The NBA suspended its 2019-20 season after Rudy Gobert tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and NBA commissioner Adam Silver initially said that the league would be at a pause for at least 30 days due to the global pandemic which as of March 19, 2020, has infected a total of seven NBA players. But 30 days is too soon after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended an eight-week ban for gatherings of 50 or more people in the United States.
Right now, there is no definite timetable when the NBA will be back. As the league continues to ponder its future, let’s take a look at how the break affects the league’s Top 5 teams:
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have been the favorites to win since the season began but after struggling with a 1-4 record right before the suspension, Milwaukee has slipped in the odds board and now shares the title of odds on favorite with the Los Angeles Lakers. What hurt the Bucks right before the pause was Giannis Antetokounmpo suffering an injury and missing their last two games against the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets, both of which Milwaukee lost. With their skid, the Lakers had come within three games off the Bucks for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
With the season at a halt, the Bucks will have more than enough time to let Giannis heal up because luckily, the injury wasn’t really serious. We know that everything in Milwaukee begins and ends with Antetokounmpo so this long break would be enough for him to get back to 100% shape and return to form. The Bucks were also so good this season that they had not lost back to back games before their three-game losing streak. Having the season paused also gives Mike Budenholzer plenty of time to regroup his boys and focus on the goal at hand.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers lost their last game before the suspension as the Purple and Gold dropped a 102-104 contest to the Brooklyn Nets at Staples Center. But that loss was only their third loss in their last 16 games and the Lakers were coming off a weekend where they beat the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers convincingly in consecutive games. Los Angeles looked like they had shifted to playoff gear and had caught up with the Bucks, not yet in the team standings but at least with the oddsmakers as the NBA betting favorites.
You could say that the break will hurt the Lakers’ momentum. They looked like they were ready for the playoffs and delaying the season will only mean recalibrating to get back into that groove. On the other hand, the break will also help preserve LeBron James who is playing in his 17th season and still gets sore from the groin injury that plagued him last season. The Lakers also need to integrate newcomers Markieff Morris and Dion Waiters but this basketball-less break won’t help that issue. Overall, I think the Lakers will take the most hit among the league’s top teams.
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors were one of the big surprises this season. After winning the 2019 NBA title, the Raptors lost Kawhi Leonard in free agency and everyone except themselves thought they would take a slide. But lo and behold, Toronto is playing as well as they did with Leonard. Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka, and Norman Powell are having terrific seasons. Toronto led the Atlantic Division at the time of the stoppage and they had the third-best record in the league as well.
Despite their success, the Raptors were also suffering from injuries to key players, especially Marc Gasol. For them to have a fighting chance of defending their title, they must be 100% healthy. That’s what they are going to get with this extended break. Toronto is a very confident and well-coached team. If they are healthy, they should have more than enough on their side to give the other top teams in the league a run for their money.
LA Clippers
Before the Bucks took the title of odds on favorites, the LA Clippers were the preseason darling of the oddsmakers because they added both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George during the offseason. Leonard was coming off a title season with the Toronto Raptors where he won Finals MVP. George was playing at All-Star level at OKC the previous season. However, the Clippers failed to live up to the expectations mainly because they couldn’t play together due to injuries. But right before the suspension, wins started to come easy as they were finally healthy and playing complete for the first time this season.
Kawhi Leonard had played 11 straight games while George had played eight in a row right before play was halted but these two have been struggling with injuries all season long. Likewise, key role players like Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley were also having injury issues in recent weeks. The break will give them enough time to heal up and return to form. Like the Lakers, the Clippers still need to build chemistry with late additions Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson but overall, I think this team will benefit from the extra rest they are getting.
Boston Celtics
Like the Bucks, the Celtics were struggling when the season was stopped. Boston lost four out of its last six games before the announcement of the suspension of the season. Injuries also plagued the Celtics this year with key players coming in and out of their lineup since day one. But Jayson Tatum was having his best season ever and Jaylen Brown was complimenting Tatum very well. The Celtics still managed to land the league’s 5th best record despite having Tatum, Brown, Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, and Kemba Walker together in only 14 out of the 64 games they played.
Presumably, the Celtics will be fit and healthy when this break ends. It was recently announced that Marcus Smart tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and I’m not sure how long it will take for him to return to full health. If Smart isn’t ready to go, that would be a big blow for the Celtics because he isn’t just providing the team the numbers, he is also one of their leaders on the hardcourt. The Celtics didn’t have any momentum when play was halted. I don’t think they will be very much affected by the break.
