Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

NBA Postpones Tuesday’s Celtics/Bulls Game

January 11th, 2021 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has postponed Tuesday’s game between the Celtics and Bulls due to the health and safety protocols, the league announced today. A source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that Boston is short on the minimum number of players.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Grant Williams, Tristan Thompson, Robert Williams, Javonte Green, and Semi Ojeleye are all out due to the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols, while Kemba Walker and Romeo Langford are sidelined with injuries.

It’s the second postponement announced today – along with Monday’s Mavericks/Pelicans contest – and the NBA’s third in the last two days. The Celtics’ game against the Heat on Sunday was also postponed.

Despite a growing number of teams and games being impacted by the COVID-19 protocols, NBA spokesman Mike Bass told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Sunday that there are no plans to pause the season. Bass said the league had anticipated postponements and “planned the schedule accordingly.”

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently conveyed a similar sentiment to a group of team owners, executives, coaches, and NBPA leaders. Silver suggested that January would likely be the worst month for the league and the virus, but expressed optimism about things improving in February and beyond, especially once vaccinations are more widespread.

“They tell us it’ll be better later in the season, but I just hope this doesn’t break the league in the next few weeks,” one general manager told Wojnarowski.

In today’s press release, the NBA said that it will be meeting today with the NBPA to discuss the possibility of modifying the league’s health and safety protocols. The NBA also has a conference call lined up today with the league’s general managers to discuss these issues, sources tell Woj (Twitter link).

Tacko Fall Ready For Increased Role

January 10th, 2021 at 5:29pm CST by JD Shaw

New York has mostly received good luck with COVID-19, while several teams (including the Heat and Celtics, who saw their game be postponed on Sunday) are unable to say the same. It’s a major reason why the team has a 5-4 record through the first nine contests of the season.

Celtics center Tacko Fall has shown the team he’s ready for an increased role, Jared Weiss of The Athletic writes. Fall, 25, finished with four points, eight rebounds and three blocks off the bench in the team’s victory against Washington on Friday, logging 19 minutes. “Tacko’s gotten better since the first day that he got here,” teammate Jaylen Brown said. “He’s gotten better. His body has improved. His timing has improved. And he’s ready, as you’ve seen today. He came out, had a great game for us, defended, protected the rim, did everything we asked for, and that was just his first game. I think it’s only going to get better the more opportunity he gets.”

Heat-Celtics Game Postponed Due To COVID-19 Protocols

January 10th, 2021 at 3:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA has postponed the Heat–Celtics game scheduled for Sunday, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Both teams were dealing with COVID-19 related issues. A Heat player returned an inconclusive test on Sunday, and the team does not have required eight players to proceed with game due to contact tracing, Charania adds. Avery Bradley was ruled out by the Heat earlier in the afternoon due to the league’s health and safety protocols.

Boston was already down to the minimum eight players, mainly due to those same regulations. They had seven players listed as out due to health and safety protocols, including top scorers Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They also had two injured players on their roster.

However, the NBA plans to trudge on despite increasing issues with the coronavirus. The league has no plans to pause this season, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Avery Bradley Sidelined By Health And Safety Protocols

January 10th, 2021 at 1:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat guard Avery Bradley is the latest player to be sidelined due to the league’s health and safety protocols. He’ll miss Sunday’s game against the Celtics for that reason, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Bradley is expected to miss more games beyond Sunday’s tilt, Wojnarowski adds in another tweet.

Last week, Bradley was listed on Heat injury report due to health and safety protocols because of a stomach illness. His new status is related to COVID-19 contact tracing protocols, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets.

Bradley departed the Lakers and signed a two-year, $11.6MM contract with Miami in November. Thus far, Bradley is averaging 10.0 PPG and 1.7 APG in 22.9 MPG with the Heat. He opted out of last summer’s restart.

The Celtics will be even more shorthanded and might be down to the league’s minimum of eight players, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. They have three players listed as out due to COVID-19 protocols and another, star forward Jayson Tatum, listed as doubtful for that reason. Three other players are listed as questionable, including Jaylen Brown, due to those protocols. They also have two injured players on their roster.

Community Shootaround: Should The NBA Go Back To A “Bubble”?

January 9th, 2021 at 9:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA’s closed-campus experiment at Disney World was hailed as a huge success that enabled to league to complete its 2019/20 season and crown a champion without any interruptions from COVID-19. However, there was no desire to repeat the experience for an entire season as teams preferred to play in their home arenas, even if no fans were allowed.

