Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Raptors Forced to Adjust as COVID-19 Worsens Around the NBA
Months of smooth sailing in the NBA are over. COVID-19 cases are on the rise again and this pandemic isn’t going anywhere.
It’s a reality the Toronto Raptors were reminded of this past weekend when Masai Ujiri’s Giants of Africa event turned into a COVID-19 hotspot. Multiple people including Ujiri have since tested positive and now Raptors center Precious Achiuwa has entered the league’s Health & Safety protocols, deemed a close contact of a positive case by the Ontario government.
Around the league, these past few weeks have seen more players enter COVID protocols than any other this season. The Chicago Bulls — who are scheduled to play in Toronto on Thursday — have nine players in COVID protocols. Even some of the players they signed to replace the missing players are now sidelined. In total, there are 22 players currently in league protocols, excluding both Ujiri and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle who both tested positive this week.
For the Raptors, this week has been unlike any other this season. Ujiri’s case forced Toronto to shut down practice on Thursday. Players are now being asked to wear masks at practice and Raptors coach Nick Nurse, who attended the Giants of Africa event but was not deemed a close contact, has returned to wearing a mask on the Raptors sideline for the first time this year.
“I think it’s kind of just reality,” Nurse said following Sunday’s practice. “When there’s a situation that we’ve been made aware of, then you step up and do everything you’re asked to do. And you do it together and you do it with a positivity.”
Toronto sits in a unique situation in the league, being the only NBA team outside of the United States where the pandemic is being handled very differently. Achiuwa, for example, is not required to isolate by NBA rules because he is fully vaccinated. However, because he plays in Toronto he’ll have to isolate for 10 days, dating back to December 5, and therefore the Raptors will be without both their starting centers as Khem Birch remains out with knee swelling.
“Covid is still real, it’s still going on,” said Justin Champagnie who has had to help fill the void Achiuwa and Birch’s injuries have created.
Unfortunately, the Raptors are well accustomed to dealing with the uneasiness of COVID-19. Last season they had multiple players test positive for the virus and spent weeks trying to navigate missing players and heightened security all while living in Tampa.
In Toronto, COVID cases have been on the rise with higher cases than any time in the last six months. Events are already being canceled. Nurse's Christmas charity event is being altered and doesn't sound like it's going to be in-person anymore. Overall, it's a scary and concerning picture, especially in a city that has had longer and more strict lockdowns than anywhere else in the NBA.
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