2019-20 NBA season relaunch to begin with 10-minute quarters for first exhibition games

It’s not an earth-shattering development, but just one more thing that’ll be different during early preparations for the relaunch of the 2019-20 NBA season.

Instead of 12-minute quarters at Walt Disney World for their first exhibition games back, NBA teams will play 10-minute quarters. Indeed, this will help players get acclimated to competition again, according to an Associated Press report. After that, they’ll play 12-minute quarters.

In the NBA bubble, teams begin playing exhibition games on July 23. Each of the 22 teams in Florida has three scheduled exhibition games before the relaunch of the 2019-20 NBA season.

The regular season, which was suspended on March 11 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, is set to start again on July 30. Two games are on tap that day: Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers.

Insights from coaches about relaunch of 2019-20 NBA season

Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford believes it’s a good idea to approach the exhibition openers with a bit of caution, including shorter games.

“I believe that it’s done just trying to get safety first for the players,” Orlando coach Steve Clifford told The Associated Press. “I think most teams are like us, where everybody is just feeling their way and guys aren’t in the type of condition they would normally be in in a training camp situation.”

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle echoed Clifford’s sentiments about preceding with caution.

“This is a different situation,” Carlisle told AP. “In all areas, really. … I do think that there’s some latitude to do some different things.”

Moreover, some teams do not have their full complement of players in Florida.