When Wood positions himself in the right spot, Houston’s defense should be sound. When he steps in the wrong direction, focuses on his own man instead of the ball, or incorrectly assumes what the offense is about to do, it will splinter.Minnesota Timberwolves Face Masks

In the lead-up to the 2020-21 season, the dynamic has largely flipped. After setting up that medical review process for Orlando, the NBA is leaving the decision of whether to participate in the coming season -- which will not take place in a bubble -- to each individual. Teams will be playing in home arenas, traveling from city to city on planes and staying in hotels.Memphis Grizzlies Face Masks

Four teams in each conference -- the Nos. 7-10 seeds -- will make up the play-in tournament. The teams with the seventh- and eighth-highest winning percentages will have two chances to make the playoffs, while the teams with the ninth- and 10th-highest winning percentages will have one chance.

Last week, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association announced that a round of testing of 546 players in the last week of November returned 48 positive tests. The New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers recently shut their practice facilities for short periods due to positive tests within their organizations. The Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors also revealed the existence of positive tests within their organizations this week.

"I was going to err on the side of caution. I'm still very nervous about the COVID, and we haven't tested our players since last Thursday," Bowness said. Once results come back, he intends to return to the ice, perhaps as early as Wednesday

Players and staff all have their eyes on resuming the season with an expanded 24-team playoff set to begin in two hub cities — Toronto and Edmonton — on Aug. 1.

It is not as though general manager Mike Kupchak made any significant deals on draft night. All he did was select players in the order that was allotted to him, with the exception of trading for the 42nd pick by giving up a 2024 second-round draft pick.Cleveland Cavaliers Face Masks

St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington is so accustomed to wearing a mask, he didn't mind doing so for the past four months during the coronavirus pandemic.Detroit Pistons Face Masks