Official NBA COVID Protocol thread (please read the OP)

[Up-And-Coming]

There certainly seems to be a pretty significant uptick recently even while the vast majority are vaccinated, possibly due to Omicron. This looks like it could get bumpy. Even our coach (Vogel) was sidelined due to health & safety protocols.

Just read that even Wiggins is out due to Covid. The guy got vaccinated 10 weeks ago. People need to learn to live with players (and society in general) getting covid, especially in cold weather months, and realize that its not likely to cause much damage to healthy people anymore-- especially athletes-- beyond maximum a couple of weeks of recovery from their body after fighting a strong virus (and minimum feeling a bit icky for a few days like with a light cold).

An estimated 710,000 Americans were hospitalized with the flu in 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_influenza_statistics_by_flu_season

The number of people being hospitalized in the US this year due to covid (so far) is 880,000.

https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/covid-19-hospitalizations/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D


I know Covid is more lethal for at-risk people, so don't want to draw a direct comparison, but as far as being worried about it affecting the NBA season, I almost wonder if the league needs to scale back measures so that any team that is vaccinated doesn't need to keep people out longer than it takes for the player to feel healthy again (much like they'd do with any other viral infection from past seasons) rather than the more rigid protocols they have now.

I'm not saying what they should or shouldn't do but as much as we like to watch NBA games I seriously doubt they will scale back protocols unless the NFL and other sports leagues changes theres also. My gut says this season could get bumpy real soon w/ prolonged interruptions. Not ideal but we'll see

[DaeDae]

4th season in a row if you count the injuries to KD and Klay in the 2019 Finals.

6th season in a row if you asterisk the two titles won by KD being a cupcake snake. 2019 would have gotten an asterisk anyway even if KD didn't get hurt.

2016 was legit (unless you believe in the Curry was injured excuse), but 2015 also has an asterisk because of all the injuries the Warriors benefited from. 2014 was definitely legit.

Wait, what? So we are just going to overlook the Bogut and Iggy injuries too?

yes.

I think the absence of rim protection after Bogut's injury was the bigger deal breaker than Curry's ankle.

[JujitsuFlip]

There certainly seems to be a pretty significant uptick recently even while the vast majority are vaccinated, possibly due to Omicron. This looks like it could get bumpy. Even our coach (Vogel) was sidelined due to health & safety protocols.

Just read that even Wiggins is out due to Covid. The guy got vaccinated 10 weeks ago. People need to learn to live with players (and society in general) getting covid, especially in cold weather months, and realize that its not likely to cause much damage to healthy people anymore-- especially athletes-- beyond maximum a couple of weeks of recovery from their body after fighting a strong virus (and minimum feeling a bit icky for a few days like with a light cold).

An estimated 710,000 Americans were hospitalized with the flu in 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_influenza_statistics_by_flu_season

The number of people being hospitalized in the US this year due to covid (so far) is 880,000.

https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/covid-19-hospitalizations/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D


I know Covid is more lethal for at-risk people, so don't want to draw a direct comparison, but as far as being worried about it affecting the NBA season, I almost wonder if the league needs to scale back measures so that any team that is vaccinated doesn't need to keep people out longer than it takes for the player to feel healthy again (much like they'd do with any other viral infection from past seasons) rather than the more rigid protocols they have now.

I'm not saying what they should or shouldn't do but as much as we like to watch NBA games I seriously doubt they will scale back protocols unless the NFL and other sports leagues changes theirs also. My gut says this season could get bumpy real soon w/ prolonged interruptions. Not ideal but we'll see

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-covid-19-protocols-194538465.html

NFL already did. "The NFL will stop mandating weekly COVID-19 tests for asymptomatic vaccinated players, according to memos distributed Saturday that described a major shift in the league's approach to the pandemic".

[Mephariel]

NBA will ban testing of vaccinate players, Toronto Raptors will have to move to USA to finish the season.

You might be on to something. If society did constant testing in all industries, nothing would be able to stay open. If a player is sick and shows symptoms, test them. if they are positive they stay away until they are symptom free and can return when they show a negative test. If you are a vaccinated player you play on as long as you arent showing symptoms, if you are unvaccinated you need to show a negative test. The NBA needs to stop hiding from it and instead managing it.

Not sure what industry you are working in, but in my company, if you are positive, you are definitely not working on site, vaccinated or not.

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[Bill Bradley]

They should be treating it like they would a cold or flu.

It's not the cold or flu. And you treat a cold differently than you treat a flu, so what are you even saying?

Omicron is about as dangerous as the common cold. Flu is far more dangerous.

[Lalouie]

30% dleague and maybe lebron gets to play with bronny early

[Zvaart]

They should be treating it like they would a cold or flu.

It's not the cold or flu. And you treat a cold differently than you treat a flu, so what are you even saying?

Omicron is about as dangerous as the common cold. Flu is far more dangerous.

We don't know that yet.

