The initial excitement regarding basketball returning to the Trail Blazers’ practice facility in Tualatin was short lived. Having a reason to leave the house after spending months under shelter-in-place orders was welcomed by Portland’s players, but after a few days of solo workouts that came with a number of stipulations meant to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19, at least some came away wondering if all effort was warranted, especially with no guarantee that the 2019-20 season would actually resume.
But with the news last week — long rumored but only recently made official — that the NBA season would resume at the end of July with 22 teams staying and playing at least eight games at Walt Disney World in Orlando, workouts that might have felt hollow a few weeks ago are taking on an importance.