Celtics try to stay ready as NBA leans toward 'bubble concept' - Press Herald

Brad Stevens and the Celtics continue to stay prepared for a resumption of the 2019-20 season, despite the uncertainty of when or even if it will occur.

And as word of Commissioner Adam Silver’s Friday teleconference with players to address the COVID-19 shutdown filtered out, it appears the NBA is still committed to continuing the campaign, though a solid plan could still be weeks away. The bubble concept, where teams go to one or more neutral sites, remains the most likely.

But according to one source briefed on the call, the league is trying to remain flexible as it seeks to get in a full playoff slate and even some regular season games to satisfy the requirement of 70 for teams to fulfill their obligations to local TV partners.

In a video meeting with the club’s season ticket members earlier in the day, Stevens seemed to emphasize that the Celts are working on more than just physical issues with the players, keeping them engaged through group sessions and individual talks. In what’s a difficult time emotionally for everyone, the coach is keeping life in perspective.

But with the Celtics’ practice facility expected to open soon, albeit with some strict social distancing rules for safety, there is increased need to keep from falling behind in a conditioning sense.

“Well, we’ve got some good hills in Massachusetts, which is good,” Stevens said with regard to players staying in shape. “The bottom line is it’s everybody’s responsibility to try to maintain their strength as well as possible based on what they have available and be a week away from the best shape when we get back together… You’ve got a lot of guys riding the bike a lot more miles than they’ve ever ridden before, and we’ve got some different Peloton contests going on all the time. But other than that, we’re just trying to do what we can to be ready for when we get that call.”

Asked if there are any positives to the break, the coach expanded his answer.

“I think the biggest thing is, like everyone else, you have a feeling of uncertainty just about when we’re all going to be back (and) what the new normal will look like,” he said. “You have a feeling of uncertainty for what you watch on the news every day and all the people that are dealing with this head-on while we’re sitting in our homes. I haven’t really thought about it from that standpoint (positive aspects). Obviously being off their feet, anytime that you can do that to an extent is a positive when you’re talking about guys that put as much on their bodies as our guys do. But I think that the challenge that comes with it is, you know, maintaining the appropriate conditioning, the appropriate focus, the appropriate ability to pick right back up where we left off through a really unsettling uncertain time.”

The Celtics have been put on workout programs tailored to both their needs and their circumstances (some players have homes with yards, others are in apartments). They’ve also used some workout apps to get into a routine.

“As far as routine goes, one of the things we talk about all the time is if you have a routine that’s great,” said Stevens. “But you can’t be like married to it because the bus could break down on the way to the arena, you could get stuck in traffic, you may be sick that day and you may feel better by game time. Like, you have to be able to compartmentalize that this is the game, this is the task. We want to be as routine-oriented as we can, but it’s just not always feasible.

“And so this particular situation, as COVID-19 shut down more and more businesses, shut down our league, became more real I think to all of us, it affected everyone’s routine. It’s not an athlete thing, it’s not a coach thing, it’s an everyone thing. And so everybody is dealing with that, and I think that’s something that, as an athlete, the different curveballs that come out of left field that you get used to hitting I think are good preparation for times that are going to challenge you like this. So, again, it’s not about us; it’s more about what’s going on in the world. But I do think that guys are trying to find and create now a routine in this new normal that they can follow on a day to day basis.”

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