But that decision carried risks, which are already beginning to overwhelm the new season. Only one game has been canceled so far — a season-opener between the Rockets and Thunder because Houston didn’t have enough eligible players — but several teams are operating with depleted rosters due to positive coronavirus tests and contact tracing mandated by the league’s health and safety protocols.

The Sixers had just eight eligible players this afternoon as they lost at home to Denver. Danny Green was the only Philadelphia starter to suit up for the game, while Dwight Howard and Tyrese Maxey were the only other members of the rotation who played.

The team’s predicament began Thursday when Seth Curry learned that he had tested positive for the virus. Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle and Vincent Poirier shared a table with Curry at a team meeting that day, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, so they are required to quarantine for contact tracing. They will likely be unavailable for an entire week, which means three more missed games.

“We don’t know,” said coach Doc Rivers, whose season may be derailed after a 7-2 start. “We don’t know anything. We have to make that assumption, I guess. I mean, they were at a table. So it wasn’t like close contact. So maybe that will shorten their days. I don’t know that. But I guess even that’s too close. I mean, I don’t know. I don’t get that whole (thing).”

The 7-3 Celtics may be headed for the same situation. Star forward Jayson Tatum has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, joining Robert Williams, Grant Williams and Tristan Thompson in quarantine. Boston’s injury report for tomorrow’s game mentions all but eight players, which is the minimum needed for the game to be played.

Tatum’s test has also affected the Wizards because he talked after the game to Bradley Beal, who is now subject to health and safety protocols for contact tracing. The Nets, Nuggets, Spurs, Grizzlies and Mavericks are also short on players because of quarantine issues.

Kendra Andrews of The Athletic believes the NBA is making a mistake by forcing games like the one today in Philadelphia to be played. She notes that virus rates are higher now in many places than they were when the league suspended play in March, and basketball is an easy way for germs to spread because of close contact and shared equipment.

The league isn’t at a crisis situation yet, but it’s headed in that direction. Without the controlled environment that was in place at Disney World, the athletes face a lot more potential exposure to COVID-19, and just one case can change the course of a season.

We want to get your opinion. Do you believe the NBA can play an entire season under the current conditions or will it need to revert to a “bubble” alternative at some point? Please leave your responses in the comments section.

Jayson Tatum Tests Positive For COVID-19, Will Miss At Least 10 Days

January 9th, 2021 at 3:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

3:32pm: Tatum has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19, though he is asymptomatic at present, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald tweets. Tatum took a confirmatory test and is currently awaiting that result.

12:11pm: Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum will miss at least 10-to-14 days as a result of the league’s coronavirus-related health and safety protocols, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

It’s unclear for the time being whether the 6’8″ All-Star has recorded a positive coronavirus test, has been exposed to someone who later tested positive, or violated COVID-19 protocols. The league and teams have not been making that information public.

The former Duke standout, 22, is averaging a career-high 26.9 PPG (making him Boston’s leading scorer), 7.1 RPG and 3.8 APG, plus 1.0 SPG and 0.8 BPG. He is also shooting a stellar .474/.438/.889. This is a major blow for the Celtics.

Tatum will become the fourth Boston player currently quarantining as a result of COVID-19 protocols, along with reserve power forward Robert Williams, who has reportedly tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Bench power forward Grant Williams and starting power forward/center Tristan Thompson also have to quarantine for at least seven days due to potential exposure, as they were sitting alongside Robert Williams on the Celtics bench for more than 15 minutes prior to his positive test. Guards Kemba Walker (knee) and Romeo Langford (wrist) remain absent due to long-term injuries.

Tatum will miss at least five games. His absence means that the Celtics will lean even more heavily on fellow star forward Jaylen Brown. The 6’6″ wing, a terrific player on both sides of the floor, has had a breakout season thus far, averaging a career-high 26.3 PPG, 3.5 APG and 1.7 SPG on a career-best .539/.421/.767 shooting line. He is also pulling down 6.2 RPG.

Semi Ojeleye and Marcus Smart may also get more touches with Tatum’s offensive output unavailable for the immediate future. 7’5″ center Tacko Fall had a solid game yesterday in the stead of the absent big men, grabbing eight boards in 19 minutes.

Multiple Sixers Players Could Miss Time Due To Contact Tracing

January 8th, 2021 at 7:34pm CST by Luke Adams

7:34pm: Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Danny Green, Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle, Vincent Poirier and Paul Reed are the players listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against Denver due to health and safety protocols, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

1:46pm: The Sixers are expected to have multiple players miss time in the coming days due to the NBA’s COVID-19 contact tracing protocols, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the club is still waiting on the results of today’s coronavirus tests.

