MANILA, Philippines — The new NBA season is in full swing, but the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is still greatly affecting its operations.
This as multiple NBA players from across the league continue to miss games due to health protocols as contact tracing continues outside of a "bubble" set-up.
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Just last Thursday (Friday in Manila), the whole Philadelphia 76ers squad was forced to quarantine after their game against the Brooklyn Nets, after Seth Curry tested positive for the virus during the game.
Though Curry was immediately put into isolation, the Sixers guard was already on the bench and had interacted with his teammates prior to the result.
This resulted in an undermanned 76ers team playing on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time) against the Denver Nuggets with only seven players available.
A total of nine players were out for the 76ers for various reasons, with Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, and Matisse Thybulle out due to protocols.
But it isn't just the Sixers affected, with many other teams also missing their stars because of the protocols in place.
For the Boston Celtics, 22-year-old star Jayson Tatum is reportedly expected to miss 10-14 days. Though he is listed as "doubtful" in their game against the Miami Heat on Sunday (Monday in Manila).
Jaylen Brown, on the other hand, remains "questionable" against the Heat because of the same protocols. Tristan Thompson, on the other hand, is out for Sunday's (Monday) game.
Another star who has been forced out of action because of the health crisis is Michael Porter Jr., who has already been in the protocol since last week, is reportedly out "indefinitely" and is still being tested daily for the coronavirus.
Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal, who had been stringing great outings this week which included a career-high 60 points, has also been stymied and missed Washington's game earlier today.
Other players who have notably been sidelined are Dallas' Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Josh Richardson, as well as the Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant.
Last season, in the months-long bubble, the NBA was able to finish its season without a positive test among its players in Orlando, Florida.
But with less stringent measures in place as the players play through the season, the impact of the health crisis is fully felt by the basketball league.