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NBA Injuries-COVID Protocols Piling Up Early In Season (2021-2022)
ChillyDawg
Member Posts: 1,469
CBS Sports (click for full article) https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-injuries-michael-porter-jr-needs-back-surgery-joe-harris-to-miss-4-8-weeks-after-ankle-procedure/
To see more injury updates around the league, click here https://www.cbssports.com/nba/injuries/daily/. *Note: LeBron James (LAL) & Justin Holiday (Pacers) are both out COVID Protocols as of today.
Michael Porter Jr.
DENVER NUGGETS SF
INJURY: Back (surgery) | STATUS: Likely out for season
Porter will undergo surgery for his lower back, per his agent Mark Bartelstein, and is reportedly expected to miss the remainder of the season following the procedure. Earlier in the month, Porter came up limping after missing a breakaway layup. It's not clear exactly what happened, but he didn't get any lift as he tried to go to the rim, and left the game a short time later. The Nuggets originally listed the injury as lower back soreness, but after additional testing it was determined that he would need to undergo yet another back surgery.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
ATLANTA HAWKS SG
INJURY: Right ankle sprain | STATUS: Out at least two weeks
An MRI revealed that Bogdanovic would miss at least the next two weeks with a right ankle sprain, after having to be helped off the court in the second quarter of Atlanta's 99-90 loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Ja Morant
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES PG
INJURY: Knee sprain | STATUS: Out indefinitely
Morant left Memphis' 132-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night in the first quarter with a left knee injury. Morant didn't return to the contest, and afterward he underwent testing that revealed a knee sprain. There is not yet a timeline for a return, though there is relief around the organization that the injury isn't something more serious. Morant will undergo further testing in the coming days, and more will be learned about the severity of the injury at that point.
Zion Williamson
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS PF
INJURY: Fractured foot | STATUS: No return date set
Zion Williamson has been cleared to participate in full team activities, the New Orleans Pelicans announced on Friday. Williamson underwent imaging on his fractured right foot on Wednesday, and was medically cleared. The All-Star forward played full court 4-on-4 on Friday, and he will continue his progression toward returning to play from there, per the Pelicans. No estimated return date has been provided at this point.
Kawhi Leonard
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS SF
INJURY: Knee (torn ACL) | STATUS: Out indefinitely
Leonard went down with a torn ACL during the second round of the playoffs last season, and has not played since. It's still unclear if he's going to return this season, but if he does it won't be until some time in the spring. There likely won't be any definitive updates until then, and whether or not the Clippers can hang in the playoff race will likely play a part in determining his recovery plan.
Klay Thompson
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS SG
INJURY: Achilles | STATUS: Hoping to return before Christmas
The last time we saw Thompson was Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Since then he's undergone two major surgeries, one for a torn ACL and the other for a torn Achilles tendon. Now, finally, he's on the verge of a return. He was cleared for 5-on-5 practice last week, and Golden State recently assigned him to play with the team's G League affiliate team, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Thompson is back to playing 5-on-5 again, and a recent report from The Athletic indicated that Thompson has been cleared to be a full participant in practice. If all goes well, the Warriors are hoping to have Thompson back ahead of Christmas. That would be a major boost to a team that already has the best record in the league.
Jamal Murray
DENVER NUGGETS PG
INJURY: Knee (torn ACL) | STATUS: Out indefinitely
The Nuggets have been without their star guard since late last season, when he tore his ACL against the Warriors. Murray has been ramping up his workouts and said recently that he feels "great." However, he won't be back on the court until some time in the spring at the earliest. Whether the Nuggets can remain afloat without him and Porter remains to be seen.
Kyrie Irving
BROOKLYN NETS PG
INJURY: Personal; COVID restrictions | STATUS: No timeline for return
Irving falls into the same category as Ben Simmons, where he's not actually injured, but he has to be mentioned since he hasn't played all season. The Nets star is still unvaccinated against COVID-19, which means he is not able to enter Barclays Center for home games due to New York City's health mandates. While Irving would be eligible to play on the road, the Nets decided not to include him as a part-time player. He's been away from the team since training camp, and will not play until he either receives the vaccine or the mandates in New York change.
Ben Simmons
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS PG
INJURY: Mental health | STATUS: No timeline for return
The Simmons saga is well known at this point. And though he doesn't have a physical injury we'll include him here since he is reportedly dealing with mental health issues. He doesn't want to play for the Sixers anymore, and the team hasn't found a trade they like and neither side will budge as the standoff continues. Most recently, the two sides have been in dispute over Simmons' mental health treatment, and the team recently resumed fining Simmons.
