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NBA Draft Lottery and combine postponed indefinitely
Author: Chris Fedor
Publication: Cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The NBA has announced the postponement of the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery and pre-draft combine, both scheduled to take place in Chicago this month.
The decision was made during a Board of Governors call on Friday, as the league continues to closely monitor the coronavirus pandemic while consulting with infectious disease specialists, public health experts and government officials.
The lottery, which determines the official draft order of the first 14 picks, was supposed to be May 19. The combine was scheduled for May 21-24. To this point, there has been no official decision on the 2020 NBA Draft, which is currently scheduled for June 25. However, the expectation is the draft will also be moved back at the urging of NBA executives. - CLICK HERE to read full story.
Final Thoughts: The saddest number in Cleveland sports history
Author: Jason Lloyd
Publication: The Athletic
1. There was a better number for Jedrick Wills Jr. to select. If Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t let him have No. 73, there was another jersey number that would’ve fit him well. It would’ve been a boost for Cleveland sports, too.
2. No. 67 is the saddest number in Cleveland sports history. Of this I am certain. Had Wills chosen it, by November, he might have been the best player in the city’s history to ever wear it. Honest.
3. While selecting the greatest players to wear each jersey number in Cleveland and Columbus sports history for a recent piece, there were a couple of difficult choices. Choosing between Al Rosen, Bingo Smith and Kenny Lofton at No. 7, for starters. The same went for No. 2 with Kyrie Irving and a slew of terrific Ohio State players. (Cris Carter, Mike Doss, Chase Young, etc. …) Choosing between Jim Thome and Mark Price at No. 25? Good luck.
4. But for an entirely different reason, finding someone to represent No. 67 was grueling. Because there’s no one. Every other number from 0 to 99 had at least one worthy candidate (and usually two or three or four) for the list. Except 67. - CLICK HERE to read full story.
Only half of NBA teams can get back in the gym and these are the rules
Author: Joe Vardon
Publication: The Athletic
Next Friday, James Harden can walk onto the practice court in the basement of the Toyota Center in downtown Houston and start his work to get ready for the NBA playoffs. Luka Doncic can do the same at the Mavericks’ practice gym, as can Donovan Mitchell with the Jazz.
LeBron James, meanwhile, can’t resume training at the Lakers’ facility, just outside of Los Angeles. Neither can Kawhi Leonard for the Clippers, nor Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Bucks in Milwaukee.
As states slowly try to restart their economies by opening businesses after weeks on lockdown, the NBA is allowing its teams to open training facilities for highly regulated, sanitized, individual workouts for players beginning May 8. Gyms have been closed since mid-March, days after the league stopped playing games on March 11 due to the spread of the coronavirus, and it remains unclear when — or if — this 2019-20 season will be salvaged in any form.
But when it comes to the facility reopening that some see as a crucial first step in this unprecedented process, there is a significant catch. Fifteen of the league’s 30 teams, including the top two in the West (Lakers, Clippers) and top four in the East (Bucks, Raptors, Celtics, Heat) are in locales that will still be under shelter-in-place orders at the end of next week. - CLICK HERE to read full story.
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