The players affected by contact tracing are expected to be ones who were in close contact with Seth Curry, says Wojnarowski. The veteran guard, who didn’t play in Thursday’s game due to an ankle injury, was told while he was sitting on the bench that he had returned a positive COVID-19 test.

As Shams Charania of The Athletic explains (via Twitter), players are tested for the coronavirus twice on game days. Curry’s rapid test earlier in the day was negative, but the 76ers learned of his positive PCR test after their game was already underway.

It’s not yet clear which Sixers players will be forced to miss time due to contact tracing. However, we can look to the Celtics as a reference — Grant Williams and Tristan Thompson are required to quarantine for at least seven days because they were sitting beside Robert Williams – who tested positive for COVID-19 – on the bench for at least 15 minutes, per Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link).

At the start of Thursday’s game, Curry was sitting on the Sixers’ bench next to assistant coach Sam Cassell and All-Star center Joel Embiid, according to The New York Daily News. Embiid, who has a three-month-old son, already told ESPN that he plans to self-quarantine from his family until he has confirmed he didn’t contract the virus.

Kemba Walker Cleared To Practice

January 8th, 2021 at 6:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics star point guard Kemba Walker has been cleared to practice, the team’s PR department tweets.

Walker has been dealing with left knee soreness since the middle of last season, his first with Boston after signing a four-year max contract.

The team announced at the beginning of December as training camps were opening that Walker would not play until at least early January. After consulting several medical specialists in early October, the veteran guard received a stem cell injection in the knee and was put on a 12-week strengthening program.

According to coach Brad Stevens, Walker’s knee has been pain-free for over a month, he told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and other media members on Friday. However, his return is not imminent.

“Credit to Kemba for saying, ‘I’ve got to get this thing stronger, and I’ve got to make sure that it is ready to go through a season and then, if we’re fortunate, a postseason,'” Stevens said. “But he and (strength coach Jace Delaney) have done a nice job putting together a plan of attack, along with Phil Coles and then hopefully he’ll be back soon. But we’re not going to rush that. We’ll see how the practice goes and all that other stuff.”

The Celtics have replaced Walker at point guard with a combination of Jeff Teague, Marcus Smart and surprising rookie Payton Pritchard. Teague was available to play on Friday after missing two games with an ankle injury.

Robert Williams Tests Positive For COVID-19; Two Other Celtics Out For Contact Tracing

January 8th, 2021 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

Robert Williams has tested positive for COVID-19, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link), who hears from a source that the Celtics big man has been asymptomatic since testing positive.

Williams is the only Celtics player to have tested positive, per Himmelsbach, and will be required to quarantine until he returns multiple negative tests and is medically cleared. However, two other Boston big men will be required to self-isolate for the next week, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who tweets that Tristan Thompson and Grant Williams face a minimum quarantine period of seven days.

Carsen Edwards, who was initially listed as questionable for Friday’s game vs. Washington due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, won’t be required to quarantine for contact tracing purposes and will be available, Charania notes.

While Edwards’ availability will help a little, the Celtics will still find themselves extremely shorthanded in the frontcourt in the short term. The team figures to lean heavily on Daniel Theis and Semi Ojeleye, with two-way player Tacko Fall potentially entering the mix as well. Brad Stevens also figures to use more small-ball lineups, with wings like Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown playing the four.

Four Celtics Questionable Due To Health And Safety Protocols

January 7th, 2021 at 5:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Because of the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, Celtics players Grant Williams, Robert Williams, Tristan Thompson and Carsen Edwards have been listed as “questionable” for Boston’s bout against the Wizards tomorrow, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN (via Twitter).

At present, the Celtics and the NBA have yet to provide further details on the nature of the players’ potential lack of availability.

Bontemps speculates that these four Celtics could be part of the league contact tracing program, in which case they would have been exposed to someone who later tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Alternately, one or more of these players could also have recorded a positive or inconclusive coronavirus test result.

Thompson has thus far been the club’s starting power forward in an ultra-big front court alongside incumbent center Daniel Theis. Reserve center Robert Williams (16.4 MPG) and backup power forward Grant Williams (19.1 MPG) have represented integral parts of Boston’s big man rotation thus far. Head coach Brad Stevens may have to get creative with his roster, employing forward Jayson Tatum more at the power forward slot and leaning more on 6’6″ power forward Semi Ojeleye.

5’11” shooting guard Edwards has been a less-critical component of the Celtics’ backcourt rotation, averaging just 7.3 MPG in four of nine contests. That said, with starting point guard Kemba Walker still inactive, backup Jeff Teague day-to-day, and reserve wings Romeo Langford and Javonte Green also absent, the Celtics need all the bodies they can get.