As sports came to a complete halt all over the globe due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were hopes that American sports may remain unaffected. However, on Wednesday, March 11, Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz team tested positive for COVID-19, just minutes before tipoff of their scheduled game.
This marked the moment of suspension for the NBA and all games due to take place that night. Going forward, all games were indefinitely postponed while the suspension of the NHL was announced the following day. Players, managers, stakeholders, and fans have been left in limbo without their favorite sports ever since. However, safety and efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a front-row seat.
It’s been three months since we had the joy of watching NBA games but the wait is nearly over! First, we are going to take a look at where we left things in the NBA, who we had our eyes on, the storylines we were following, and lastly, how the season might proceed.
How do things stand?
The regular 2019-2020 season was canceled with more than a month’s worth of games to go. The suspension was a huge upset for teams such as the Bucks, Lakers, and Raptors, who were on good runs. However, the suspension gave teams struggling in their divisions time to take a breather and recap.
As of March 11, the current standings for both Eastern and Western Conference are as follows:
Eastern Conference
- Milwaukee Bucks (53-12)
- Toronto Raptors (46-18)
- Boston Celtics (43-21)
- Miami Heat (41-24)
- Indiana Pacers (39-26)
- Philadelphia 79ers (39-26)
- Brooklyn Nets (30-34)
- Orlando Magic (30-35)
- Washington Wizards (24-40)
- Charlotte Hornets (23-42)
- Chicago Bulls (22-43)
- New York Knicks (21-45)
- Detroit Pistons (20-46)
- Atlanta Hawks (20-47)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (19-46)
Western Conference
- Los Angeles Lakers (49-14)
- Los Angeles Clippers (44-20)
- Denver Nuggets (43-22)
- Utah Jazz (41-23)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (40-24)
- Houston Rockets (40-24)
- Dallas Mavericks (40-27)
- Memphis Grizzlies (32-33)
- Portland Trail Blazers (29-37)
- New Orleans Pelicans (28-36)
- Sacramento Kings (28-36)
- San Antonio Spurs (27-36)
- Phoenix Suns (26-39)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (19-45)
- Golden State Warriors (15-50)
Who was on the way to the playoffs?
As usual, the top 8 teams for each division would have made it through to the playoffs. However, mid-level teams would have been the most likely to change throughout the rest of the season, with some finding form and others losing unexpected games.
As it stood then, the top eight teams that would have made it into the playoffs would be based on the below table.
Eastern Conference
- Milwaukee Bucks (53-12)
- Toronto Raptors (46-18)
- Boston Celtics (43-21)
- Miami Heat (41-24)
- Indiana Pacers (39-26)
- Philadelphia 79ers (39-26)
- Brooklyn Nets (30-34)
- Orlando Magic (30-35)
Western Conference
- Los Angeles Lakers (49-14)
- Los Angeles Clippers (44-20)
- Denver Nuggets (43-22)
- Utah Jazz (41-23)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (40-24)
- Houston Rockets (40-24)
- Dallas Mavericks (40-27)
- Memphis Grizzlies (32-33)
What were the current power rankings?
Whether you are a super fan or passionate about online sports betting, it’s always important to keep up with the latest power rankings within the league. The last updated top 5 power rankings before the league was suspended looked as follows:
- Milwaukee Bucks
Previously ranked in 1st place and with a current record of 53-11, the Bucks were certainly set for a strong end to the season.
- Los Angeles Lakers
Staying in the same 2nd rank as the previous week, the Lakers had just gone 9-1 in their last ten games.
- Toronto Raptors
Previously ranked at 3 and with a record of 45-18, the Raptors have had a bit of a mixed season but seemed to be finding their form in both defense and offense.
- LA Clippers
The Clippers jumped up from being ranked at 5 and had a current record of 40-19. The Clippers had been struggling on the road in recent games.
- Boston Celtics
Dropping down from 4, the Celtics had a 42-21 record that mainly stemmed from their inability to close out games in the last couple of weeks before the season was suspended.
Two storylines we’d really like to see finished
In every NBA season, there are narratives that develop, keeping fans and bettors intrigued. The 2019-2020 regular season had the making of two storylines that we really would love to see concluded in some way when the season continues.
Rookie of the year
Ja Morant and Zion Williams were the first two picked in the 2019 NBA draft (William first and Morant second). The fact that they are vying for the Rookie of the Year title is hardly surprising. As the regular season was heading into the last couple of months of play, things were really heating up for the pair, and fans everywhere were waiting with bated breath to see who’d take home the award.
What makes this such an interesting competition is that Williamson has only played 19 games of the 2019-2020 season, missing out on the first 44. Despite this, he has averaged 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds, with a player efficiency rating of 24.32. The Pelicans were 17-27 when Williamson made his debut and they currently sit with 28-36.
With an average of 17.6 points and 6.9 assists, Morant has helped the Memphis Grizzlies do better than anyone anticipated. They finished last season with 33 wins and were already on 32 for the 2019-2020 season when play was paused. The award would likely have gone to the player that assisted their team with a playoff spot, but it looks like we’re going to have to keep our eyes glued to these two when the new format comes into play later this year.
The battle for Los Angeles
It seems unbelievable that the Lakers and the Clippers have never met in the playoffs. But in the 2019-2020 season, this looked like it was bound to change. The two teams have superstar players and topped the Western Conference when the season was put on hold. More importantly, the three games when they played against each other were incredibly exciting and were decided by 10 points or less.
With the NBA set to return in the coming months, the battle for LA offers an absolutely mouthwatering contest for basketball fans all over the world.
What to expect from the season going forward?
The season is set to resume at the end of July in a 22-team format. The top 8 playoff teams from each conference will go through, as well as all non-playoff teams that are within six games of their conference’s eighth seed. This means that 13 teams from the Western Conference and 9 from the Eastern Conference will be able to continue their season in Orlando, Florida.
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