Now that both the NBA board of governors and National Basketball Players Association are on board, it looks like we’ll be getting some live hoops action soon. The plan calls for 22 of the league’s 30 teams to wrap up a condensed regular season starting on July 31, followed by the playoffs. If you’ve been eagerly awaiting basketball’s return, here’s what you need to know about the NBA’s 2019-2020 season.
How Will the Season Work?
The 2019-2020 NBA Season is set to resume on July 31st, with 22 teams playing eight games to close out the regular season. Those teams include 16 currently holding playoff positions and six more that have a shot of securing playoff spots within those remaining regular season games. All games and practices will be conducted at the Walt Disney Resort outside of Orlando, which would house players throughout the season.
Here’s who the league is planning on sending to Orlando:
Eastern Conference (Win-Loss Record)
- Milwaukee Bucks (53-12)
- Toronto Raptors (46-18)
- Boston Celtics (43-21)
- Miami Heat (41-24)
- Indiana Pacers (39-26)
- Philadelphia 76ers (39-26)
- Brooklyn Nets (30-34)
- Orlando Magic (30-35)
- Washington Wizards (24-40)
Western Conference
- Los Angeles Lakers (49-14)
- LA Clippers (44-20)
- Denver Nuggets (43-22)
- Utah Jazz (41-23)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (40-24)
- Houston Rockets (40-24)
- Dallas Mavericks (40-27)
- Memphis Grizzlies (32-33)
- Portland Trail Blazers (29-37)
- New Orleans Pelicans (28-36)
- Sacramento Kings (28-36)
- San Antonio Spurs (27-36)
- Phoenix Suns (26-39)
Depending on how many games separate the eighth and ninth seed in each conference, a play-in tournament might be required, featuring a best-of-two series to determine the final playoff spots.
Once the playoff begin, however, the formats shouldn’t be any different from past seasons: best-of-seven series for the first round, conference semifinals, conference finals, and finals. Those finals would likely start in early October based on this plan, and then the 2020-2021 season could start up in December.
How Do I Watch the 2019-2020 NBA Season?
Exact game schedules are still pending, and we’ll update this post as soon as we learn about specific dates and times. For now, though, ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV will be splitting coverage of the remaining games. For cord cutters, several live TV streaming services should fit the bill. YouTube TV, for example, carries all the channels mentioned above. Hulu + Live TV offers ESPN, ABC, and TNT content, but no NBA TV access. Meanwhile, Sling TV offers ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV depending on which package and add-on you have. While you won’t get ABC access via Sling TV, you can potentially access those games via OTA antenna depending on your location.
Live TV Streaming Service Comparison
| ABC | ESPN | TNT | NBA TV | |
| AT&T TV Now | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fubo TV | – | – | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hulu + Live TV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – |
| Sling TV | – | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Vidgo | ✔ | ✔ | – | – |
| YouTube TV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Note: Not all channels available on all packages. Some plans may require add-ons or upgrades.
Like we said, we’ll update this post as the NBA finalizes dates, times, and coverage options for the remaining regular season games and playoffs. For now, though: What do you think of the NBA’s plan? Are you excited to have live sports back? Let us know in the comments below!
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