2 min read • December 21, 2021
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The NBA had another tumultuous weekend as it copes with outbreaks of COVID-19 throughout multiple marquee teams, eventually postponing 5 more contests after the positive tests of stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Trae Young.
As the league approaches its biggest day and attempts to trudge forward, here are the basic numbers of the state of the coronavirus in the association:
There are currently 78 players in health and safety protocols, and in total, there have been 112 in the 2021-22 season
There have been 69 players placed in protocols since Dec. 14, good for 9.86 a day. The single-day high is 17 on Dec. 17
The headliners currently out are: Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Trae Young, Evan Mobley, Anthony Edwards, Zach Lavine, Andrew Wiggins, and Pascal Siakam
34 players have cleared protocols, with an average time of 10.9 days. The player who spent the longest was Joel Embiid at 21 days, and the players who have spent the shortest are LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Kent Bazemore, who were each cleared in 2 days
The teams with the most players out are the Nets with 10, Cavaliers and Celtics with 7, and Bulls, Lakers, and Kings with 6 (the Celtics, Kings, and Bulls each played on Monday night)
23 teams have at least 1 player in protocols, and the 7 that don't are the Suns, Jazz, Blazers, Spurs, Wizards, Rockets, Pelicans, Pistons, and Pacers
7 games have been postponed: 2 for the Bulls, 2 for the Nets, 1 for the Cavaliers, 1 for the Magic, and 1 for the 76ers. Each of those games were postponed because 1 of the teams involved couldn't field the required 8 healthy bodies to play
The NBA and NBPA have agreed to new testing and roster rules to avoid more postponements and lubricate player availability. Under those rules, teams with at least 2 players in protocols are required to sign a replacement player, and 2-way players now have no maximum games allowed. Also, starting Dec. 26, players and staff will be tested on game days, except for those who received their booster shot or have recently recovered from the virus.
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