NBA COVID tracker: Heat's Tyler Herro enters protocols; Wizards down to third head-coaching option

Wed, Jan 19, 2022
NBA News (AP)

With the omicron variant running rampant, NBA rosters are in flux. Since the beginning of December, more than 300 players have entered protocols, per ESPN. Thankfully, the number of players joining the list has decreased in recent weeks.

In related news, since Dec. 26, tighter protocols -- stricter mask requirements, increased testing -- have been in effect and any player who has not received a booster shot has been subject to additional off-court restrictions. Daily surveillance testing for players, coachers and "tier 1" team staffers (i.e. personnel regularly within 15 feet of the players) will be over as of Saturday, Jan. 15, however, according to The Athletic. More than 500 tier 1 staffers have tested positive for COVID-19 this season,according to ESPN.

Another change: Some players can now clear health and safety protocols and return to play as soon as five days after testing positive, provided that they are asymptomatic, vaccinated and likely not contagious (i.e. their cycle threshold is above 30). Between the tweaked return-to-play policy and thenew rule mandating teams to use hardship exceptionswhen multiple players are in protocols, the NBA is aiming to avoid postponing more games.

There have been 11 postponements this season, and the NBA announced makeup dates last week. Here's a list of the games that were pushed back:

Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets (Dec. 30)
Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs (Dec. 29)
Brooklyn Nets at Portland Trail Blazers (Dec. 23)
Toronto Raptors at Chicago Bulls (Dec. 22)
Washington Wizards at Brooklyn Nets (Dec. 21)
Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors (Dec. 20)
New Orleans Pelicans at Philadelphia 76ers (Dec. 19)
Denver Nuggets at Brooklyn Nets (Dec. 19)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks (Dec. 19)
Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors (Dec. 16)
Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls (Dec. 14)

Two head coaches are in health and safety protocols: Wes Unseld Jr. (Washington Wizards) and Taylor Jenkins (Memphis Grizzlies). Washington's assistant coach Pat Delany, who took over for Unseld, also joined protocols. Assistant coach Joseph Blair will assume acting head-coaching duties.

Thirteen more coaches -- Doc Rivers (Philadelphia 76ers), Chauncey Billups (Portland Trail Blazers), Rick Carlisle (Indiana Pacers), Alvin Gentry (Sacramento Kings), Frank Vogel (Los Angeles Lakers), Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls), Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns), Tyronn Lue (Los Angeles Clippers), Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City Thunder), Michael Malone (Denver Nuggets), Dwane Casey (Detroit Pistons) and Nate McMillan (Atlanta Hawks), Mike Budenholzer (Milwaukee Bucks) and Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks) -- have entered and subsequently cleared protocols this season.

The Raptors played two December home games at 50% capacity and, as of Dec. 31, can allow no more than 1,000 people to enter Scotiabank Arena, per a provincial mandate.The team expects the limit to be in place for the first three weeks of 2022, and, as such, are playing in a virtually empty arena.

Below is a regularly updated, team-by-team list of players in health and safety protocols, along with the date (or, in some cases, the approximate date) they entered:

Players in health and safety protocols

Boston Celtics

Marcus Smart (Jan. 13)

Charlotte Hornets

Kelly Oubre Jr. (Jan. 10)

Denver Nuggets

JaMychal Green (Jan. 15)

Los Angeles Lakers

Sekou Doumbouya (Jan. 18)

Memphis Grizzlies

Desmond Bane (Jan. 18)
Kyle Anderson (Jan. 18)
Killian Tillie (Jan. 13)

Miami Heat

Tyler Herro (Jan. 19)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Jordan McLaughlin (Jan. 16)

Oklahoma City Thunder

Kenrich Williams (Jan. 10)

Portland Trail Blazers

Norman Powell (Jan. 9)

Sacramento Kings

Tyrese Haliburton (Jan. 16)

San Antonio Spurs

Tre Jones (Jan. 7)

Utah Jazz

Hassan Whiteside (Jan. 12)