Before he signed a one-year deal with the Trail Blazers in November, Carmelo Anthony was a free agent floating in the middle of the ocean waiting for a boat to pick him up. He understands how quickly the game of basketball can be taken away.
And that's why Anthony will be in shape and ready to play when (if?) the 2019-20 NBA season resumes. With the Blazers 3 1/2 games behind the Grizzlies for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, Anthony and his teammates must hit the ground running.
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"As far as from a physical standpoint, yes, I'm ready," Anthony said during an interview with TNT's Ernie Johnson. "I'm in the gym, we're in the gym, because we understand the minute that the horn goes off, we have to be ready as a team, Portland specifically."
At the same time, conditioning drills are far down the list of priorities for Anthony and plenty of other players. As the NBA continues to finalize the details of its 22-team format and basketball "bubble" in Orlando, Fla., some players are understandably hesitant to book their flights to Disney World.
"As far as actually playing and going back down into Orlando, I'm still up in the air a little bit because I really don't — we don't have all the details," Anthony said. "We don't know a lot of information, so until we have that, it's kind of hard to just commit to it 100 percent."
Anthony was willing to say publicly what many players are feeling privately. The NBA and National Basketball Players Association have discussed a plan that would allow players to stay home without consequences, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who reported that 40 to 50 players expressed concerns about the resumption of play on recent conference calls.
Per Wojnarowski:
Executives and coaches around the NBA have had significant concerns about how players will adapt to an environment unlike any they've ever experienced and how those hurdles could impact the sustained competitive drive for teams. Many have worried, too, especially on teams that aren't title contenders, whether some players will start to seek avenues to bypass the resumption altogether.
The novel coronavirus hasn't suddenly disappeared. Members of the NBA community remain active in speaking out and protesting against racial injustice and police brutality. Visitors will not be permitted to enter the environment until after the first round of the playoffs. There is a lot to consider here.
For some players, especially those unlikely to make deep postseason runs, traveling to Orlando could be viewed as an unnecessary health risk. Social distancing guidelines would mean lost opportunities to fight for important causes and/or time spent away from close friends and family.
Based on the tentative NBA calendar, teams could finish out their seasons in September or October and then have to prepare for the next campaign in December. It's possible the league will see some players elect to sit out until the 2020-21 season kicks off.
Anthony and his NBA brethren should be asking themselves and higher-ups hard questions about the restart. What are the specific COVID-19 testing procedures? What exactly are players allowed to do outside of practices and games? Will players still be paid if they choose to sit out the rest of the season? What about if they are replaced by G Leaguers or free agents?
While the NBA appeared to send out the "basketball is back" message following the league's board of governors approving the initial plan, the reality of this situation is far more complicated. Until key issues are addressed, don't expect players to fully commit.
