different parts of the country and teams are encouraging these players to return and get back in shape.

With the distinction of having the first NBA player infected with the virus, Utah is not opening yet their practice facility.  Jazz EVP of basketball operations Jack Lindsey said that the team wants to make sure they meet all the league and health requirements, be strict in implementing them and in addition formulate their own set of rules.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott did not consider gyms and practice facilities as essential businesses thus San Antonio, Dallas and Houston won’t be opening their facilities yet.  Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban said, “We listen to health experts, not politicians.  When the NBA provides us with confirmation that it’s safe for our guys to move forward, we will move forward.”  He added, “The problem obviously is that we can’t test people, then we can’t assure anybody’s safety, whether they’re basketball players or anybody else.”

Los Angeles City mayor Eric Garcetti has the stay-at-home order still in effect up to at least May 15 and the two LA teams won’t be seeing some of their players in their respective facilities until after that date.  It would be interesting to know what these LA rivals had planned.

One player at a time, teams are slowly getting back.  Strange, but this is the new reality in the NBA.