Weighing in on two issues of the day:

I’ve known and had a good relationship with Dwane Casey for almost 30 years, since he was a member of the coaching staff (along with Terry Stotts) of George Karl with the Seattle SuperSonics. I have a great deal of respect for Casey, now head coach of the Detroit Pistons, and the type of man he is.

Coach Casey recently wrote a post on the Pistons’ website concerning the death of George Floyd and where we are in terms of racism in our country. You can read the post here.

Most of us would agree that the world offers a much better opportunity for blacks than it did for Casey as an eight-year-old growing up in Kentucky 54 years ago. But also, with his plea that “we all have to be and do better.”

Thanks for your perspective, Coach Casey.

Along those lines, I’m of the mind, as are many Americans, that the policemen responsible for Floyd’s death be prosecuted to the fullest. I mean policemen, plural, including the three who stood by and watched as Floyd’s life was snuffed out by a knee to the neck. This incident, coupled with the murder of Ahmaud Armery in Georgia in which a father and son thought he looked like a burglary suspect and chased him down, are serious back slides to our movement toward equality in today’s society.

One thing bothers me, though — the inference that racism is rampant in police departments throughout the country. I believe the vast majority of officers are honest enforcers of the law, with the good of the public — crossing all races and nationalities — at heart. I hate that they’ll face renewed scorn from citizens because of the criminal acts of a few.

This week, the NBA will announce its resumption of the 2019-20 season. And by most accounts, it’s going to include the Trail Blazers.

The destination appears to be Orlando, with the starting date in July or early August and running through October. Virtually empty arena, of course, with no fans.

To digress for a minute: Old friend Sam Smith from Chicago thinks the 2020-21 season will begin on Christmas and says he can see a permanent move to a season that runs from Christmas through August. “The NBA can own the summer, which is an open time now,” Smith writes.

You still have baseball, which Smith calls “a slightly lower priority than filing your nails.” I’d beg to differ. Major league baseball’s popularity has slipped some, but it’s still a very big deal among sports fans, especially during the playoffs and World Series.

I do think the NBA might push back a few weeks, from late October to perhaps Thanksgiving or so. That would allow for a finish in July and avoid conflict with most of college football and much of the NFL season.

Many scenarios have been considered for the restart of the NBA, including some that will allow for a few regular-season games before going into the playoffs. The league might choose to do that to allow teams to get some games in before the “second season” begins. There is also talk of a World Cup-style pool play event to advance to a playoff bracket.

The other possibility is that the regular season will be scrubbed and a “playoffs-plus” format — featuring a play-in tournament by teams near the bottom of the post-season picture — implemented.

That could mean anywhere from 20 to 24 teams will be included; my guess is 20. When action was stopped in mid-March, Portland was in ninth place in the Western Conference at 29-37, one percentage point ahead of both New Orleans and Sacramento (28-36). Those three teams and San Antonio (27-36), will likely be included, possibly in a four-team playoff to challenge Memphis (32-33) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. The No. 9 team in the East is Washington (24-40), which is behind even Phoenix (26-39) in the overall standings.

The Blazers, Pelicans, Kings and Spurs could play sudden death, with two wins necessary to advance to a best-of-three series with Memphis to claim the eighth and final spot in the West. 

If the conference affiliations are dropped and playoff teams are seeded one through 16, however, teams on the outside looking in might get an opportunity for two postseason spots now held by the Grizzlies and Orlando (30-35) out of the East.

Initially I thought they might resume play by starting the playoffs with the top eight teams in each conference when play was halted. One insider, though, said the league is intent on making sure Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson is included, for television ratings. If so, the Blazers are one of the teams that will benefit.

And this will be a different Portland team than we saw in March. Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins, recovered from injuries, will return, and Damian Lillard will be rested and fired up. The Blazers aren’t a team an opponent would want to face in the first round.

Players would report to Orlando in mid-July, but one report said families wouldn’t be allowed to join them until sometime in September.

Even with precautions being taken do to the coronavirus pandemic, that would be a poor decision for two reasons. One, players would be stuck away from family members in a hotel for close to two months. All could be regularly tested for the virus for protective purposes. Two, summer vacation will presumably end in late August for most school-age children. Taking them away during the start of the school year seems ridiculous.

Readers: What are your thoughts on Coach Casey’s post and the NBA ‘s plans to finish the season? Leave a comment below.

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