Joe Harris
BROOKLYN NETS SG
INJURY: Back (surgery) | STATUS: Out 4-8 weeks
Joe Harris will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle on Monday to remove a "little bone particle" that is stuck in there, Nets coach Steve Nash told reporters. Harris will be sidelined 4-8 eight weeks, his agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Brooklyn has been without Harris for the last two weeks, and has gone 5-2 in that span. Until Harris returns, Nash will have to continue to tinker with his rotation, balancing shooting and defense as he sees fit.
Nicolas Batum
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS PF
INJURY: COVID-19 | STATUS: Out indefinitely
Batum was the latest player to enter the league's health and safety protocols, and missed the Clippers' win over the Mavericks on Sunday. He'll miss at least 10 days, according to a report from The Athletic , while head coach Ty Lue said , "I'm not sure the days, but I expect him to be out (a while) ... not sure the timetable." Batum will be a big loss for the Clippers, who are already without star wing Kawhi Leonard.
Patrick Williams
CHICAGO BULLS PF
INJURY: Wrist (surgery) | STATUS: Out until at least April
Williams, the No. 4 overall pick last year, was off to an encouraging start along with the Bulls. But against the New York Knicks he took a hard foul from Mitchell Robinson and suffered a serious wrist injury upon landing. He is out until at least April due to a dislocation and torn ligaments that required surgery. We should get an update in the spring about whether or not he'll be able to return for the playoffs -- assuming the Bulls continue in this form and make a deep run.
Collin Sexton
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS SG
INJURY: Knee (torn meniscus) | STATUS: Out for season
The Cavaliers' fourth-year guard went down with a knee injury against the Knicks in early November. A few weeks later, the team announced that he had in fact suffered a torn meniscus, which required season-ending surgery. There's never a good time for a major injury, but this was especially unfortunate for Sexton, who is set to be a free agent this summer. Sexton was reportedly looking for a deal in the four-year, $100 million range, and it will be interesting to see if he can still command that value.
James Wiseman
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS C
INJURY: Knee (torn meniscus) | STATUS: Hoping to return soon
Wiseman's frustrating rookie campaign came to an end back in April when he tore his meniscus upon landing from a dunk attempt. He's been sidelined since then but is now closing in on a return. Earlier this month he returned to practice and has had no setbacks since amping up his activity level. He hasn't been cleared for 5-on-5 yet, but the Warriors did assign him to practice with the Santa Cruz Warriors to get reps in before making a return. While they haven't determined a specific game just yet, the Warriors could have him back in the lineup very soon.
Brook Lopez
MILWAUKEE BUCKS C
INJURY: Back | STATUS: Out indefinitely
Milwaukee has gotten off to a rough start in its title defense, largely due to injuries. One of the most notable is Lopez's back injury, which has kept him off the court since opening night. It's still not clear exactly what's wrong, but Lopez does seem to be on the mend. "My low back has been coming along pretty positively the last couple of weeks," Lopez said in a recent interview . "We've done some off-court stuff the past couple of days and we just keep ramping it up. It's going very well."
Markelle Fultz
ORLANDO MAGIC PG
INJURY: Knee (torn ACL) | STATUS: Out indefinitely
Fultz seemed like he had finally found a home with the Magic last season, and then he almost immediately tore his ACL in a cruel twist of fate. The Magic front office has been pretty tight-lipped about any sort of updates, but Wendell Carter Jr. revealed in a recent interview that Fultz is now back on the court. "Markelle's been in a couple of the practices with us," Carter said . "Kinda just running through the plays, doing some defensive stuff with us. He looks good." That's a positive sign, but it's still unclear when Fultz will be ready for games again.
To see more injury updates around the league, click here https://www.cbssports.com/nba/injuries/daily/. *Note: LeBron James (LAL) & Justin Holiday (Pacers) are both out COVID Protocols as of today.
Michael Porter Jr.
DENVER NUGGETS SF
INJURY: Back (surgery) | STATUS: Likely out for season
Porter will undergo surgery for his lower back, per his agent Mark Bartelstein, and is reportedly expected to miss the remainder of the season following the procedure. Earlier in the month, Porter came up limping after missing a breakaway layup. It's not clear exactly what happened, but he didn't get any lift as he tried to go to the rim, and left the game a short time later. The Nuggets originally listed the injury as lower back soreness, but after additional testing it was determined that he would need to undergo yet another back surgery.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
ATLANTA HAWKS SG
INJURY: Right ankle sprain | STATUS: Out at least two weeks
An MRI revealed that Bogdanovic would miss at least the next two weeks with a right ankle sprain, after having to be helped off the court in the second quarter of Atlanta's 99-90 loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Ja Morant
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES PG
INJURY: Knee sprain | STATUS: Out indefinitely
Morant left Memphis' 132-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night in the first quarter with a left knee injury. Morant didn't return to the contest, and afterward he underwent testing that revealed a knee sprain. There is not yet a timeline for a return, though there is relief around the organization that the injury isn't something more serious. Morant will undergo further testing in the coming days, and more will be learned about the severity of the injury at that point.
