NBA 2020/21

	National Basketball Association
	◄ previous	Season 2020/21	next ►
Duration		December 22, 2020 - May 16, 2021 (regular season) May 18, 2021 - May 21, 2021 (play-in games for the 7th and 8th playoff ranks) May 22, 2021 - July 6, 2021 (playoffs ) July 8, 2021 - July 22, 2021 (finals)
Season games per team		72
Number of teams		30th
Main round
Best record		Utah Jazz
Season MVP		Nikola Jokic
Top scorer		Stephen Curry
Playoffs
Eastern - Champion		Milwaukee Bucks
Runner-up team		Atlanta Hawks
Western - Champion		Phoenix Suns
Runner-up team		Los Angeles Clippers
Finals
NBA champions		Milwaukee Bucks
Runner-up		Phoenix Suns
Finals MVP		Giannis Antetokounmpo

The 2020-21 NBA season marked the National Basketball Association's 75th season . The main round (" Regular Season ") started on December 22nd, 2020. It started so late because the previous season had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and could only be played much later than originally planned. The championship won the Milwaukee Bucks with a 4-2 in the series against the Phoenix Suns .

preparation

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the delay in the preseason, some NBA teams had the shortest play-free time in their history, with the Los Angeles Lakers setting a new record with just 71 days. The team training kicked off on December 6, 2020, preparatory games were played between December 11 and 19. The teams played at least two and a maximum of four matches.

Pandemic Regulations

According to the NBA's pandemic regulations, all players, coaches and supervisors had to be tested daily for infection with COVID-19 from December 1st. The NBA announced that individual cases of infection or several cases of infection to a small extent would not lead to the interruption of gaming operations.

If an infection is found (even if there are no signs of illness), players have to take ten days off and then have to be observed by a doctor on two additional days on which they can carry out individual training units. When driving away, the entourage of a team may not exceed 45 people, including 17 players.

Change of players

End of career

In the free time before the 2020/21 season, several players announced their end of career. Among others, Andrew Bogut , who was selected first in the 2005 NBA Draft and won a championship with the Golden State Warriors . In addition, the career ended with Marvin Williams, the player who was selected in second place after Bogut in the 2005 draft. The second pick of the 2010 NBA draft , Evan Turner , also ended his career in the free time. Other players to be named who have ended their careers are Leandro Barbosa , Corey Brewer , Dorell Wright , Aaron Brooks and Kevin Séraphin .

NBA draft

The 2020 NBA draft took place virtually on November 18, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first place , Anthony Edwards was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves . Then James Wiseman was selected by the Golden State Warriors and the third LaMelo Ball by the Charlotte Hornets .

Change of players

The most important player changes in the run-up to the season included:

On November 16, Chris Paul was transferred from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Phoenix Suns . In return, the Thunder received, among others, Ricky Rubio , Kelly Oubre Jr. and a first round pick for the NBA draft 2022 .
On November 18, Dennis Schröder was handed over to the Los Angeles Lakers by the Thunder. In return, the Thunder received Danny Green and the rights to Jaden McDaniels .
Also on November 18, Josh Richardson was transferred from the Philadelphia 76ers along with the rights to Tyler Bey to the Dallas Mavericks . In return , the 76ers received Seth Curry , the brother of Stephen Curry, from the Mavericks .
On November 20th there was an exchange between the Boston Celtics , the Memphis Grizzlies and the Portland Trail Blazers . Boston sent Enes Kanter to the Trail Blazers, the Trail Blazers sent Mario Hezonja to the Grizzlies, and the Grizzlies gave the Celtics a vote in the first and second rounds for the 2023 NBA draft .
On November 20, another player swap took place between three NBA teams. The Minnesota Timberwolves received Ricky Rubio from the Oklahoma City Thunder, which they had received from the Suns only four days earlier. The Timberwolves also received the rights to Jaden McDaniels and the rights to Leandro Bolmaro , which until then held the New York Knicks . The Thunder received from the Timberwolves James Johnson and the rights to Aleksej Pokuševski . The Knicks received the rights to Immanuel Quickley and Mathias Lessort in this deal .
On November 22nd, Robert Covington was transferred from the Houston Rockets to the Portland Trail Blazers. In return, the Rockets received Trevor Ariza from the Trail Blazers and a first-round vote for the 2021 NBA draft .
Also on November 22nd, Kelly Oubre Jr. was given to the Golden State Warriors by the Oklahoma City Thunder after they had received him from the Suns just six days earlier. In return, the Warriors gave the Thunder a vote in the first round for the 2021 NBA draft.
On November 23, there was a player swap that included four teams. The Oklahoma City Thunder, the New Orleans Pelicans , the Denver Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks were involved in this. In addition to numerous voting rights in future NBA drafts, the most important player changes are Jrue Holiday from the Pelicans to the Bucks, Eric Bledsoe from the Bucks to the Pelicans, Steven Adams from the Thunder to the Pelicans, George Hill from the Bucks to the Thunder and the rights at RJ Hampton to call from the Bucks to the nuggets.
On December 2nd, a swap between the Washington Wizards and the Houston Rockets took place, which made big headlines. The Rockets gave the Most Valuable Player of the Season 16/17 Russell Westbrook to the Wizards. In return, the Rockets received multiple All-Star John Wall and the right to vote in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft from the Wizards.

