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The NBA board of governors voted Thursday to approve a 22-team format to restart the 2019-20 season July 31 in Orlando, Florida, Portland Trail Blazers be damned.
The Blazers were the only team in the NBA to vote against the proposal (propelled by Michael Jordan) that will feature 13 Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference teams will play eight regular-season “seeding” games.
Why were the Blazers the only one to swim against the tide? They wanted a 20-team plan rather than the proposed 22-team plan.
Yahoo Sources: Portland preferred a 20-team return-to-play format, thus one of the reasons why they voted no to the 22-team format.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 4, 2020
It should be noted that if the playoffs were to start today under normal circumstances, the Blazers, who boast a record of 29-37 (9th in the Western Conference), would miss the playoffs.
We play for an ownership group that actually listens to its players and has a backbone. We voiced what we felt was the best option and they followed our lead. I commend our front office and Jody Allen. https://t.co/mAj5EzeiUh
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) June 4, 2020
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski also claimed the Blazers decision was rooted in potential Draft implications.
Sources: Blazers are eager to resume season, but chose to vote “No” because franchise believed there were more competitive and innovative formats on table — including those that addressed 2020 NBA Draft lottery odds based on regular-season game results in Orlando.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 4, 2020
Draft lottery info, per NBA: “The 14 NBA Lottery teams would be the 8 teams that do not participate in the restart and the 6 teams that participate in restart but do not qualify for playoffs. These teams would be seeded in lottery & assigned odds based on records through 3/11.”
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) June 4, 2020
Whatever the Blazers want you to believe, the real reason they want to trim the proposal down to 20 teams is because it would eliminate Aron Baynes and the Phoenix Suns (the 13th and final team in the West to sneak in).
No one on the Blazers roster can possibly forget what happened back in March.
A monster night from Aron Baynes leads the Suns over the Blazers. 💪 ☀️ 🏀 pic.twitter.com/DoOPm2nlNj
— theScore (@theScore) March 7, 2020
A monster night from Aron Baynes leads the Suns over the Blazers. 💪 ☀️ 🏀 pic.twitter.com/DoOPm2nlNj
— theScore (@theScore) March 7, 2020
Baynes for MVP.
Portland looking at the suns lol pic.twitter.com/5W9nQa9eCl
— lFLyPCyDE (@lFLypcyde) June 4, 2020