2 min read • December 13, 2021
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Another rush of NBA players were placed in the league's health and safety protocols this weekend, pushing the league-wide total to 24 as of Sunday night at 6 p.m.
Those 24 players in protocols are, in no particular order: Ja Morant, Lamelo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Zach Lavine, Dillon Brooks, R.J. Barrett, Kyle Kuzma, Javonte Green, Precious Achiuwa, Josh Richardson, Mason Plumlee, Derrick Jones Jr, Coby White, Caleb Martin, Justin Holiday, Austin Rivers, Obi Toppin, Jalen McDaniels, Ayo Dosunmu, Troy Brown Jr., Ish Smith, Matt Thomas, Stanley Johnson, and Wesley Matthews.
In part because of the improved protocols and high league-wide vaccine rates, the NBA has yet to cancel or postpone a game this season, but are considering it a possibility if the Bulls lose any more players to COVID, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The league postponed 31 games last season.
The NBA's rules state that a team has to have at least 8 healthy bodies to play a game. The Bulls stand at 9, with a game coming Tuesday versus the Pistons.
The association may be facing that option as an eventuality if current trends continue: since Dec. 1, 27 players from 9 different teams have tested positive for COVID-19. Up to that point, only 13 had been reported since the start of the season (Oct. 19), while 2 Celtics tested positive before the season.
The main victims of the recent outbreaks are the Bulls with 9 and Hornets with 4, while the Knicks and Grizzlies both have 2, and the Heat, Bucks, Nuggets, Wizards, Celtics, and Raptors have 1 apiece.
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