With reports that specific states will start easing restriction on lockdown rules, some NBA teams, which could include the Los Angeles Lakers, might be headed back to training facilities as early as next week. Practice sessions are set to resume so players can begin shaping up after more than a month of hiatus.
The NBA has ordered a total shutdown of operations a few weeks back when it became apparent that the coronavirus pandemic will remain uncontrollable in the months to come. Not only games have been suspended, but practice and training facilities were also ordered closed to ensure that players and team employees will not be infected by COVID-19.
The plan to re-open facilities is mostly aimed to encourage players to restart working out and get them into top form, presumably in preparation for the resumption of the games. The move is seen as the safer option for fear that due to lack of access to training facilities, some NBA players could be forced to do practice sessions on public gyms, USA Today reported.
In Georgia, for instance, select business establishments have started reopening after weeks of being shuttered and the development prompted players to seek clarification if gymnasiums are safe for use. NBA owners, however, have opted to open the doors of team facilities for players' use, which will offer a safer and more controlled environment.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, teams are most likely to allow training activities on club-owned facilities starting in May and this applies for teams located in areas where local authorities have permitted the resumption of business.
"Beginning on May 1, the NBA is allowing teams to open their practice facilities to players in cities and states where local governments have eased stay-at-home orders," Silver Screen & Roll reported Wojnarowski as saying.
The league is gunning to see that players return to a routine but the ESPN journalist reminded that there will limitations imposed. One example of the expected restrictions is that "larger group workouts will still be prohibited."
In addition, Wojnarowski said players will be allowed into team facilities voluntarily and that practices will be conducted individually.
On Lakers' part, the opportunity to resume training sessions is a big plus for the team's title contention run. It is known that the team maintains a facility that is conducive to high-impact training and at the same time observes lockdown regulations for the safety of players and personnel.
Wojnarowski said the reopening of training and practice facilities will not necessarily mean that NBA games will be players soon. He added: "The NBA is still unsure on if and when it can play again."
