On Friday, the NBA Player’s Association approved the 22-team format proposed by the league and approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, and many other reporters. The plan, of course, is convoluted to a degree that is indicative of the unprecedented circumstances the league finds itself dealing with amid the COVID-19 pandemic. For one, the plan is designed to have the 22 invited teams play in eight regular season games — a number that is far from random, as it will enable each of its regional markets to secure the financial benefits of airing 70+ NBA games. The plan also includes a first-ever play-in tournament between the 8-seed and 9-seed in each conference, should they be within 4 games of one another at season’s end.
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