Fans are hoping the NBA jumps straight into the playoffs if it can return this season. However, officials are leery about letting players dive directly into competitive play and are pushing for a training period before the league resumes.
Per a report from ESPN's Baxter Holmes on Saturday, some general managers and athletic training staffers don't think that players can go right back to the game after this stoppage. So to prevent any career-threatening injuries, they are pushing for a month-long training period before the 2019-2020 season continues.
"But I need these guys pushing their bodies for at least 30 days prior to the first meaningful basketball game," one general manager said. "And by meaningful basketball game, I mean a postseason game."
Although this training period would be ideal, there are other NBA executives that don't believe the league has the finances or time set aside to orchestrate this.
"I don't know how we could have that luxury," an Eastern Conference general manager told ESPN. "That would be great, but I would say if I had to push it, I would say 10 days to two weeks."
An NBA athletic trainer also mentioned that some players do not have access to their own private Olympic training center during the quarantine. This will make the adjustment back to competition difficult for those players, leading the trainer to believe that accommodations need to be made for the "lowest common denominator."
It has been a month since the NBA decided to suspend competition due to the coronavirus. The league informed players that they will receive their full paychecks on April 15, but it did not confirm that they would be compensated for the next billing cycle. This has sparked concerns around the NBA. Because it's unclear when the curve will flatten, the league could face financial stain that prompts it to put money over the players' health.
"I don't know where the line in the sand is, or where the threshold of pain is," a general manager said. "Nobody's missed a check yet, but you miss a couple checks, the NBA starts laying people off, those things will start to propel [us forward]. [Then] I'm afraid a little bit more of [how] decisions are made."
