NBA Bubble: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
David Mitchell, Contributor
NBA Bubble: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Good
No Confirmed Positive Cases
No positive in the bubble is more important than this. Right before the official games began the NBA announced that there had been 0 confirmed positive COVID-19 tests from the players since July 20th. As of today, that number remains the same. Many opinions believe that the NBA bubble is the safest place in America at the moment, the only high-activity area with 0 confirmed cases. Despite uncertainty about how the bubble plan would work, so far so good for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
Black Lives Matter Representation
The NBA used its enormous platform to raise awareness of social injustices and systemic racism in this nation via new format changes. Players were given the opportunity to place NBA sanctioned phrases or words on the back of their jerseys in place of their names. Some jerseys carry small words like “Hope” or “Freedom,” while others feature larger phrases such as “I Am A Man.” In addition to the jerseys, Commissioner Adam Silver made a statement by no longer requiring players to stand during the national anthem. What followed was a sight never seen before as players and coaches kneeled in unison before every game throughout the week. Other representative moments included players wearing “Black Lives Matter” shooting shirts and coaches having “Racial Justice” patches on their shirts.
Outstanding Opening Games
The first few games in the bubble were nothing short of extraordinary. Both games (Utah Jazz vs New Orleans Pelicans / Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers) went down to the wire and were decided by two points each (Jazz W 106-104 / Lakers W 103-101. Such close games were exactly what the NBA needed in its nationally televised return. The excitement of the contest was something that escaped fans for months, and the NBA quickly gained their attention back.
The Emergence of New Faces
Throughout the week there have been a host of breakout performances, but the ones least expected were what stood out the most. The emergence of Bol Bol as a legitimate player has created a great story from the bubble. Although he only played select minutes during the team’s two seeding games this week, it is great for him to be back on the court. Indiana Pacers forward TJ Warren has been scorching hot since seeding games began, matching the franchise’s 3 game scoring record of 119 points set by Jermaine O’Neal back in 2005. In the three games this week Warren scored a Bubble-high 53 points, 34 points, and 32 points; leading the Pacers to three wins. Lastly, Michael Porter Jr. erupted for 37 points in a Denver Nuggets win over the OKC Thunder on Monday. Porter, who has played sparingly for Nuggets this season shot 75% from the field and over 65% from three, while also grabbing 12 rebounds in the contest.
WNBA Support
The WNBA regular season now coincides with the NBA restart, and many players are using their platform to show support for the best women basketball players in the world. NBA Superstars Lebron James, Chris Paul, and Victor Oladipo to name a few took to social media to show their support by wearing the “#OrangeHoodie,” an orange sweatshirt with the WNBA logo on the front. Even after the WNBA season got underway players continued to show their support as they began the first week of seeding games.
Bad
Rust from the Game’s Stars
Despite the plethora of great games over the course of the week, the effects of not playing a worthwhile contest in over four months have taken a toll on some of the game’s stars. Los Angeles Lakers forward and three-time NBA Champion Lebron James has gotten off to a sluggish start for his standards in Orlando. Not reaching his season average in points or assists yet may not be something to worry about though, given that the averages of 25 points and over 10 assists are so high. Boston Celtics 3rd-year star Jayson Tatum struggled mightily in his first game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Tatum shot 2-18 from the field for only 5 points in the Celtics’ narrow loss on Friday night, only to bounce back well scoring 34 points in his next outing against the Blazers.
Nowhere to go
It is well documented that the players and coaches are “stuck” in the bubble. Now it may not be hard to leave the NBA bubble, it is much harder to get back inside of it. For players returning to the bubble, it is required for them to undergo a 10-day quarantine period upon returning to the Disney campus. They must also produce two confirmed negative tests before playing again.
Questionable Officiating
So far in the bubble, there have been 10 more fouls called per game than before the season was postponed. The first to blame for that is the officiating. The NBA has 45 referees in Florida, and many have been criticized for their work. Players and coaches alike have shared their opinions on the officiating in the bubble, with some taking their comments further than others. Celtics guard Marcus Smart was fined $15,000 by the NBA for his remarks about officials after his game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
Ugly
Isaac’s Issues
One ugly issue stands out above the rest from Week 1 of the seeding games. Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac made headlines this week, ironically for being the only player standing during the national anthem. Isaac made the decision to neither stand nor wear a Black Lives Matter t-shirt before the Magic’s game against the Nets on Friday afternoon. Many questioned if Isaac (who is Black) truly believed if Black Lives Matter and he explained his decision after the game (via ESPN). Unfortunately, Isaac remained in the news later into the week because he tore his ACL in the very next game against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
Now, let the playoffs begin. The Celtics play the 76ers on Monday night.