The 2019-20 NBA Playoffs were originally scheduled to start today. We take a look at potential first-round matchups for the LA Clippers if the NBA decides to reformat for their return.
The LA Clippers currently sit in second place in the NBA’s Western Conference with a record of 44-20. With the NBA season on hold, and no plans to make a decision on its return until May 1, all the team, or anyone can do is wait to see what happens next.
But waiting doesn’t mean just sitting around and twiddling their thumbs. The team is doing their best to keep their players in game shape with at-home workouts to be ready for their eventual return.
“If this gets started, you can tell our players are invested in the season,” head coach Doc Rivers said, in a conference call with reporters. “And they don’t want this season to go away. And they’re working like it is not going to go away.”
What the rest of the season will actually look like should it eventually return is anybody’s guess. The NBA has said they are considering all options for a return, including; a full, 16-team playoffs with a 5-7 game “regular season” lead-up, shortened playoff series with a best of three or five format, have a playoffs with fewer than 16 teams, and even an NCAA-style “one-and-done” tournament.
Nothing has been ruled out yet (although Brian Herman of the New York Post reported the single-elimination tournament was “all but”). For this reason, the Clippers don’t only need to keep their bodies ready to return to the court, but must mentally prepare for various potential playoff matchups depending on the format of the return.
Their coaches and scouting teams sure have their work cut out for them over the next few weeks.
We wanted to also take a look at what the Clippers might be facing in different playoff scenarios, from a normal, 16-team playoffs to some of the more experimental options floated out there.