Official NBA COVID Protocol thread (please read the OP)

[bisme37]

So, are we thinking vaxed/boosted players with no symptoms should just stop getting tested and be allowed to play? I could get with that.

But then the spread will be completely uncontrolled and may lead to even more problems...

How is it controlled now?

Well they are removing players who have the virus from the games. So they can't keep spreading it. The NBA can't make the virus go away but that's the point, obviously.

[Mickey8]

They should suspend season or turn back to a bubble thing they had two seasons ago.

[BigDan245]

So, are we thinking vaxed/boosted players with no symptoms should just stop getting tested and be allowed to play? I could get with that.

But then the spread will be completely uncontrolled and may lead to even more problems...

How is it controlled now?

Well they are removing players who have the virus from the games. So they can't spread it to other players on the court. The NBA can't make the virus go away but that's the point, obviously.

Dude the whole sixers team got it, 9 cavs players in total have gotten it...Where are you getting that they aren't spreading it? They are obviously spreading it to each other. Guys aren't testing positive and playing the games and the next day they are positive. It's beyond obvious guys are spreading it to each other and the tests aren't picking them up quick enough.

It's useless...By next week you'll see 3-4 more teams with complete outbreaks and these tests aren't stopping it.

[bisme37]

How is it controlled now?

Well they are removing players who have the virus from the games. So they can't spread it to other players on the court. The NBA can't make the virus go away but that's the point, obviously.

Dude the whole sixers team got it, 9 cavs players in total have gotten it...Where are you getting that they aren't spreading it? They are obviously spreading it to each other. Guys aren't testing positive and playing the games and the next day they are positive. It's beyond obvious guys are spreading it to each other and the tests aren't picking them up quick enough.

It's useless...By next week you'll see 3-4 more teams with complete outbreaks and these tests aren't stopping it.

I get all that. And I said I could get behind letting vaxed players play. But I'm also pointing out that, as bad as things are, they could get even worse if you stop testing and just let guys play and spread it to an even greater degree. I'm considering both sides and don't have a strong opinion at this point.

[kombayn]

They should suspend season or turn back to a bubble thing they had two seasons ago.

Too much money involved. The NFL and NFLPA are basically getting rid of the measures as players barely showing any symptoms now. The NBA and NBPA are going to end up taking this course like the NFL. Push for boosters but both leagues are over 95% vaxxed. Just have severe penalties for the unvaxxed. Mandatory two week sit out and keep making them take tests everyday or even twice a day. Make it so annoying they have to go with it.

[BigDan245]

Well they are removing players who have the virus from the games. So they can't spread it to other players on the court. The NBA can't make the virus go away but that's the point, obviously.

Dude the whole sixers team got it, 9 cavs players in total have gotten it...Where are you getting that they aren't spreading it? They are obviously spreading it to each other. Guys aren't testing positive and playing the games and the next day they are positive. It's beyond obvious guys are spreading it to each other and the tests aren't picking them up quick enough.

It's useless...By next week you'll see 3-4 more teams with complete outbreaks and these tests aren't stopping it.

I get all that. And I said I could get behind letting vaxed players play. But I'm also pointing out that, as bad as things are, they could get even worse if you stop testing and just let guys play and spread it to an even greater degree. I'm considering both sides and don't have a strong opinion at this point.

I don't get how it can get worse because they are getting covid no matter what. Whether they sit them or play them, entire teams are getting ravaged.

I could see if only 2-3 players per team were getting it and sitting these guys was stopping a complete outbreak, but it's not. I'd be so happy if it were the case only a few guys were getting it. But the protocols are not working for anybody. They need to be changed to something that actually makes sense.

[thelead]

Guys without covid are not going to want to play against confirmed covid players; vaxxed or not. No one wants to take covid home with them to their families.

[bisme37]

I think the bubble idea is not feasible at this point. Where are they going to go that's big enough, has all the hotel rooms and basketball courts, and is completely empty and ready for the NBA to move in? Disneyworld is full of tourists and it wasn't big enough the first time, which is why the bottom 8 teams were excluded.

[bisme37]

Guys without covid are not going to want to play against confirmed covid players; vaxxed or not. No one wants to take covid home with them to their families.

Good point. We see these guys as video game characters but they are real people with stuff to consider on and off the court.

[BigDan245]

Guys without covid are not going to want to play against confirmed covid players; vaxxed or not. No one wants to take covid home with them to their families.

They wouldn't be testing asymptomatic vaxxed players

[thelead]

Guys without covid are not going to want to play against confirmed covid players; vaxxed or not. No one wants to take covid home with them to their families.

They wouldn't be testing asymptomatic vaxxed players

We'll see if the NBAPA will be cool with that. The NFLPA wishes they had the pull that NBA players have.

