As the NBA waits until May to formally reassess its shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, commissioner Adam Silver has encouraged all of the league’s employees to present ideas and concepts for a potential return to play.
In that vein, various executives and team medical personnel have been discussing possible protocols to get players ready for games, wherever they could be staged. One of the ideas that has been proposed is a 25-day program for players to go through before they resume game play, sources told ESPN.
Under the plan, players would go through an 11-day stretch of individual workouts in which they could maintain some measure of social distancing while ramping up training and activity. Then, if permitted by medical officials, the idea would be to allow for a two-week training camp with entire teams participating.
In conversations with the league, team planning sessions and conference calls with peers, medical teams and league executives have expressed concern about timelines if the NBA is to continue its season.
With so many players following quarantine directives unable to properly train, there is growing concern about players’ susceptibility to injuries when play is permitted again. Some executives have stressed the need for a full month of preparation before a return to competitive action.