Atlanta GM says NBA schedule could be shortened
The COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into the plans of professional sports leagues across the globe and the National Basketball Association was no exception. The league was halted in mid-March after Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for the virus. While it has yet to resume play, plans have been put in motion to conclude the campaign in Orlando, Florida.
However, we could see big changes to the league next year as a consequence of finishing the current season. On a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, Atlanta Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk confirmed as much by suggesting we will likely see a shortened season so the league can eventually revert to its original timeline.
“Because of this circumstance, I think the league wants to stay as close to its original schedule as possible,” Schlenk said. “There’s a lot of different reasons for that — the college season, the draft and how all of that plays out. So that’s why they’ve laid out a timeline where it would be a very quick turnaround from the NBA Finals to the start of the season.
Game seven of the NBA final has been re-scheduled for October 12th, with the league hoping to resume play for next season on December 1st. While this would create a very short offseason, it would provide the league the opportunity to adjust back into a schedule the fans are familiar with. The condensed season would also ensure the campaign will be concluded prior to the start of the Tokyo Olympics which has been moved to next summer. The league has a plethora of international stars looking to represent their countries and would not want to compete with the summer competition.
“If you’re going from the middle of October to starting the season [on] the 1st of December, if you are one of the teams in the Finals, that’s quick,” Schlenk continued. “But they want to try to stay as close to the historical timing as possible. So I don’t think this is something you’ll see stick. They’ve talked to us on one of our GM calls that it might be a condensed schedule next year. More so than in the past. As you know, there’s been a big drive to avoid back-to-backs and certainly four in five nights, but we might find ourselves in a situation next year where it would be much more condensed.”
Schlenk has been with the Hawks since May 2017, when he joined them from the Golden State Warriors. He was the assistant general manager with Golden State, playing a big role in building their dynasty. He won his first NBA Championship with the organization in 2015.
Schlenk’s current team the Atlanta Hawks have struggled throughout the 2019-20 season though, with an abysmal 20-47 record. They will not be one of the 22 NBA teams expected to report to Florida next month, as the club sits 14th in the Eastern Conference and had already been eliminated from playoff contention prior to the season being suspended.
