A date hasn’t been set yet, but it’s seeming more and more likely that the NBA will return. The Los Angeles Lakers have been very vocal about wanting the season to continue and not get canceled and it appears that will be the case. Regardless of how the league plans to start things back up, players will need time to get back into game shape. Not every player has a home gym so there are likely many that aren’t anywhere close to ready to play in meaningful games.
However, LeBron James has been doing what he can to get some work in with his Lakers teammates, according to Shams Charania.
LeBron James has held safe, private on-court workouts with some Lakers teammates at a secure location, our NBA @ShamsCharania reports. More details:
“All the safety measures have been taken,” Charania said. “In these private workouts, everyone has been tested, everyone involved has practiced social distancing.
“Everyone involved has taken the necessary steps to make sure that they’re following all the guidelines.”
It’s important to note that these are not workouts with the full team. It appears the Lakers are doing what they can to stay in shape and James is helping facilitate that. However, the team won’t be able to get back into game shape until they can practice as a full team.
Will Season Continue at Disney World?
Based on previous information that has been revealed, it sounds like the NBA would like to limit the number of locations that teams travel to once the season continues. In fact, Lakers guard Danny Green believes that the league could be targeting one place for the season to take place.
“It looks like we have multiple options for locations, but I think leaning toward Orlando and Disney to where it’s the safest,” Green said on ESPN’s “First Take.
Disney World in Orlando, Florida has been mentioned before as a possible location. Las Vegas, Nevada has also been brought up before. It remains to be seen how exactly the NBA will attack the situation.
Green was also asked about how the playoffs might look.
“Who knows how they’re going to do 7, 8 and 9 [seeds]?” Green said. “They might have a play-in series, playoff type of games, and maybe a couple of exhibition games for us outside of training camp to get us back in shape before the playoffs start.
“But we’re taking it day-by-day and seeing how it goes depending on when we can resume, but obviously the earlier we resume, the more time we have. We’re able to play more regular-season games, more exhibition games, but if it takes a little longer then we might have to jump straight into playoffs.”
Going straight into the playoffs obviously isn’t ideal for a lot of teams. That said, it might come to a point where there are no other options on the table.
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Green Stresses Importance of Getting in Shape
One thing is certain and that is that the NBA won’t rush players back to the court. There have already been stated concerns about a potentially higher rate of injuries if players are brought back too quickly. Green had a chance to talk about this.
“It’s crucial, man, very important so that nobody gets seriously injured,” Green said. “For guys to get back in playing shape, we need at least 2 or 3 weeks….of playing time or some type of camp to where it’s safe for guys to play healthily and play good minutes without injuring themselves.”
This fact likely means that the earliest the NBA can start back up is in July. That would give players an entire month to get back into shape.
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LeBron James Making Big Moves to Get Lakers Ready for Return: Report