Ever since the National Basketball Association (NBA) suddenly halted their season on March 11, the league has been itching to return and help the country feel as though things are starting to get back to normal. Thinking of returning amid a global pandemic requires consideration of all sorts of ideas and an acceptance that no solution will make everyone happy.
New proposals are seemingly thrown around every day for the NBA’s return, and each plan has its own intricate details. However, the foundation of returning revolves two central scenarios: skipping the remaining regular season games for each team and letting just the current top eight teams per conference go straight into the playoffs, or returning to some semblance of a regular season to give teams on the outside of the top eight a chance to make the playoffs, whether that be by simply playing out the season or through some sort of play-in tournament for the final playoff spots.
While the NBA shuffles its deck of options to return, it is clear to me that any return to the court must include more than the current would-be playoff teams. All 30 teams should not return, because forcing that many teams into one city at this point is too difficult and unnecessary, but at least four teams outside the top eight spots in the Western Conference should have the chance to play again: the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs. Including these teams means an even 20 franchises can return, but the reasons for bringing these four teams back goes beyond having a nice round number.
The Grizzlies Weren’t Safe
Proponents of jumping straight into the playoffs ignore the fact the Memphis Grizzlies — currently the eighth seed in the Western Conference — were far from in the driver’s seat to clinch a playoff spot before the pandemic. The Grizzlies sit just 3.5 games in front of the Trail Blazers, Kings and Pelicans with the Spurs just four games behind.
These teams in the ninth-12th seeds had anywhere from 16 to 19 games remaining, meaning the gap between them and Memphis was certainly not insurmountable even in normal circumstances. However, Memphis faced more than normal circumstances — they had the toughest schedule remaining in the entire league based on their opponents’ winning percentage. Trips to Utah, Denver and Toronto coupled with several matchups against the teams chasing them were just some of the difficult obstacles the Grizzlies were set to face in the homestretch of their season.
With the Grizzlies facing trouble, the teams just outside the bubble saw chances to pounce. No team saw a clearer path to the playoffs than the Pelicans. They had the league’s easiest remaining schedule based on their opponents’ winning percentage, including two more games against the Grizzlies, a team the Pelicans had already beaten twice by 10 and 28 respectively.
The Pelicans were 10-9 since first-pick Zion Williamson returned, a .526 winning percentage that over a full season would place them in eighth place in the West according to Bleacher Report. If the season had continued, it’s not difficult to imagine the Pelicans catching the Grizzlies, and keeping them out of the playoffs now would be unjust.
Stars Would Help the NBA
While any return after such a long hiatus would likely draw massive ratings, ensuring superstars like Williamson or the Blazers’ Damian Lillard play can only help bring more eyes to the NBA. Lillard has already stated he would not play unless the NBA guaranteed his team a chance to make the playoffs, causing some backlash while also garnering support from other players such as Kings’ forward Harrison Barnes.
Keeping one of the league’s best players at home and vocally upset would be a disaster for the NBA. The league has a chance to bring the country together and distract people from what’s been a disastrous few months. The Blazers had as good a chance as any to make the playoffs, so not allowing them to return would cause avoidable controversy and anger.
A Few More Teams Won’t Hurt Anyone
If the NBA is already planning to risk bringing 16 teams into a bubble amid a pandemic, they can afford to bring at least four more.
Along with letting stars like Williamson and Lillard shine, fans could get to see the Kings end the league’s longest playoff drought while getting a look at their exciting young studs like guards Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox. On the opposite side of the playoff spectrum, the Spurs could get the chance to extend their playoff streak of 22 seasons, which is tied for the longest consecutive streak in NBA history.
Each of the four closest teams to the eighth spot in the West has a good reason to claim they could have made the playoffs if the season had continued, and each of them would bring plenty of excitement if given the chance to return.
People are craving sports, and they’re craving a return to normalcy. Given the current situation, nothing will be quite normal, so it’s time to think outside the box. If the NBA manages to come back, there would be no harm done if a few more fanbases are given something to be hopeful about, but there definitely would be backlash if the mentioned teams aren’t given a fair shot.
Let’s hope the NBA doesn’t mess up this opportunity to bring in more fans and create excitement for a country that desperately needs it.