NBA legend Michael Jordan, currently the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, is saying that NBA teams who are no longer (or have a small chance of getting a slot) in playoff contention should end their season and prioritise safety.

The NBA Board of Governors is expected to vote and make a final decision this week on the fate of the suspended 2019-2020 season. Based on the recommendation of Commissioner Adam Silver, the NBA is looking to restart the season by July 31 at the ESPN Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The game format for the season is also on the agenda.

According to Yardbarker, 16 of 30 general managers are in favour of jumping straight to the postseason to give the league enough time to complete the necessary games for a full playoff schedule.

The Hornets were bought by Jordan in 2010, and he currently holds the controlling interest in the team. This season, the Hornets were in 10th place in the Eastern Conference with a 23-42 win-loss record before the NBA hiatus. The team lies between the Washington Wizards (9th), the first team Jordan owned and the last team he played for, and the Chicago Bulls (11th), the team that Jordan led to six NBA Championships in the '90s.

As the Hornets owner, Jordan was included in the conference call last Friday with Commissioner Silver and the NBA Board of Governors, wherein they discussed the plans for the league.

He is basically proposing that the Hornets end their season as-is. They are currently 7 wins behind Orlando Magic (8th place). The Wizards are 5.5 games behind Magic, solidifying the playoff bracket for the East.

However, in the West, the situation is not so simple. Given the remaining games before the NBA was suspended, four teams can still qualify for the playoffs by knocking off the Memphis Grizzlies from 8th place. The Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings are all 3.5 wins behind the Grizzlies, and the San Antonio Spurs are behind by 4. There is an average of 16-18 games left to play in the regular season for each team.

Based on the current standings and given the remaining games left to play in the regular season, there are 5 teams, Grizzlies included, with a legitimate chance of making the 8th playoff slot in the Western Conference. Jumping straight to the playoffs with the current standings denies those four teams their opportunity to get into the postseason and win more games.

Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls Reuters