As the 2019-20 season prepares to continue in Orlando, a lot of questions have surfaced about the state of next season.
With things pushed back and the COVID-19 pandemic still raging worldwide, nobody really knows when, or if, we can expect that season to commence.
But, in a report by The Morning Consult, the 20-21 campaign may not start until March. It’s just one of a number of plans, but it seems like a likely scenario at this point:
Three weeks ahead of the NBA’s planned resumption of the 2019-20 season at Walt Disney World Resort, the league’s Global Innovation Group is considering several scenarios for next season, including one that would begin in March and run through October 2021.
Under the March-October scenario, the league would execute a rolling schedule release as opposed to releasing the entire schedule before the season starts as it would under normal circumstances. It would also aim to hold an All-Star Game at some point during the season.
Obviously, this would be a huge shift in the NBA’s schedule. While highly unprecedented and vastly different from what fans are used to, there are a number of positives to consider about a March-October season layout.
For one, it would coincide less with the NFL schedule (which is from August to February) than the current timeline. Additionally, fans might be more inclined to show up to games in the summer months, when it’s warm and school is out.
Needless to say, not everyone is behind such a big change and the brass are still considering all options. Either way, the impact of this COVID-19 shutdown is still being felt around the sports world and the NBA in particular.
