Hope springs eternal as Pelicans return to facility

You know the progression.

You have to crawl before you walk. You have to walk before you jog. You have to jog before you run. You have to run to build up to full speed ahead.

Where the NBA is concerned, it is clear that the league is intent on trying to salvage the 2019-20 season, in some fashion.

Chris Paul has spoken out about how he is optimistic about the season resuming. Kevin Love said it was “pretty uplifting” to get back on the court at Cleveland’s practice facility.

LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Steph Curry have also expressed wanting the season to resume.

Of course, fans also want the season to continue, starving for live sports.

The New Orleans Pelicans become the latest team to open its practice facility, doing so today.

It has been nearly two months since the facility was shut down on March 20. It has been over two months (March 8) since the Pelicans last played a league game, winning 120-107 at Minnesota.

That will certainly grow to over three months before another game is played, if in fact, the season resumes.

While players are allowed back to the plush Airline Drive facility, things will look and feel much different.

The maximum number of players allowed inside the facility at one time is four and each player can work with just one staff member. Players are not allowed to work with the any coach.

When players enter the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, they will have their temperature checked. Of course, if there is a fever, that person will not be allowed in.

Additionally, anyone who enters must wear gloves.

Where is Gary Payton when you need him?

Shooting, catching, gripping and passing a basketball with gloves will become a new normal, at least in present times. That will certainly change in the future. I don’t think the league will require players to wear gloves in games, if they resume this season.

While the assumption is that wealthy NBA players have access to all essential tools, including basketball goals that are similar to NBA standards, weights, and the various apparatus entities utilized to fine tune bodies to get into game condition, that is not true of all. One size does not fit all.

To have access to the state-of-the-art facilities at a training facility is critical to the training and preparation for NBA players to get into the kind of playing shape and form necessary to compete at the highest level.

Should the season resume, it will most likely do so in two tourism destination locations.

Orlando is the world of Disney and Universal, the land of excitement and make-believe for children to escape from the reality of the often times harshness of daily life.

Las Vegas is the world of the amazing sight of neon signs, the brilliance of flashing lights and the perceived land of opportunity for adults trying to escape from the often times harshness of daily life.

The NBA is the world of large leapers, sharp shooters, precise passers, rabid rebounders and dynamic dunkers. In a moment of time over a two and a half hour period, it takes us to a place of fantasy, providing an escape from the often times harshness of daily life.

Soccer has resumed in Europe and other areas. NASCAR is running again. UFC was first to get back to business. Baseball is taking place in the Far East and will get underway in the United States soon. We watched a special match play golf event Sunday. Horse racing has been a staple during the shutdown.

Let us hope the Pelicans and their preparation are not in vain. Let us hope that Zion Williamson gets a chance to continue his rapid growth as a rookie player. Let us hope that this pathetic pandemic perishes and it is safe to play the games.

Let us hope that the season continues, in some fashion, as we all seek to reach a place of rediscovering, resuming, relishing the feeling of normalcy and living our lives, once again.

Hope is an essential element in life. Entertainment is a crucial element in improving the quality of life. There has been no escaping the worldwide affect of this virus. That escape may be on the way.