The announcement of a swap attracted attention, which was ultimately not implemented. The Milwaukee Bucks announced that they had signed Bogdan Bogdanović from the Sacramento Kings , only to then give him back ( sign-and-trade ). However, this deal never materialized and Bogdanović eventually joined the Atlanta Hawks as a non-contracted player . After an investigation by the NBA, it found that the Bucks had broken rules in the attempted swap because they had conversations with the Kings too early. As a punishment, the Bucks lost their voting rights for the second round of the NBA draft in 2022.

Free Agency

The main players who signed a new contract with a new club included:

Bogdan Bogdanović, previously with Sacramento Kings, signed with the Atlanta Hawks.
Jae Crowder , previously with the Miami Heat , signed with the Phoenix Suns.
Marc Gasol , previously with the Toronto Raptors , signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Montrezl Harrell , previously with the Los Angeles Clippers , signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Isaiah Hartenstein signed a contract with the Denver Nuggets.
Gordon Hayward , previously with the Boston Celtics, signed with the Charlotte Hornets.
Dwight Howard , previously with the Los Angeles Lakers, signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Serge Ibaka , previously with the Toronto Raptors, signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Rajon Rondo , previously with the Los Angeles Lakers, signed with the Atlanta Hawks.
Tristan Thompson , previously with the Cleveland Cavaliers , signed with the Boston Celtics.

Contract extensions

The main players who signed a new contract with their old club included:

Carmelo Anthony of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz .
Joe Harris of the Brooklyn Nets .
Jakob Pöltl from the San Antonio Spurs .
Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors.
Malik Beasley of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Paul Millsap of the Denver Nuggets.

Main round

Special features due to COVID-19

The main round of the season was 10 games shorter than in normal years (72 instead of the usual 82 games). Against the 15 teams of the other conference two games were played each, against teams of the own conference three. Another special feature was the Toronto Raptors, the NBA's only Canadian franchise. Since the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult to maintain game operations across national borders, the Raptors played their home games in Tampa ( Florida, USA ) in the Amalie Arena in the 2020/21 season .

Several teams ( Indiana Pacers , Chicago Bulls , Portland Trail Blazers , Memphis Grizzlies , San Antonio Spurs , Oklahoma City Thunder ) achieved better away records than home records, which had previously only been achieved by the New York Knicks in the 1967/68 season . Two teams, the Pacers and the Spurs, even had a positive away record compared to a negative one at home.

Final score

DR = division ranking , CR = conference ranking , S = wins, N = defeats, PCT = percentage of wins

DR	CR	team		S.	N	PCT
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
1	1		Philadelphia 76ers	49	23	0.681
2	2		Brooklyn Nets	48	24	0.667
3	4th		New York Knicks	41	31	0.569
4th	7th		Boston Celtics	36	36	0.500
5	12th		Toronto Raptors	27	45	0.375
Central Division
DR	CR	team		S.	N	PCT
1	3		Milwaukee Bucks	46	26	0.639
2	9		Indiana Pacers	34	38	0.472
3	11		Chicago Bulls	31	41	0.431
4th	13		Cleveland Cavaliers	22nd	50	0.306
5	15th		Detroit Pistons	20th	52	0.278
Southeast Division
DR	CR	team		S.	N	PCT
1	5		Atlanta Hawks	41	31	0.569
2	6th		Miami Heat	40	32	0.556
3	8th		Washington Wizards	34	38	0.472
4th	10		Charlotte Hornets	33	39	0.458
5	14th		Orlando Magic	21	51	0.292

DR	CR	team		S.	N	PCT
Western Conference
Northwest Division
1	1		Utah Jazz	52	20th	0.722
2	3		Denver nuggets	47	25th	0.653
3	6th		Portland Trail Blazers	42	30th	0.583
4th	13		Minnesota Timberwolves	23	49	0.319
5	14th		Oklahoma City Thunder	22nd	50	0.306
Pacific Division
DR	CR	team		S.	N	PCT
1	2		Phoenix Suns	51	21	0.400
2	4th		Los Angeles Clippers	47	25th	0.653
3	7th		Los Angeles Lakers	42	30th	0.583
4th	8th		Golden State Warriors	39	33	0.542
5	12th		Sacramento Kings	31	41	0.431
Southwest Division
DR	CR	team		S.	N	PCT
1	5		Dallas Mavericks	42	30th	0.583
2	9		Memphis grizzlies	38	34	0.528
3	10		San Antonio Spurs	33	39	0.458
4th	11		New Orleans Pelicans	31	41	0.431
5	15th		Houston Rockets	17th	55	0.236

