The NBA is expected to provide teams with a draft of the second half of the 2020-21 season schedule, perhaps this weekend, according to Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The second portion of the schedule could be released as soon as next week. The first half of the schedule ends March 4, with an All-Star Game scheduled for March 7 in Atlanta.
The Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies are among the teams that have had multiple games postponed after not having the league minimum of eight players available. So most will be making up dates in the second half.
“In conversations with teams so far, sources said league officials have expressed a desire for each to play 72 games if possible — even if that requires Washington, Memphis and other teams who have had several games postponed to play more often over the rest of the season,” Lowe and Wojnarowski reported. “That will require those teams to play more back-to-backs, league officials have informed team executives, sources said.”
Of course, given the uncertainty still surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, more games could be postponed in the second half. Each of the 30 teams is scheduled for 72 games.
But per Lowe and Wojnarowski, the league has informed teams that some teams just may not reach the 72-game threshold — though the league will do its best to make certain every reaches that mark.
The NBA seemingly is trying to wrap up the entire season, playoffs included, by the July 21 Olympics in Tokyo, Lowe and Wojnarowski reported.
