Lakers Podcast: Bizarre Potential NBA Playoff Schedule, The Forum, Salary Cap Hit From Hiatus, And More

Trevor Lane
3 Min Read
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

With the NBA currently on hiatus due to the coronavirus, they are focusing on determining when conditions will be safe to resume play and when that occurs, what it will look like.

With a number of games lost already and no clear end in sight, can they still squeeze in a full 82-game season? It wouldn’t appear likely.

If that’s the case, what can be done to give fans the kind of exciting conclusion to the season that they are waiting for while also recouping some of the massive financial losses that occurred as a result of the hiatus?

On this episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast, we discuss a reported plan that would see the NBA finish out the 2019-20 season with all games being held in Las Vegas and a tournament taking place that would combine with the more-standard format to create a shortened, albeit exciting, playoffs.

For Los Angeles Lakers fans, however, is a single-elimination tournament really what they want to see? While it would offer plenty of thrills as the team heading into the playoffs sitting in first place in the Western Conference, the Lakers wouldn’t benefit from a scenario where a single loss could send them home.

That said, there is still time for plenty of ideas to be kicked around, and the NBA will certainly exhaust all options as they hope to get teams back on the court as soon as it is safe to do so.

Furthermore, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is purchasing The Forum, which housed the Lakers during their glorious ‘Showtime’ years. Should fans of the purple and gold feel slighted by Ballmer’s purchase? Having the hallowed ground of The Forum in the hands of the Clippers is uncomfortable at best, though Ballmer does intend to leave the building as a music venue while creating a new arena for them nearby.

So is that a positive that the Clippers are one step closer from being out of the Staples Center or is it disappointing for a Lakers landmark to be under Ballmer’s ownership?

Plus, we take plenty of questions from fans, which leads us into a discussion about the NBA’s salary cap and what will need to be done in order to manage the inevitable drop as a result of the league’s hiatus. All of that and a ton more on a fun show during a difficult time.

Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com
Exit mobile version