As of May 15, 2021

Monthly awards

The winners of the main round included:

month	Rookie (EAST)	Rookie (WEST)	Player (EAST)	Player (WEST)	Coach (EAST)	Coach (WEST)
December / January	LaMelo Ball	Tyrese Haliburton	Joel Embiid	Nikola Jokic	Doc Rivers	Quin Snyder
February	LaMelo Ball	Tyrese Haliburton	James Harden	Devin Booker	Steve Nash	Quin Snyder
March	LaMelo Ball	Anthony Edwards	James Harden	Nikola Jokic	Nate McMillan	Monty Williams
April	Malachi Flynn	Anthony Edwards	Julius Randle	Stephen Curry	Scott Brooks	Mike Malone
May	RJ Hampton	Anthony Edwards	Russell Westbrook	Stephen Curry	Tom Thibodeau	Terry Stotts

Play-In Tournament

A novelty of the season was the introduction of an additional tournament that took place between the main round and the play-offs. As part of this so-called play-in tournament , two additional participants were played for the play-offs for each conference among the teams in the seven to ten table positions. The teams in positions seven and eight of the respective conference played a play-off ticket in one game and thus the opponent of the conference runner-up. The loser got a second chance through a duel against the winner of the duel ninth against tenth.

In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics (7th place in the table) won against the Washington Wizards (8th) and the Indiana Pacers (9th) against the Charlotte Hornets (10th). Thus, the Celtics qualified directly for the play-offs, where they should play against the Brooklyn Nets . Then the Wizards prevailed against the Pacers to compete in the play-offs against the Philadelphia 76ers .

Semi-finals
( play-in games )

Semi-Final Round
( # 8 Seed Game )

Final
( Final Seeds )

7th

Boston Celtics

118

8th

Washington Wizards

100

7th

Boston Celtics

No. 7 seed

8th

Washington Wizards

142

8th

Washington Wizards

No. 8 seed

9

Indiana Pacers

115

9

Indiana Pacers

144

10

Charlotte Hornets

117

In the Western Conference the pairings were: Los Angeles Lakers (7th) against Golden State Warriors (8th) and Memphis Grizzlies (9th) against San Antonio Spurs (10th). The Lakers and the Grizzlies prevailed. Then the Grizzlies won in the last play-in game against the Warriors and qualified for the play-offs.

Semi-finals
( play-in games )

Semi-Final Round
( # 8 Seed Game )

Final
( Final Seeds )

7th

Los Angeles Lakers

103

8th

Golden State Warriors

100

7th

Los Angeles Lakers

No. 7 seed

8th

Golden State Warriors

112

9

Memphis grizzlies

No. 8 seed

9

Memphis grizzlies

117

9

Memphis grizzlies

100

10

San Antonio Spurs

96

Play-offs

All play-off rounds are played in best-of-seven mode.

First round

Conference semifinals

Conference Finals

NBA finals

1

Philadelphia 76ers

4th

8th

Washington Wizards

1

Philadelphia 76ers

3

5

Atlanta Hawks

4th

New York Knicks

1

5

Atlanta Hawks

4th

5

Atlanta Hawks

2

Eastern Conference

3

Milwaukee Bucks

4th

3

Milwaukee Bucks

4th

6th

Miami Heat

0

3

Milwaukee Bucks

4th

2

Brooklyn Nets

3

2

Brooklyn Nets

4th

7th

Boston Celtics

1

3

Milwaukee Bucks

4th

2

Phoenix Suns

2

1

Utah Jazz

4th

8th

Memphis grizzlies

1

Utah Jazz

2

4th

Los Angeles Clippers

4th

Los Angeles Clippers

4th

5

Dallas Mavericks

3

4th

Los Angeles Clippers

2

Western Conference

2

Phoenix Suns

4th

2

Phoenix Suns

4th

7th

Los Angeles Lakers

2

Phoenix Suns

4th

3

Denver nuggets

0

3

Denver nuggets

4th

6th

Portland Trail Blazers

2

Seasonal awards

Most Valuable Player : Nikola Jokić , Denver Nuggets
Defensive Player of the Year : Rudy Gobert , Utah Jazz
Rookie of the Year : LaMelo Ball , Charlotte Hornets

Sixth Man of the Year : Jordan Clarkson , Utah Jazz
Most Improved Player : Julius Randle , New York Knicks
Coach of the Year : Tom Thibodeau , New York Knicks

Position of the player	All-NBA First Team	All-NBA Second Team	All-NBA Third Team	NBA All-Defensive First Team	NBA All-Defensive Second Team	All-NBA Rookie First Team	All-NBA Rookie Second Team
Forward	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Julius Randle	Jimmy Butler	Draymond Green	Bam Adebayo	Anthony Edwards	Isaac Okoro
Forward	Kawhi Leonard	LeBron James	Paul George	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Kawhi Leonard	Jae'Sean Tate	Patrick Williams
center	Nikola Jokic	Joel Embiid	Rudy Gobert	Rudy Gobert	Joel Embiid	Saddiq Bey	Isaiah Stewart
Guard	Luka Dončić	Damian Lillard	Bradley Beal	Ben Simmons	Jimmy Butler	LaMelo Ball	Immanuel Quickley
Guard	Stephen Curry	Chris Paul	Kyrie Irving	Jrue Holiday	Matisse Thybulle	Tyrese Haliburton	Desmond Bane