[BigDan245]

Guys without covid are not going to want to play against confirmed covid players; vaxxed or not. No one wants to take covid home with them to their families.

They wouldn't be testing asymptomatic vaxxed players

We'll see if the NBAPA will be cool with that. The NFLPA wish they had the pull that NBA players have.

NFL just decided to do that a few days ago

[thelead]

They wouldn't be testing asymptomatic vaxxed players

We'll see if the NBAPA will be cool with that. The NFLPA wish they had the pull that NBA players have.

NFL just decided to do that a few days ago

Right but how much say did the NFLPA have in it?

[DowJones]

Why wouldn't the NBAPA go for it? Do the players really want to cram a bunch of regular season games in during the 2nd half of the season? I don't really see a need to test asymptomatic vaxxed players. How many other lines of work have testing like this?

[ItsDanger]

They could reschedule non covid depleted teams to play each other. Kind of a logistics nightmare but I'm sure you could knock off some games instead of postponing so many. NHL did that.

[Bucksmaniac]

Okay so.. is it time to stop the zero covid stuff???

It’s either time to do that or do a week or two long shutdown while the powers that be look at a new policy.

There won't be any shutdown. People in the United States won't tolerate it anymore. Europeans are pushing back on it too. The Biden Admin and Fauci are starting to change the messaging about pushing for boosters, mask wearing and keeping hospitalizations/deaths very low over zero-COVID. Also they are mentioning the viral pill which can be the game changer.

Simple thing is to do is get vaxxed and boosted, mask up in high risk situations. I saw Spider-Man last night. I wore my mask the whole time I was there. I dine at restaurants which is a risk but I'm willing to take. I'm vaxxed, I feel safe and I'll mask accordingly as my risk assessment. This is where we should be at.

The NFL and NFLPA are throwing in the towel and basically dumping the measures as players are not getting severely ill. Time for the NBA and NBPA to start looking at this as well. I 100% expect MLB to have no measures in place with most likely a shortened season. Time to make tough choices.

To clarify I meant NBA shutdown while we’re hitting such high caseloads.

[kombayn]

It’s either time to do that or do a week or two long shutdown while the powers that be look at a new policy.

There won't be any shutdown. People in the United States won't tolerate it anymore. Europeans are pushing back on it too. The Biden Admin and Fauci are starting to change the messaging about pushing for boosters, mask wearing and keeping hospitalizations/deaths very low over zero-COVID. Also they are mentioning the viral pill which can be the game changer.

Simple thing is to do is get vaxxed and boosted, mask up in high risk situations. I saw Spider-Man last night. I wore my mask the whole time I was there. I dine at restaurants which is a risk but I'm willing to take. I'm vaxxed, I feel safe and I'll mask accordingly as my risk assessment. This is where we should be at.

The NFL and NFLPA are throwing in the towel and basically dumping the measures as players are not getting severely ill. Time for the NBA and NBPA to start looking at this as well. I 100% expect MLB to have no measures in place with most likely a shortened season. Time to make tough choices.

To clarify I meant NBA shutdown while we’re hitting such high caseloads.

Again, too much money involved. It's affecting stadium workers if you do that as well. TV money, etc. The NBA is going to switch the protocol stance. I think they'll go the NFL route, when DeRozan literally said the only symptom he felt was boredom. And others have mild symptoms, gotta take a look at this and think... Hmm...

[DaddyCool19]

Can't they shut the league down for 2-3 weeks to get things in control? Tell the players to quarantine themselves for those 2-3 weeks and finish the season with 5-10 less games played. That way you wouldn't force too many b2b on them and they would be rather healthy for the playoffs.

[og15]

As it relates to Omicron, so far the news out of South Africa (which has enough data to have relevance vs UK for example) actually bodes well as their data is showing high spread, but low overall virulence, that is large drops in Hospitalization and death rates compared to previous waves.

Now, many countries are taking steps out of fear and or extra caution, but hopefully as more data comes in the result is that it's a milder strain which would be very good for everyone. How that affects the NBA'S decisions, I don't know. Infection rate is not the only important parameter, but it is a large factor.

Here is a useful interview to get a breakdown of the situation:
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/amp/2021/12/how-mild-is-omicron-really.html

[Freighttrain]

At some point, as more games are being postponed, you will probably have to open up the calendar and create an extra month or so for all the games that will need to be played. Fans in the stands plus TV money are the most important thing, so I can't see them cutting games and leaving certain records for where each team might land upon after the final game at the end of April. However, by adding an extra month it would mean the finals would be played in July, which might hit the ratings as more people will be on vacation and stuff. Al in all, it's probably going to be another financial loss. (I say this, but each individual NBA team franchise worth has gone up from the previous year, so there's that as well, but it can't be good for ESPN or TNT.)