Here we Go! (COVID NBA NEWS THREAD)

I’m pretty sure eventually schedules and games will be shifting around like the NFL has done. Let’s just start a thread and hope it is rarely used.

Several Houston Rockets, including John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and possibly more, are expected to miss tonight's season opener vs. OKC due to coronavirus contact tracing, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 23, 2020

Update: Yes I do see Adam Silver say they can shift games around like the NFL has done if necessary. Don’t get to comfortable with the schedule.

Houston Rockets-Oklahoma City Thunder game tonight has been postponed.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 23, 2020

Pretty absurd imo. Should be a Rockets forfeit.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Houston Rockets-Oklahoma City Thunder game tonight has been postponed.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 23, 2020

Pretty absurd imo. Should be a Rockets forfeit.

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NBA would have to refund TV rights money. Not happening. NFL backed off really quick from the forfeit threats if you remember.

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Originally Posted by 13 - 3

NBA would have to refund TV rights money. Not happening. NFL backed off really quick from the forfeit threats if you remember.

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I neither watch nor know about the NFL. I just know it's absurd that the Thunder are going to have to reschedule a game in an already cramped schedule for absolutely no fault of their own, when the fault lies squarely at the feet of a guy on Rockets payroll.

James Harden partying with no mask.

Nice!

Curry spent the first quarter on bench before Sixers were made aware of a positive test, sources said. Curry then left the court-area and headed into isolation.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 8, 2021

Sixers All Star center Joel Embiid, who has a three-month-old-son, told ESPN he plans to self quarantine from his family until he is certain he didn’t contract the virus. Embiid sat next to Curry during the game. https://t.co/UXpdKZxp7g

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 8, 2021

So Sixer’s rookie Tyrese Maxey went off today. That’s nice.

Pelidae was always a big Maxey proponent

Most were from my recollection. The Sixers media and fans are big on him.

Meanwhile in New Orleans our young players can warm a bench with the best of them.

Yeah, Maxey at 21 was pretty widely regarded as a steal.

Definitely should have been taken before Cole Anthony (15) and Isaiah Stewart (16)

That was a really terrible pick by Detroit. That guy has as much basketball skill as Jaxson Hayes

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Originally Posted by AusPel

Pelidae was always a big Maxey proponent

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Yeah, I had him in my signature ''endorser'' list, alongside guys like Okoro and Desmond Bane, both of whom are also doing pretty well to start this year.

I wanted us to take him at 13, though I was also fine with Kira; not that we've got much chance to see what he can do yet.

Big lol at Beal having to isolate because he came into contact with Tatum after the game, but for some reason all of the people on Tatum's team and who spent a whole game having him sweat on them don't.

NBA official policy is that COVID can't transmit while the game clock is running, apparently.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Big lol at Beal having to isolate because he came into contact with Tatum after the game, but for some reason all of the people on Tatum's team and who spent a whole game having him sweat on them don't.

NBA official policy is that COVID can't transmit while the game clock is running, apparently.

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Silver trying to take all the big names out of the game?

Is this some sort of Tenet/Inversion reality going on?

ESPN Sources: While the Celtics-Heat game has been postponed tonight, the NBA has no plans to pause the season despite thinning rosters because of COVID-19 protocols in several places.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 10, 2021

Eventually we will get hit

ESPN story on the NBA’s determination to push through season without pause amid growing challenges for teams. https://t.co/3NlwpY4vj7

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 11, 2021

Everyone will get hit, I just find it odd that the league would not postpone the 6ers game given their situation. Obviously the 6ers won, but that game was rough on them given their limited roster size. It seems like the league was trying to flex, or something pointless.

No more practices was being discussed? Awesome! This league could use slime cannons too. Every time Lonzo shoots fire the cannons.

One item met with GM resistance on call with NBA today, sources tell ESPN: The elimination of gameday morning shoot-arounds. There is an idea to permit shoot-arounds within 2-3 hours of games, which would include testing then vs. the mornings. Some GM's pushed back there.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 11, 2021

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

Everyone will get hit, I just find it odd that the league would not postpone the 6ers game given their situation. Obviously the 6ers won, but that game was rough on them given their limited roster size. It seems like the league was trying to flex, or something pointless.

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The league is being extremely stubborn. Even using their ridiculous interpretations of COVID transmission (they claim that players in a game don't spend a total of 15 minutes within 6 feet of another human being, for example, which is nonsense for anyone who plays at least 25 minutes a game) they've still had player after player come down with positive tests or potential exposures. It seems fairly clear to me that they need to pause the league for at least 10 days to clear everyone currently in the testing/tracing/isolating pipeline, and if they were being serious about the issue they would probably already be considering some sort of postponement, at least until better arrangement could be found.

But they don't actually care that much so it's whatever.

This COVID protocol crap is killing me in fantasy. I think they have gone a little bit overboard with the contact tracing. They need adjust it somewhat or tons of games will get postponed.

Well then you got this

The Nets have issued a statement from Sean Marks on Kyrie Irving: pic.twitter.com/1IzAwrLDCA

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) January 12, 2021

No more calling Hookers/Compassion guests to the Hotel.

ESPN story with @TimBontemps on NBA tightening Covid-19 protocols amid postponed games and thinning rosters, including the elimination of player guests in hotels: https://t.co/TSgJYWkGhI

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 12, 2021

Nola.com, Pause the season

https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans...4c6d20f66.html

Could a season pause benefit us in the long run?

Paging Chris Paul

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...makes-no-sense

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns says he has tested positive for coronavirus. ����

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 15, 2021

Several of KATs family members have died of COVID during this pandemic. For him to get it just puts another horrible blow in for him, and also highlights how brutal and impersonal the NBA can be that this season keeps chugging along with ridiculous justifications while stuff like this is happening.

Praying for KAT