Chicago Bulls (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
With the NBA suspending operations due to COVID-19, there are some unfortunate short and long-term effects for the Chicago Bulls.
The basketball world was hit with a heavy punch two days ago when Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, a.k.a. the “Coronavirus.” Almost immediately, it seemed the league began shutting down before our eyes. It wasn’t long before the Chicago Bulls‘ 2019-2020 season was placed on hold, along with the rest of the league.
Thursday, the morning after the news of Gobert’s test broke, the NBA announced it was suspending operations for the immediate future. At this stage, it is unknown whether or not the league will definitively resume play.
If the NBA decides to eventually re-open the season, they could go one of two directions. Because it is likely that the suspension endures at least a few weeks, it might not make sense to continue with the regular season. Commissioner Adam Silver could decide to head straight into the playoffs, to avoid getting too far off schedule.
On the other hand, Silver could opt to continue regular season play and allow all games to be re-scheduled, finishing out the 82 contests for each team. Everything seems up in the air right now, and that’s normal. Right now, the focus will be completely on the health of our nation as a whole.
For the Bulls, specifically though, there are some individual effects which will take place. Every team will be affected differently, especially those in playoff contention — and especially the Jazz, with both Gobert and now Donovan Mitchell testing positive. For the Bulls, there are three key effects I see coming into play with the league temporarily shutting down.