Stricter NBA Covid-19 measures?
Lately we have been seeing more and more games being postponed. Some games are even being played with as few as 8 players. But how is this possible, and what is going on behind the scenes?
Last season
As we all know, the last part of last season was a bit different from what we were used to. Because of Covid-19, the season was finished in the “Bubble”, which was held at Disney World Orlando. A strictly controlled location where the players could finish the season in a safe environment. They were tested several times a day for a swift and safe end to the competition, which was won by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The past few weeks
The NBA is once again testing its players regularly this season, and over the last few days more and more players have tested positive. The games between the Dallas Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans and between the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics were both postponed. This was because too many players tested positive and the teams could not play a proper game. Games have now been postponed three days in a row. Last week the Philadelphia 76ers played with only 8 players on the roster.
Now
The NBA has scheduled 2 meetings to look at how to move forward and whether the health rules need to be tightened even further. By that they mean giving players and staff less freedom of movement. Players and staff are also not allowed to leave the hotel for outings that are not team-related. In addition, there may be less contact with people outside their colleagues, by which they mean family and friends. They are trying to keep all players together in a safe place as much as possible. We hope that in the future fewer or no games will be canceled and that all players stay healthy for the rest of the season. Maybe we will even get fans back this season?
