Former Iowa State stars dish on the 'millionaires' summer camp' feel of NBA's return

The NBA is set to descend upon Orlando, Fla., picking up not exactly where it left off when the league went dark in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but at least getting back on the floor.

It will operate in a closed environment on the campus of DisneyWorld with 22 of the league’s teams together — playing and living in bizarre surroundings with no family, friends or fans allowed as the league tries to mitigate the risk of the virus finding its way into its bubble.

“It’s going to be like the millionaires' summer camp,” Utah Jazz forward and Iowa State legend Georges Niang said.

It’ll be basketball, time at hotels, a little recreation and not much else as the NBA restarts with 22 of 30 teams holed up at the Magic Kingdom. Some details remain to be worked out, but teams will play eight “regular-season games” starting July 31, and then there could be a play-in series if a team is within four games of the eighth and final playoff spot in a conference.

Following that sequence, a typical postseason will proceed, with eight teams in both conferences playing through the normal bracket format.

Instead of playing home-and-away games, though, teams will play at three different venues on the Wide World of Sports complex at Disney. Multiple games will be played throughout the day at each site. As teams are eliminated, games will be played at fewer arenas. The NBA Finals would start no later than Oct. 12.

“I’m excited,” Toronto Raptors guard and former Iowa State star Matt Thomas said. “I’m very optimistic. You can’t mitigate all the risk, but that’s with everything. There’s never 100 percent no-risk. We’re going to be getting tested every single day, it sounds like. There is going to be security, making sure who is coming in and out. 

“It’s extremely safe and the best format they could figure out with all things considered.”

Thomas spent more than a month of the start of the pandemic in Toronto, but returned to his hometown of Onalaska, Wis., last month to wait out a return.

“I have access to a gym, so I can work out, lift, do whatever I need to in terms of taking care of my body,” Thomas said, while also noting he’s had the benefit of spending otherwise unavailable time with family and friends.

Most franchises will begin the return-to-play process by convening in their home markets before departing for Orlando, but the Raptors — who are coached by Carroll native Nick Nurse — will instead meet in Naples, Fla., Thomas said.

“With so many of us already in the states and the protocol in Canada, it’s still a 14-day quarantine for anyone coming into the country, so we wouldn’t be any exception from that,” Thomas said. “It’ll be a little bit easier for us to not deal with the border and just get right down to Naples.”

Once in Orlando, players, coaches and staff will essentially be cordoned off from the rest of the world — and that includes their families, who are not expected to be able to arrive until at least September.

“We’re all going to be in one spot, doing all the same things, having to get uncomfortable,” Niang said. “I think the NBA is going to do a really good job taking care of us down there, but it’s going to be an adventure.

"You’re going to be in a spot, really a glorified summer league atmosphere, with no fans.”

Thomas’ Raptors, the defending NBA champions, were second in the Eastern Conference before the shutdown with a 46-18 record. The 6-foot-4 Thomas, who played at Iowa State from 2013-17, was averaging 9.7 minutes per game while shooting 46.7 percent from 3-point range.

Niang, Iowa State’s second all-time leading scorer, was averaging 13.3 minutes and 5.8 points per game for the Jazz, who were fourth in the West at 41-23.

Despite the extreme measures having to be taken to resume play, both Niang and Thomas said they — and their teammates — are coveting the opportunity.

“This is the longest guys have never been able to play against someone, really get after it,” Niang said. “It’s tough, but I think guys aren’t going to make excuses and they’re going to go out there, put forward their best effort and go to work.

“Everybody is just going to be excited to get back on the court. That’s what we miss the most.”

After four months, though, the level of play may be shaky, especially at first.

“They’re giving us a lot of time to get ready, which is a good thing,” Niang said, “but I don’t know what to expect. People aren’t always pleased with preseason, but that’s what this is going to be like. 

“It’s going to be like four months (since we’ve played). People are ramping up their workouts now to get ready for playoff shape, but the eight games, people are going to be getting themselves to playoff shape.”

One question that is sure to drive discussion and debate will be how “legitimate” whoever this year’s champion is, given the major departure this season has taken from the norm.

“if you want to win a championship, you’ve got to go out there and win and beat teams,” Niang said. “If teams want to (complain about the format), well, then continue to beat these teams. It is what it is. 

“If you’re the best of the best, you’ll stick to your spot. If you’re not, you’re going to get revealed. It’s tough on everybody. It wasn’t like just one team had to sit out. All 30 teams did.”

Winning a championship this season may even be more impressive, Thomas said.

“If anything, it’s a positive asterisk,” he said, “because whoever does end up winning this thing, it says a lot about how their team was able to stick together, how the guys were able to stay motivated and continue to work through this hiatus. It says a lot about the coaching staff, too, because the team that’s going to win is the team that is continuing to get better, even though we haven’t been together and been on the court together.”