In the first NBA game to be played in more than four months, Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams sat on the team’s socially distanced bench on Wednesday and noticed the new atmosphere around him.
The 2019-20 season is back as the Clippers and Orlando Magic started the season all over again with the first of four games at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Williams, the sixth man of the year, heard the familiar voice of Clippers house announcer Eric Smith after every basket made and music from the game at local Clippers games, including the chant “DE-FENSE.” He also saw the Clippers’ digital signage, such as one saying “LA Our Way,” and player images on the large LED panels that surround the court to give it a more intimate feel.
But then there was the strange vision of an NBA game in “The Arena” with no fans.
“I heard the ‘defense’ chants, but once I was on the ground, I didn’t hear it, I didn’t feel it, I didn’t see it. I was locked in the game,” Williams said. “I don’t know who that is [in-game] the experience is because there are no fans in the arena, but it definitely turned out well. “
Also, there was the unusual sound of this NBA practice game.
“It was really quiet, so you have to bring your own energy,” said Aaron Gordon of Orlando. “You can hear everything being said on the floor … It has a summer league-type feel to it, and you really have to bring your own energy.”
Welcome to the new normal in the NBA, at least for the next four months.
The Clippers, playing without Patrick Beverley, Montrezl Harrell, Landry Shamet and Ivica Zubac, beat the Magic 99-90. But the final score made no sense. The scrimmage was about the first test of a basketball game on the NBA campus.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers had three assistant coaches sitting next to him, although they were socially estranged. Rivers and Orlando coach Steve Clifford had three rows of socially estranged assistants and masked staff members sitting behind them, and the nearby scorer’s table had a large shield between the table and the court.
It didn’t take long for Rivers to realize that without fans, he didn’t need to stand up and raise his voice to shout plays or speak to the officials, as he usually does.
“Maybe I’ll have a better voice at the end of this,” he said. “Who knows?”
Coach Luke Walton, whose kings played in the final game on Wednesday night, said the noise, or lack thereof, will be something he will get used to.
“I think offensively and defensively it is the difference,” Walton said. “Defensively, we want to talk, we want to be noisy with all of that. Offensively, I think you look at the league’s vet guards, guys like Chris Paul, and I think with some of those habits they have built where they just, when they know what game they’re playing , they go up to each teammate and whisper something in their ear, I think little things like that will be really valuable here. Because any noise, you can definitely hear it. So offensively, you definitely want to be calmer. Defensively, you’re going to want to be loud and yell toppings and call the other team’s game if you can hear that. “
For months after the coronavirus pandemic halted the world of sports, many wondered what an NBA game would look like in the midst of a pandemic. So far, the implemented plan is working. Two days after the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association announced that there was no positive test for the coronavirus out of the 346 players evaluated since July 13, the NBA had its first day of action, with four practice games.
“I thought it was much more comfortable than I thought it would be,” said Clifford, who spoke with Rivers before the game about things like playing more zone defense in this combat game to help each team prepare for the next restart. “I think teams that can adapt to play in a single type of different environment without all the fans, who may have the right mindset so they can focus on playing, will have a huge advantage.”
“But the NBA has done an amazing job in the way they have organized everything and configured it to be as comfortable as possible for the players.”
The Clippers and Magic started, and the game was initially sloppy. The players tried to catch the basketball wind after months of running on treadmills and local tracks.
“Lou said, ‘Man, I’ve been running my butt for two months, but it’s not like the game at all,'” Rivers said of Williams, who led all scorers with 22 points. “You could see the first three or four minutes, everyone was pulling. They were a little tired. The wind will catch up quickly. I think the rhythm will come.”
It took some time for Nikola Vucevic of Orlando to get used to playing in a non-NBA stadium without fans.
“It was kind of weird, but overall, the NBA did a great job,” said Vucevic, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds. “They put a bunch of screens in the arena, causing the arena to darken around us so it didn’t feel empty, so something is happening. It was good enough for a first game, but not so bad overall.”
Vucevic noted that the player bench area is three rows of socially spaced seats for players when they are not on the floor, unlike the normal single-bench court. Kawhi Leonard and other Clippers players had designated seats with their names on them.
“Obviously it is different because depending on where you are sitting, it is difficult to be as involved in what is happening as you usually do [are] when you’re sitting on the court, “said Vucevic.” So it’s a little bit different, but with everything going on, the NBA wants to make sure that it takes precautions and sets an example for the rest of the world that if we can do it here, we can do it everywhere. “
Kings guard Buddy Hield was also complementary to the league.
“We would like to be more together [on the bench]But I understand the NBA protocols and what they are doing. They are enforcing social distancing. So I respect that, “he said.” But I think the NBA did a great job preparing the background and everything. I mean, it looks great. There’s a great stage, and when the guys come in, it’s like, ‘Yo, this is a really nice setup.’ It looks like a FIBA basketball tournament when you’re out there and you’re just playing. This is how it looks. All the logos and everything, the ‘Black Lives Matter’ was on the court and on the screens. I think the NBA did a great job about it. Greetings to them. “
Once the game started, Williams and Rivers said the atmosphere fell into the background and felt like a basketball game.
“Once you get between the lines, you can make a case that is probably as comfortable as the players will be, as normal as everything will be,” Rivers said. “You could see that. You could see the rust and all that. For them, they went back to their natural habitat.”
Some players, including Williams, were concerned that the NBA restart could distract or stifle the fight for social justice and protests against police brutality, with basketball as entertainment. But the players played on a court that had “Black Lives Matter” written above the NBA logo on the center court.
“I am excited to be part of a company that is alongside many players who strongly believe in their beliefs,” said Williams, who was “50-50” about coming to Orlando to play until the Clippers players voted in favor. of the entire game. As a team. “It is extremely important for Black Lives Matter to be on the floor. I am proud that we are part of it.”
“I hope that people understand the message that we are trying to convey: we are fighting for equality. We are going to continue building, but I was extremely proud to see it.”
Tim Bontemps and Dave McMenamin of ESPN contributed to this report.
.
