Suns begin to navigate 'new universe' inside Orlando bubble
As part of the NBA's restart, Phoenix held its first practice Thursday night.
The weirdest moment, Monty Williams said, was getting on the airplane.
Flights are typically commonplace for the Suns, who crisscrossed the United States — and hopped the border to Mexico City and Toronto — over the first 65 games of the 2019-20 season. But Williams had not been on one since mid-March, with the NBA halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was just quieter on the plane,” Williams said during a videoconference with reporters Thursday evening. “I think that’s just because everybody has masks on. You can’t hear each other talk. … Even when you have a big mouth like mine, it still is a bit muffled with the mask on.”
The Suns have spent about 48 hours inside the Walt Disney World “bubble,” as the NBA prepares to restart the season. Phoenix held its first group practice in four months Thursday night, ahead of eight “seeding” games that begin July 31 vs. Washington.
Here are some nuggets we learned from the first virtual media availability from Orlando:
Who’s there?
Reporters are typically allowed to watch the end of practices and game-day shootarounds, and can do a general scan of which players are or are not on the floor.
That’s not possible in this bubble scenario. When asked, Williams declined to share who did not attend or participate in Thursday’s session.
General manager James Jones said earlier this week that some unidentified players would travel to Orlando later, though Williams did not say when those players were expected to arrive. The Arizona Republic reported in late June that two players had tested positive for COVID-19 when mandatory team testing began. Players across the league who tested positive during that window were required to travel separately from their team and undergo a more stringent testing protocol upon arrival before rejoining team activities, according to a memo obtained by ESPN.
“No, I’m not going to get into (that),” Williams said. “ … My mindset is to work as hard as I can, and we’ll deal with the situation as it is.”
Newcomer Cameron Payne, who signed with the Suns last week, spoke to the media following practice. Players featured in photographs of the team traveling to Orlando include Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Dario Saric, Ty Jerome, Jevon Carter and Kelly Oubre Jr. (who continues to rehab his knee).
Inside the bubble
Williams lived in Orlando for approximately three years while playing for the Magic. He has visited Disney World a handful of times. So the first thing he noticed upon arriving Tuesday was that there was no traffic.
“You realize you’re the only ones on the campus,” Williams said.
That solitude continued for much of the team’s first two days. After arriving at the hotel, everybody was tested again and quarantined in their rooms until Thursday. Williams said he has a view of a lake and boats, but nobody was outside. Payne said he watched movies and played video games, “just trying to let the time go by.”
So when everybody reconvened to get on the bus for Thursday’s practice, Williams said it was “remarkable … how many guys just wanted to sit and talk, because they hadn’t been around each other in so long.”
It will be a strange way for all 22 teams to live for the duration of their stay. Yet Williams said he has not had “any anxiety at all” about the setup. He believes in the NBA’s detailed safety precautions, and the players’ willingness to buy into them.
“The players don’t get enough credit for how much they want to play,” Williams said.
And … what about the meals delivered to the hotel rooms during the quarantine period, which have been mocked on social media in recent days? Williams said they’re “not that bad, man.”
“I know what it’s like to eat some different stuff,” Williams said. “… I’ve seen a lot worse, and I’m OK with it. Now, the guys who have personal chefs at home, they may have a different sentiment than I do.”
Ramping up
Williams has been collaborating with the medical and training staffs for “weeks” on how to safely ramp up to game shape while limiting injury risk following such a long hiatus.
Thursday’s practice featured a lot of shooting and conditioning work up and down the floor, Williams said. Workouts with contact are already planned, in addition to scrimmages against Utah (July 23), Boston (July 26) and Toronto (July 28). Coaches must wear masks throughout practices, like they did during individual workouts at Veterans Memorial Coliseum before departing for Orlando.
“We have a plan that we put in place that gives me a bit of structure to use as a template every day,” Williams said. “At the same time, I want to try to feel the gym and see if I can push a little bit more or pull back. …
“I’m probably a bit more cautious than I’ve ever been, just because we’ve had so much time off. But the plan is in place. It may be modified a little bit, but I want to try to listen and learn as much as I can. Because, it’s basically a new season, a new universe for all of us who are trying to get our guys in shape.”
Williams noted players are trying to re-learn the system, and that he purposely put them in situations that were “not as familiar as they were four months ago.” It was all new for Payne, who said he experienced a “big learning curve” while teammates got after it.
“A lot of guys came out, man, crazy,” said Payne, a 2015 lottery draft pick who is back in the NBA for the first time since 2018-19. “Everybody (was) ready to just get back on the court. It was fun. Great atmosphere. Everybody was talking upbeat. …
“Just seeing everybody, being able to dap each other up, say ‘great shot.’ Just little things like that that you miss about the game, that you don’t get when you’re sitting at home and not with the guys.”
Outside of practices and games, Williams said he does not want over-plan the team’s stay in Orlando. The coach hopes to organize a few movie nights. But Williams knows the players can find plenty of entertainment, thanks to league-organized activities ranging from golfing to fishing to hanging out in lounges.
“I’ve just talked to the guys about the ability to navigate uncertainty is going to be paramount for us, and for every team,” Williams said. “I think the teams that can navigate the gray areas and the anxieties and all of that will be more productive here in Orlando.”