A Three-Conference 46th PBA Season: The Question of How

A lot of things are hanging in the balance for the 46th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). For one, PBA players have different takes as to whether the league should do another bubble season or do a closed-circuit set-up for next season. Then, there's also the question of how many conferences PBA will hold for 2021 as 2020 saw the PBA hold the 2020 Philippine Cup inside the Clark bubble.

For PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, the goal is to hold the Philippine Cup first. "We are looking at the Philippine Cup first. Then, we'll see if we can have the imports for the next season because the situation may improve around the Commissioner's Cup's (potential) start in July," Marcial said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) online forum last Tuesday. 

Considering that the rest of the world is still being ravaged by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, a vaccine against the said virus will help the league have more clarity. Not only will the availability of a vaccine kickstart basketball's return to normal, but it will also help the PBA plan ahead. As Marcial cited in the online forum, staging a three-conference season requires them to answer two critical questions: "Will the imports allow themselves to head here?" and "If there's still  no vaccine, how will the isolation and quarantine work?"

The PBA is planning to open its 46th season in April 2021 with the Philippine Cup. After that? It's a question of how. And when. 

Photo is from ESPN