Los Angeles (AFP)

The return of the NBA formalized Thursday? His boss Adam Silver is hopeful that his recovery plan, desired at Disney World (Florida) will be ratified on July 31, with 22 teams, regular season matches and possible play-off play-offs.

The orange ball is now in the court of thirty franchise owners put to the vote Thursday from 4.30 p.m. GMT. To approve it, three-quarters of them must approve this plan. However, according to ESPN, citing several anonymous sources, it is almost acquired.

The desired date of return to competition, starting on July 31, was known. The commissioner of the league had informed the bosses of clubs last Friday. Tuesday, he set October 12 at the latest the epilogue of the season, if the finals were to be played in seven games.

The target location was also known. In this case Disney World in Orlando and its huge site called "ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex", which recalls that the sports channel is a subsidiary of the Disney group, like ABC, which makes things easier for televised broadcasts of matches which all take place behind closed doors.

This complex has many facilities including a 5,000-seat hall, the HP Field House where the NBA already organizes its international junior tournament, and two other small halls that can be used for training.

- Useful regular season -

It therefore remained to know the format of return to play chosen by Adam Silver. After consulting the players via the union (NBPA), general managers and club bosses, he made his choice on a scenario after submitting four, to resume the season suspended since March 11 and the positive coronavirus test from French Rudy Gobert (Utah).

According to ESPN and The Athletic, it concerns 22 out of 30 teams, namely the first eight of each conference on the evening of March 11. These 16 teams are Milwaukee, Toronto, Boston, Miami, Indiana, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Orlando in the East / Lakers, Clippers, Denver, Utah, Oklahoma City, Houston, Dallas, Memphis in the West.

The other six clubs entered are those within six wins of 8th place in each conference. Which happen to be New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio to the west, and only Washington to the east.

The 22 entrants would first play eight regular season games each. The reason is threefold.

First, it would allow the NBA to honor its contractual commitments in terms of television rights, therefore to bring money to franchises affected by large losses of revenue from the ticket office, in the absence of spectators. Then it would allow players, deprived of competition for more than four months, to recover their rhythm before the trying games of play-offs.

- Clap end for eight teams? -

Finally, at the end of these matches, a first photograph of the play-offs will be possible, the first seven of each conference being directly qualified. As for the 8th sesame, it would be the subject of a possible barrage in the East as in the West.

Two scenarios are possible: if the 9th is more than 4 games behind the 8th, the latter is officially qualified for the play-offs. If the 9th is 4 matches or less behind the 8th, the two face off in the play-off. The 8th must win once to qualify, the 9th must win 2 times.

This plan, which would de facto exclude the eight worst-ranked clubs in the championship, all conferences combined, would mark the end of the season for Charlotte, Chicago, New York, Detroit, Atlanta, Cleveland, Minnesota and Golden State.

If certain teams like Charlotte or Golden State would be content with it, not really seeing the point of playing for butter and even less wishing to take a health risk for it, Atlanta would be affected.

"I am coaching the youngest team in the NBA. If the season starts again and we do not participate, it will affect our progress, our production, our ability to continue our momentum for next season", Coach Lloyd Pierce told ESPN.

It remains to establish the health protocols related to the coronavirus. According to The Athletic, the NBA is considering banning showers in the match hall, the substitutes would be widely spaced on special seats, and no guest would be allowed until the start of the play-offs.

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