[HEKTOR]

This is actually not a vaccine debate. It is a health debate. COVID can cause significant symptoms to athletes. There are MMA fighters who went out for over year due to COVID complications. Even if this happens to only a couple of NBA players, it is definitely not something you gloss over. The vaccine prevents serious complications but vaccine or not, risking COVID complications is not smart.

The vaccine can cause significant side effects. Not to mention one can still die from COVID even after taking the vaccine.

[canada_dry]

We're going to have an asterisk champion for the third season in a row.

4th season in a row if you count the injuries to KD and Klay in the 2019 Finals.

6th season in a row if you asterisk the two titles won by KD being a cupcake snake. 2019 would have gotten an asterisk anyway even if KD didn't get hurt.

2016 was legit (unless you believe in the Curry was injured excuse), but 2015 also has an asterisk because of all the injuries the Warriors benefited from. 2014 was definitely legit.

Wait, what? So we are just going to overlook the Bogut and Iggy injuries too?

1. Steph injury
2. Draymond suspension
3.bogut injury (more ezeli in game 7 killed them)
4. Iggy injury.

But ok. Lets just overlook that lol

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[canada_dry]

Wait, what? So we are just going to overlook the Bogut and Iggy injuries too?

yes.

I think the absence of rim protection after Bogut's injury was the bigger deal breaker than Curry's ankle.

So the unanimous mvp being impaired for the whole playoffs by a legit knee injury sustained in the 1st round doesn't matter? Lebron fans should worship at the alter of monteijunas, and drink his back sweat (that made curry slip and injure himself ) as holy water.

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[Courtside]

Why the **** did Wiggins go to Canada to not play?

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I don’t think he went to Canada.

I don't know if he traveled or not, but... Toronto IS his home town, and it's just before Christmas, so I wouldn't blame a guy for wanting to spend even a little time with his family if the team's schedule allowed that to be possible. If he's now positive, that may explain where it came from.

[MrGoat]

They'll keep things rolling with replacement players. It's already happening. We just signed Theo Pinson to a hardship exemption

The NBA and the union recently amended the rules regarding replacement players, in response to the COVID outbreak.

If a team has one player testing positive, they have the option to sign a replacement player without going through the hardship exemption process. If two players are positive, they are required to sign a replacement player. If three or four players are testing positive, then they are required to sign one or two more replacement players, respectively. There are no further requirements, provided that they can field a team of at least 13 players.

[jrask]

something like....

6-8 week break - followed by a bubble (or no fans in arenas)

season ending in late July

[BBallFreak]

They should be treating it like they would a cold or flu.

It's not the cold or flu. And you treat a cold differently than you treat a flu, so what are you even saying?

Omicron is about as dangerous as the common cold. Flu is far more dangerous.

To the vaccinated and otherwise healthy, that appears correct for now. To the unvaccinated? I have my doubts.

We've lost 5.35 million people in this world due to COVID. If you want to underestimate this virus, be my guest. The rest of us have common sense...

[Dennis 37]

They should be treating it like they would a cold or flu.

It's not the cold or flu. And you treat a cold differently than you treat a flu, so what are you even saying?

Omicron is about as dangerous as the common cold. Flu is far more dangerous.

This is the hope, but is it true?

Today, the U.K. Health Security Agency reported that there have already been seven deaths and 85 hospitalizations

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2021/12/18/7-deaths-from-omicron-covid-19-coronavirus-variant-in-uk-showing-its-not-the-omicold/?sh=452a390a2023

[DaGawd]

Read on Twitter

?s=20

[bisme37]

Everyone, please cease and desist with the COVID and vaccine debate. This thread is starting to look like many of our previous attempts at COVID-related threads that resulted in a bunch of people getting strikes and the threads being locked. I really want to avoid that. I'm not going to go back and warn anyone in particular for the most recent comments here but any derailing going forward is subject to discipline. We need to keep this on topic of the NBA, the league's protocols, and the impact on players and teams.

I know these reminders make some of you roll your eyes but I think they are preferable to handing out strikes and suspensions, which isn't fun for anyone. I know it can be hard to keep separate and I know we have some folks who just can't resist getting into debates about the vaccines, etc. But if you try I think you can actually resist it. I believe in us, go team.

[life_saver]

I hope that the league can update the protocols for asymptomatic vaccinated players like how NFL did last week

[CptCrunch]

I hope that the league can update the protocols for asymptomatic vaccinated players like how NFL did last week

I hope this anti-science view of Covid-19 containment is not taken up by the NBA.

NFL is taking the route of least responsibility.

[CM17]

They'll keep things rolling with replacement players. It's already happening. We just signed Theo Pinson to a hardship exemption

The NBA and the union recently amended the rules regarding replacement players, in response to the COVID outbreak.

If a team has one player testing positive, they have the option to sign a replacement player without going through the hardship exemption process. If two players are positive, they are required to sign a replacement player. If three or four players are testing positive, then they are required to sign one or two more replacement players, respectively. There are no further requirements, provided that they can field a team of at least 13 players.

Looks like every GLeague player with NBA experience will get a call up now.