Zion Williamson
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS PF
INJURY: Fractured foot | STATUS: No return date set
Zion Williamson has been cleared to participate in full team activities, the New Orleans Pelicans announced on Friday. Williamson underwent imaging on his fractured right foot on Wednesday, and was medically cleared. The All-Star forward played full court 4-on-4 on Friday, and he will continue his progression toward returning to play from there, per the Pelicans. No estimated return date has been provided at this point.
Kawhi Leonard
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS SF
INJURY: Knee (torn ACL) | STATUS: Out indefinitely
Leonard went down with a torn ACL during the second round of the playoffs last season, and has not played since. It's still unclear if he's going to return this season, but if he does it won't be until some time in the spring. There likely won't be any definitive updates until then, and whether or not the Clippers can hang in the playoff race will likely play a part in determining his recovery plan.
Klay Thompson
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS SG
INJURY: Achilles | STATUS: Hoping to return before Christmas
The last time we saw Thompson was Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Since then he's undergone two major surgeries, one for a torn ACL and the other for a torn Achilles tendon. Now, finally, he's on the verge of a return. He was cleared for 5-on-5 practice last week, and Golden State recently assigned him to play with the team's G League affiliate team, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Thompson is back to playing 5-on-5 again, and a recent report from The Athletic indicated that Thompson has been cleared to be a full participant in practice. If all goes well, the Warriors are hoping to have Thompson back ahead of Christmas. That would be a major boost to a team that already has the best record in the league.
Jamal Murray
DENVER NUGGETS PG
INJURY: Knee (torn ACL) | STATUS: Out indefinitely
The Nuggets have been without their star guard since late last season, when he tore his ACL against the Warriors. Murray has been ramping up his workouts and said recently that he feels "great." However, he won't be back on the court until some time in the spring at the earliest. Whether the Nuggets can remain afloat without him and Porter remains to be seen.
Kyrie Irving
BROOKLYN NETS PG
INJURY: Personal; COVID restrictions | STATUS: No timeline for return
Irving falls into the same category as Ben Simmons, where he's not actually injured, but he has to be mentioned since he hasn't played all season. The Nets star is still unvaccinated against COVID-19, which means he is not able to enter Barclays Center for home games due to New York City's health mandates. While Irving would be eligible to play on the road, the Nets decided not to include him as a part-time player. He's been away from the team since training camp, and will not play until he either receives the vaccine or the mandates in New York change.
Ben Simmons
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS PG
INJURY: Mental health | STATUS: No timeline for return
The Simmons saga is well known at this point. And though he doesn't have a physical injury we'll include him here since he is reportedly dealing with mental health issues. He doesn't want to play for the Sixers anymore, and the team hasn't found a trade they like and neither side will budge as the standoff continues. Most recently, the two sides have been in dispute over Simmons' mental health treatment, and the team recently resumed fining Simmons.
Joe Harris
BROOKLYN NETS SG
INJURY: Back (surgery) | STATUS: Out 4-8 weeks
Joe Harris will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle on Monday to remove a "little bone particle" that is stuck in there, Nets coach Steve Nash told reporters. Harris will be sidelined 4-8 eight weeks, his agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Brooklyn has been without Harris for the last two weeks, and has gone 5-2 in that span. Until Harris returns, Nash will have to continue to tinker with his rotation, balancing shooting and defense as he sees fit.
Nicolas Batum
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS PF
INJURY: COVID-19 | STATUS: Out indefinitely
Batum was the latest player to enter the league's health and safety protocols, and missed the Clippers' win over the Mavericks on Sunday. He'll miss at least 10 days, according to a report from The Athletic , while head coach Ty Lue said , "I'm not sure the days, but I expect him to be out (a while) ... not sure the timetable." Batum will be a big loss for the Clippers, who are already without star wing Kawhi Leonard.
Patrick Williams
CHICAGO BULLS PF
INJURY: Wrist (surgery) | STATUS: Out until at least April
Williams, the No. 4 overall pick last year, was off to an encouraging start along with the Bulls. But against the New York Knicks he took a hard foul from Mitchell Robinson and suffered a serious wrist injury upon landing. He is out until at least April due to a dislocation and torn ligaments that required surgery. We should get an update in the spring about whether or not he'll be able to return for the playoffs -- assuming the Bulls continue in this form and make a deep run.
Collin Sexton
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS SG
INJURY: Knee (torn meniscus) | STATUS: Out for season
The Cavaliers' fourth-year guard went down with a knee injury against the Knicks in early November. A few weeks later, the team announced that he had in fact suffered a torn meniscus, which required season-ending surgery. There's never a good time for a major injury, but this was especially unfortunate for Sexton, who is set to be a free agent this summer. Sexton was reportedly looking for a deal in the four-year, $100 million range, and it will be interesting to see if he can still command that value.
