The Celtics played their second scrimmage in the Orlando bubble, getting their first win. Kemba Walker returned to the lineup for the first time since season suspension.
We're just a few days away from the NBA being back, thank goodness. From both the scrimmages and common sense, we know it won't be the same thing we've watched all our lives.
Who cares, though? We'll take what we can get. Here's the good, the bad and the weird of the return.
THE GOOD
TV appearance: We'd all love for the country to be in a position where we could go to sporting events, but while we can't, the games might as well look as cool as possible on television.
In the case of the NBA, I think they do, with two or three rows of benches under a whole bunch of monitors. It isn't distracting; it just looks sleek and futuristic without it feeling like a video game. Really, it looks like they're playing basketball on a television set, which is pretty rad.
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It's not baseball: Another way of putting that is "the bubble is working."
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The league had zero positive tests last week, giving — famous last words — little reason to worry that this thing will be halted before a champion is crowned.
Games all day: Like the NHL, the NBA is just going to start games early on weekdays and go throughout the day. We go from being deprived of the NBA to an embarrassment of riches. Glorious.
THE BAD
Intimidation goes out the window: For the viewer's purpose, they'll have to deal with whatever these leagues do sonically and visually, but for the games? Not having a crowd will be weird as hell.
You have to think it will affect runs, as its not like a "road" team will have to deal with deafening noise as it tries to break up a 7-0 run. That's one of the organic aspects of the NBA and its postseason that they just won't be able to replicate.
Less shotgunning: One of the best sports-related things to come from this whole mess of a year is dudes getting to the bubble and just sitting around shotgunning beers. Even if they keep doing it, they probably won't be posting it when they've got a game the next day.
THE WEIRD
Asterisk talk: People continue to talk about an asterisk like it means this season won't have counted. Of course it will and of course there should be an asterisk on the season.
This will probably go down as the strangest NBA season ever, so toss an asterisk there to denote that.
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