One of the latest NBA rumors to keep an eye on is the possibility of the calendar being shortened for the 2020-21 season.
According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk shared with reporters on a conference call the possibility of the NBA shortening the calendar for next season. Meaning potentially more back-to-backs and stretches of four games in five nights.
The reasoning behind the NBA trying to reduce the number of back-to-backs has been for the purpose of injury prevention. It will be fascinating to see how teams choose to handle those types of blocks on the schedule, perhaps reverting to load management more often.
It can go both ways when viewing the risks from the perspective of teams that were invited to Orlando and for the eight that are not in the mix. Having a shortened offseason for the playoff teams could be an injury risk, but so can not playing games for eight or nine months, too.
Considering the unique circumstances of the situation as a whole, NBA teams will simply need to be prepared to problem solve on the fly. Whether that’s adjusting to a condensed league-calendar or free agency strategy with fear of future salary cap implications, there’s a lot to solve for.
There certainly won’t be a perfect solution to all of the potential problems that arise with finishing the 2020-21 season. There will be no shortage of NBA rumors regarding the possible fixes NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league-office come up with throughout the process.
NBA Analysis Network provides news updates and analysis about all 30 teams in the league. Find us on social media (Twitter & Facebook) to stay up to date with our content.