NBA: Trouble looming large over the Orlando bubble?

The NBA’s plan to restart later this month in Orlando will be unlike anything ever before seen and has trouble written all over it.

After several months away from basketball, players will gather soon in a campus type environment deemed the “bubble” at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Costing upwards of $150 million to finish the NBA season over the next few months, the league is doing everything possible to ensure their plan is as safe as possible.

As much thought and money the NBA plans to put into this resumption of the 2019-20 season, their plan is not without its faults, according to some players around the league. Aside from several notable names opting to remain home for the remainder of the season, including Victor Oladipo or Trevor Ariza, players that will attend are justifiably uncertain about the entire idea.

DeMar DeRozan of the San Antonio Spurs recently shared his unpleasant experience with the NBA’s 113-page handbook regarding the health and safety guidelines. Speaking to ESPN, DeRozan detailed how the league’s plan is frustrating, explicitly noting a no doubles in ping-pong policy.

“The ping-pong, this is ridiculous, to be honest. Guys can’t do this, but we can do this and battle over each other? That part just makes no sense to me.”

“I got through 10 lines of the handbook and just put it down because it became so frustrating and overwhelming at times because you just never thought you’d be in a situation of something like this. So it’s hard to process.”

DeRozan was not the only one who shared uncertainty surrounding the bubble plan, as Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal also detailed how he is skeptical of the entire idea to ESPN.

“That is where a lot of guys are concerned about. We can’t just leave. Can’t just do activities in which we want to do. We can’t go to our teammate’s room. Like there is a lot of s**t that we can’t do. So it’s tough.”

Beal recently detailed that he was on the fence about returning to the NBA’s restart because of the concerns surrounding the current pandemic. The uncertainty of the bubble certainly will play a part in that decision, as the league could lose other stars in the coming days.

Arguably the biggest star to voice his opinion on the bubble, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers recently gave his two cents. In regards to if he believes players will follow the NBA’s strict guidelines, Dame did not sugarcoat it.

“My confidence ain’t great. My confidence ain’t great because you’re telling me you’re gonna have 22 teams full of players following all the rules? When we have 100 percent freedom, everybody don’t follow all the rules. I don’t have much confidence. But hopefully, it’ll be handled to a point where we’re not putting everybody at risk or in a dangerous position.”

While players justifiably have concerns about their health and safety inside the bubble, it seems that the NBA is attempting to make it the best experience as possible. Reports say that the bubble will include gaming lounges, barbershops, spas, bowling, movie screenings, and much more to keep players happy in such a challenging scenario.

Still, as many players have stated, all of that luxury does not ensure their safety, which is ultimately what this all boils down to. Commissioner Adam Silver recently said that if there were an outbreak of coronavirus tests within the bubble, the league would face another drastic shutdown. If players are not following the rules, as Lillard said, this restart could end with several positive tests and the cancellation of the season.

At the moment, the bubble seems like a good idea, but it is certainly not without its faults. Players seem to be showing dissatisfaction with the NBA’s $150 million plan and could end very troublesome. With players frustrated and lacking confidence with the plan, only time will tell how things pan out.