James Wiseman
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS C
INJURY: Knee (torn meniscus) | STATUS: Hoping to return soon
Wiseman's frustrating rookie campaign came to an end back in April when he tore his meniscus upon landing from a dunk attempt. He's been sidelined since then but is now closing in on a return. Earlier this month he returned to practice and has had no setbacks since amping up his activity level. He hasn't been cleared for 5-on-5 yet, but the Warriors did assign him to practice with the Santa Cruz Warriors to get reps in before making a return. While they haven't determined a specific game just yet, the Warriors could have him back in the lineup very soon.
Brook Lopez
MILWAUKEE BUCKS C
INJURY: Back | STATUS: Out indefinitely
Milwaukee has gotten off to a rough start in its title defense, largely due to injuries. One of the most notable is Lopez's back injury, which has kept him off the court since opening night. It's still not clear exactly what's wrong, but Lopez does seem to be on the mend. "My low back has been coming along pretty positively the last couple of weeks," Lopez said in a recent interview . "We've done some off-court stuff the past couple of days and we just keep ramping it up. It's going very well."
Markelle Fultz
ORLANDO MAGIC PG
INJURY: Knee (torn ACL) | STATUS: Out indefinitely
Fultz seemed like he had finally found a home with the Magic last season, and then he almost immediately tore his ACL in a cruel twist of fate. The Magic front office has been pretty tight-lipped about any sort of updates, but Wendell Carter Jr. revealed in a recent interview that Fultz is now back on the court. "Markelle's been in a couple of the practices with us," Carter said . "Kinda just running through the plays, doing some defensive stuff with us. He looks good." That's a positive sign, but it's still unclear when Fultz will be ready for games again.
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NBA COVID-19 health and safety protocols tracker: Masai Ujiri tests positive, several stars now out.
It can be a lot to keep track of, but we're here to help. Below you'll find a list of all the players currently in the NBA's protocols, along with how long they're expected to be out.
Team executives and other health officials around the NBA said they expect that more players will have to enter health and safety protocols after Christmas and New Year's due to the likelihood of increasing cases of COVID-19 nationwide as people gather indoors for the holidays.
Looming over the current uptick is the spread of the Omicron variant nationally, though one league source said it hasn't yet been detected in the NBA. Entering the season, infectious disease experts told ESPN that the winter months would be the most challenging.
"Most of us consider it a matter of when, not if," a Western Conference general manager said of the Omicron variant spreading through the NBA.
As of Monday afternoon, 46 NBA players have entered health and safety protocols this season, 41 of whom have missed games. Over the past two weeks, 31 players have entered the protocols, including 10 Chicago Bulls in the past week, leading to two of their games being postponed this week, the league announced Monday.
Two G-League games were postponed on Friday and Saturday because too many players were in health and safety protocols.
Team executives and team health officials across the league had previously said they didn't expect the NBA to cancel or postpone games because of recent outbreaks.
As this surge continues, with 21 players remaining in health and safety protocols, general managers and team health officials across the league describe a sense of resignation and uncertainty as to what could slow the rising number of players in protocols.
Citing its high vaccination rate, the NBA has not mandated daily testing of all vaccinated players and staff this season. But acknowledging concerns about increased cases around the Thanksgiving holiday, the NBA and NBPA agreed for every player and Tier 1 staffer (anyone working within 15 feet of players) to be tested daily from Nov. 28-30, including those who are vaccinated. Such increased testing was temporary and didn't apply to any team that didn't play or practice during that time frame
ESPN https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32756347/sources-nba-recommend-boosters-further-vaccinations-based-covid-19-study-findings
Sportsnet https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/report-nba-memo-warns-unvaccinated-players-cross-border-travel/
RealGM https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/265111/NBA-Postpones-Five-Games-Through-Tuesday
The postponed games are:
- Denver Nuggets at Brooklyn Nets - Sunday, December 19
- Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks - Sunday, December 19
- New Orleans Pelicans at Philadelphia 76ers - Sunday, December 19
- Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors - Monday, December 20
- Washington Wizards at Brooklyn Nets - Tuesday, December 21
This brings the total number of postponed games to seven. The league previously postponed two Chicago Bulls games against the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors.The NBA and NBPA are continuing talks on increased roster sizes, as well as lack of cap/tax penalties when a player is signed via hardship.
ESPN (Pt 1): NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks with Malika Andrews on NBA Today about the rising total of COVID cases in the league. Silver says there are no current plans to pause the season, then also discusses testing and the importance of players getting a booster shot.
ESPN (Pt 2): NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks with Malika Andrews on NBA Today about the rising total of COVID cases in the league.
House Of Highlights: Inside the NBA Crew react to Adam Silver's comments on How Covid-19 is affecting the NBA.