Prior to training camp starting the NBA has sent a 100 plus page safety and health guideline protocol manual to all teams including the OKC Thunder.
With training camp set to open on Tuesday, December 1st there are more than the typical bits of housekeeping for the OKC Thunder to attend to. Aside from the fact, the roster has undergone a major upheaval this season will present a unique set of circumstances for teams to address.
That is due to the coronavirus which is actually more of a problem now than it was when teams went to Orlando to finish the 2019-20 season in the Disney bubble.
The difference is twofold, first, the NBA like the rest of the world know more about COVID-19. Second, while the bubble was a resounding success it isn’t sustainable. To add clarity to those statements I’m not suggesting everything is known about the coronavirus as scientists are still studying (and will be) the nuances of the disease and the long-term effects.
As for the Disney bubble although no one got sick and the association kept everyone safe there was a cost paid by the athletes to be isolated from their loved ones and from their communities for so long. Fans can relate as most have experienced a lockdown and being isolated from friends and loved ones. More than anything it takes a toll on you psychologically.
Ultimately, recreating a bubble wasn’t feasible from a cost perspective for the NBA or from a realistic perspective for the player and teams.
OKC Thunder receive COVID-19 health and safety protocols
That means the 2020-21 season (other than the Toronto Raptors) teams will conduct business through the use of their own facilities and arenas. It won’t be business as usual, however, as the pandemic is still a primary concern and as such specific guidelines will need to be observed.
ESPN writer Tim Bontemps updates on a 134-page guide detailing health and safety measures the league has issued.
Other than day to day protocols the guide details how teams will handle the situation when a player tests positive for COVID-19. Players who test positive will undergo specific procedures including being isolated which can occur in housing the team sets up. Travel parties will be limited to 45 per team.
"Either way, any player who is determined to have a new positive case from testing — whether they have symptoms or not — will not be allowed to participate in any exercise training for at least 10 days from either the positive test or the resolution of symptoms, if they have any.Once a player has waited that minimum of 10 days, they then must spend two days working out by themselves, not interacting with anyone or participating in any team activities, wearing a mask at all times when at the facility — whether they are working out or not — and must participate in a cardiac screening. So any player who tests positive will have to miss a minimum of 12 days before they can return to play."
The most noteworthy aspect of Bontemps’ report is the league is not stating what will happen if there is a widespread outbreak or if the NBA needs to suspend again.
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As we know the league is only going to put out the first part of the schedule for the 2020-21 campaign to allow for rescheduling where it will likely need to occur.
The question that looms is what happens if there is a team-wide outbreak that requires the entire team to be quarantined? This isn’t the NFL where teams only play once a week and wear helmets.
I’m also wondering if players and staff will be among the first to receive vaccines. Certainly, front line health care workers, older people, and those with preexisting health conditions should be the first to be vaccinated. However, it won’t be surprising if even just the approximately 450 to 500 players are among those who get vaccinated shortly after those priority groups so the league can conduct games without the worry of entire teams getting infected. Even if this is the case though it’s likely to take several months to vaccinate the priority groups.
That makes for a very precarious situation as the NBA head into the season with training camp starting on Tuesday (December 1st), preseason games on Dec 11th, and the season tipping off on December 22nd.
With squads flying all over the country and the pandemic hitting new daily highs in most states this is definitely going to be a situation where teams and the league will need to adjust and adapt.
Here’s hoping the OKC Thunder group stays safe and healthy and each of you as well.