The NBA is shortening COVID quarantines for players and coaches to six days.
COVID is the biggest storyline in the NBA right now. Nearly every team is dealing with players and coaches entering health and safety protocols. The league is adapting the current protocols to deal with the developing situation.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the NBA is shortening quarantines to six days if the individual is no longer infectious.
The NBA and NBPA agreement comes at a time when players are testing positive and heading into quarantine at an unprecedented rate — 172 have entered Covid protocols in past two weeks, including a single-day high of 27 on Sunday.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 27, 2021
Shortened quarantines are becoming the norm with the Omicron variant. Isolation restrictions are being shortened from 10 days to five days.
Just like that:
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine. https://t.co/f2u6wKmekA
— Ben Siegel (@bensiegel) December 27, 2021
What Does This Mean for the Knicks & Nets?
The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are two teams who have been hit hard by COVID-19 outbreaks. Both squads are still down key players, but that could change with these new rules.
Both teams could use reinforcements. As of Monday afternoon, the Nets have seven players out and the Knicks have three due to health and safety protocols:
Nets
- LaMarcus Aldridge
- David Duke Jr.
- Kevin Durant
- Kessler Edwards
- Kyrie Irving
- Day’Ron Sharpe
- Cam Thomas
Knicks
- Deuce McBride
- Nerlens Noel
- Jericho Sims
Obviously, it’s not as simple as clearing quarantine and stepping back on the court. Some players have been able to do that, but most have needed time to ramp up their conditioning.
The Nets play the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. They are trying to pull off the Los Angeles sweep after beating the Lakers on Christmas.
As for the Knicks, they start a four-game road trip on Tuesday. They have games against the Timberwolves, Pistons, Thunder, and Raptors. The Knickerbockers beat the depleted Atlanta Hawks on Christmas Day.
