After a successful playoff series despite complications caused by Covid-19, the NBA (National Basketball Association) has returned for its 2020-21 season. The last game of the 2019-20 finals occurred on Oct. 11, with the Los Angeles Lakers beating the Miami Heat. A short preseason lasted from Dec. 11-19, and the first season games on Dec. 22 saw the Golden State Warriors against the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers against the LA Clippers.

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The NBA has faced some significant challenges when preparing for the 2020-21 season. Mainly, they needed to ensure that games and arenas were ‘Covid-safe’, while also restructuring the season so that it fits the typical season schedule.

For one, the NBA has doubled down on testing players for Covid-19 and properly punishing or suspending them for interacting with others in a public space. This can be seen especially with the Houston Rockets, a team that’s recently become notorious for its players being involved in parties and other social interactions without masks. Players John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Mason Jones, and Eric Gordon were all forced into a seven-day quarantine, while rookie KJ Martin is sitting out for much longer due to testing positive for the virus.

Attendance at NBA games and events has been greatly restricted, with each team either limiting or completely prohibiting attendance to live games. The rules vary at each team’s arena. According to the NBA website, the nearby New York Knicks are not allowing attendance to games at Madison Square Garden, while the Atlanta Hawks, a fellow Eastern Conference team, are hosting games at the State Farm Arena with 10% capacity.

As for schedule changes, the NBA has had to adjust its event schedule slightly to accommodate for playoff delays caused by Covid-19. Typically, a season starts closer to October or November, while this year the season started in late December. In terms of major season events, the first half of the season will last from Dec. 22 to March 4, the second half will last from March 11 to May 16, and the playoffs will last from May 22 to July 22 assuming no other scheduling changes are needed.

Despite complications, this is shaping up to be a very interesting season. Rising stars Tyler Herro, Zion Williamson, and Ja Morant are sure to step up their game in their sophomore season, and promising rookies like Lamelo Ball and Obi Toppin are worth keeping an eye on as well. Some more-seasoned players also pushed themselves further in the 2020 NBA Bubble, like Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Damian Lillard. Giannis would go on to win the MVP award, while Doncic and Lillard were also high-ranking contenders for the award.

There were also some notable trades going into the 2020-21 season. John Wall was traded from the Wizards to the Rockets for Russell Westbrook, a significant trade seeing how Wall has played on the Wizards for his entire career up until this point. Gordon Hayward was traded from the Celtics to the Hornets for a conditional future second-round pick in the draft. Chris Paul was traded from the Thunder to the Suns, and, after being traded to the Thunder in that same deal, Kelly Oubre was later traded to the Warriors –– another important trade seeing how many of the Warriors’ star players have been injured going into the season.

“I think the NBA is doing a great job following the health and safety protocols. This season will turn out to be a great success,” said a Hills sophomore who wished to remain anonymous. “Even though there is a pandemic going on, it will be an exhilarating season.”

Hills senior Stephen Schmidt agreed that the NBA season promises to be a thrill. Schmidt opined that “there’s a lot to be excited about if you’re a [Brooklyn] Nets fan from having three of the best players in the world on your team.”

Aria Chalileh, also a Hills senior, is looking forward to “watching the Miami Heat again this season, especially after seeing their incredible performance in the bubble and 2019-20 finals.”

Chalileh also echoed Schmidt’s sentiments about the Brooklyn Nets. “With the news of James Harden heading to the Brooklyn Nets, I am really excited to see the chemistry of a new ‘Big 3’. With so many superstar teams in the East and the West, it’s difficult to predict how the season will play out.”

With all of this in mind, basketball fans at Hills should anticipate an eventful and exciting season this coming year to be enjoyed in a Covid-safe setting.