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In case you missed it before heading into the long weekend, the NBA has reportedly crafted a plan to allow the eight eliminated teams to shelter in place in a second bubble city. Hosted in Chicago, the plan would allow for Summer League-style games between the teams and larger training sessions. Presumably, the pitch is that the players could be safer within the bubble city, with a certain level of guidelines to shelter in place, as opposed to staying at home with their families? I’m still confused as to what the actual appeal is.
The amount of travel required to make it happen, not to mention the local populations in the service industry who will become exposed in the creation and tending of the bubble makes the whole thing feel pretty counter-intuitive.
The meme potential for this concept, however, is insanely good. And I think we should allow ourselves a little bit of joy in these trying times.
In no particular order, here are my favorite reactions to this news:
Who’s ready for a Cavs V Warriors part IV... ♂️ https://t.co/JAqI9orUw5
— Larry Nance Jr (@Larrydn22) July 2, 2020
More Boylen @chicagobulls basketball?
— Dan Bernstein (@dan_bernstein) July 2, 2020
Get a second mask, and wear it over your eyes. https://t.co/9y66wQAgoI
the Knicks are going to win this and hang a banner arent they https://t.co/PYYSO3HfWy
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) July 2, 2020
So this is the village where you have to spend two hours leveling up and doing tutorials https://t.co/nt9VeI7I3B
— Ryan Nanni (@celebrityhottub) July 2, 2020
This is like having a consolation bracket in a fantasy league. Unnecessary https://t.co/oMUKWzXayY
— Josh Lloyd (@redrock_bball) July 2, 2020
Imagine catching Corona at the NIT. mayne just run me my check and I'll catch y'all next season. https://t.co/VtjqVlV3el
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) July 2, 2020
what about a third bubble for dudes that just really really want to play pick up in a safe setting?? https://t.co/5Mz4MLRUz9
— Sean Yoo (@SeanYoo) July 2, 2020
Based on Twitter interactions, I think only Knicks fans are excited about this, which, well ... yeah, that tracks.
It seems likely if this happens (the league hasn’t signed off on the plan just yet) the Warriors are only willing to do so much, and understandably won’t want to send their star players, plucking them out of their own shelter in place (though whether every players takes it seriously may be a different issue) to participate in a tournament that brings them very little value ultimately.
On to today’s links:
Warriors would gain little partaking in NBA’s proposed ‘second bubble’. “Going into a second bubble, with a stripped-down squad, confined to a hotel for a week or two, is something the Warriors are willing to do. Willing, but hardly eager and barely engaged.” (NBC Sports Bay Area)
Warriors close facility after team employee has positive coronavirus test. A positive test resulted in a temporary shutdown of the Oakland facility, postponing the virtual summer basketball camps by one week. (NBC Sports Bay Area)
Who should the Warriors draft? How about no one? “The best thing the Golden State Warriors can do with their early NBA Draft pick is trade it,” argues Dieter Kurtenbach of the Mercury News.