The NBA's schedule for restarting the 2019-20 season is starting to become more clear.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Friday an updated timeline of the expected start dates for the eight seeding games (remainder of the regular season) each of the returning 22 teams will play, as well as all four playoff rounds.
Sources: NBA's expected restart dates:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 12, 2020
- July 30-Aug. 14: Seeding games
- Aug.15-16: Play-in tournaments
- Aug. 17: Playoffs begin
- Aug. 30: Family/guests of teams arrive
- Aug. 31-Sept. 13: Conf. Semifinals
- Sept. 15-Sept. 28: Conf. Finals
- Sept. 30-Oct. 13: NBA Finals
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday the training camp timeline, which is expected to commence July 9 in Orlando.
NBA has instructed teams of full training camp timeline, including July 9-29 in Orlando with three intersquad scrimmages, sources tell ESPN. Again, season re-starts on July 30.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 12, 2020
We can't forget about the eight teams that won't participate in the league's restart. It's not beneficial for the players on those teams to go almost 10 months without playing anything resembling a real NBA game, and it looks like the league is trying to address that.
The NBA and NBPA are still discussing details of an offseason program of camps, scrimmages and OTA's for the eight teams left out of the Orlando restart, sources tell ESPN. Executives with those teams have been in regular contact with each other and league.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 12, 2020
The Boston Celtics are one of three Eastern Conference teams that have already clinched a playoff berth, but that doesn't mean the seeding games are meaningless to them.
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Boston could move up to the No. 2 seed and earn a more favorable first-round matchup, but that would require the second-place Toronto Raptors struggling a bit in the seeding games. It's also possible the C's could drop from the No. 3 seed, but they will start with a 2.5-game lead on the fourth-place Miami Heat and a 4.5-game advantage on both the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Each team's schedule for the seeding games has not been announced at this time.