Tatum out 10-14 Days per Covid Policy

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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It's not, although Tatum probably doesn't think so (even aside from contract). Players care about this stuff more than fans do.
Oh I suspect he and his reps care a lot. But him making all NBA or whatever doesn't impact the team's prospects one bit as far as I can tell.

Also, I will be shocked if awards etc fail to account for the short season, quick start and likely COVID related absences/impacts. This is unlikely to be the last time the Celtics, let alone the other teams, are dealing with players being sidelined this season.
 

djbayko

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Guessing the All-NBA voters will adjust for this, and other big names will miss significant time too.
The NBA is probably the league that relies the least on counting stats as well. While most sports are coming around on averages and efficiency type stats, we still talk a lot about how many wins a pitcher has or how many passing TDs a QB has. When is the last time anyone cared about how many points a player scored in a season? That’s reserved more for career accomplishment talk. I think the adjustment will come easily.
 

greek_gawd_of_walks

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I mean, fuck. This sucks. As stated upthread, this is going to occur for every team, and it shows just why the bubble was so effective at preventing transmission of the virus. It just wasn't feasible for an entire year.

We have to hope that the result of all these absences leads to young guys making the most of their opportunities, growing pains and all, taking some beatings on the chin. Pritchard should be getting 30 minutes a night easy. Nesmith, just out of necessity, needs to play extended minutes. I thought he would get in last night, which was discouraging when he didn't. Now he NEEDS to play. Ojeleye needs to hunt for his shot and continue driving hard close outs, as cringey as that can be. When Grant is healthy, the same goes for him. This is the time for aggressive, preseason-esque mistakes to be made, growth to occur and lessons to be gleaned.

Jaylen, for a fortnight, is undoubtedly The Man.

It's going to be ugly basketball. The one thing the C's can't do is push Kemba back on a bigger minutes restriction than they might normally have if the squad was completely healthy. I was a little shocked when I heard that Walker and the team were targeting 1/15 for his return. The Tatum development can't change (and I really doubt it will) the way they approach bringing Walker back.

Most of all, let's just hope that everyone recovers without incident. It's still a long regular season. Emphasis on the regular. This still sucks.
 

nighthob

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This is going to be Nesmith's adjustment season. The players that are going to get major burn in JT's absence are Semi, Javonte, and 8mile. But we will get to see Nesmith trying to adjust to the speed of the NBA game. I guess that's the bright side.
 

joe dokes

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If you're down to 5 players left and someone fouls out that player stays in the game but any foul beyond the 6th on him is also a team technical. It happened maybe 5-10 years ago to some team that rested half its roster in a meaningless to them game 82.
IIRC, the ABA experimented with a no foulout rule. After 6, each foul was either extra shots or the shooting team kept the ball.
 

DannyDarwinism

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This is going to be Nesmith's adjustment season. The players that are going to get major burn in JT's absence are Semi, Javonte, and 8mile. But we will get to see Nesmith trying to adjust to the speed of the NBA game. I guess that's the bright side.
He needs it. It’s been nearly a year since he played his last college game. Meanwhile Maxey’s maybe about to drop 40 (yes, in a big loss), Bey and Bane are shooting over 45% from ,3 on volume, and Precious is playing well for Miami. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, but that stings a bit right now.
 

DannyDarwinism

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Why is Tatum making all NBA important outside of contractual triggers?
What lovetgm said- I suspect he cares about this stuff. Jayson Tatum brings me joy more often than nearly any other athlete right now, and I want good things for him. Don’t really care about contractual triggers.
 

slamminsammya

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It's critically important as a data point for message board Top 5/Top 10/Top 15 player lists.
Maybe before the era of youtube and basketball reference - we don't need know stupid all nba to know for example that Jae Crowder was a top 15 player in the NBA, obviously ahead of Kyrie a few years back ;p
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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This is one hell of an injury report.
Cs down to 8 players not on the injury report: Marcus Smart, Payton Pritchard, Jeff Teague, Carsen Edwards, Tremont Waters, Aaron Nesmith, Daniel Theis and Tacko Fall.

Maxey took 33 shots for PHI today in their loss against DEN. Hopefully 'Arsen Edwards can get 33 shots tomorrow if they play. That'll show 'em. :)
 

radsoxfan

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I wonder how they contact trace these guys. Obviously they all just played a game together and sat on the bench together without masks. Probably were in the lockeroom together that way also. By position groups? locker proximity? looking at pre and post game with cameras? Who went to dinner together after the game?

Given the current spread of COVID is sky high in the community, players are going to get this thing. Teams have to be as proactive as possible that no one is also out for contact tracing. Masks as much as possible, no locker room congregating, no in person position meetings, etc. I hope they are trying to do that.

Otherwise this thing is going to get shut down real quick.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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I don’t think people realize how shitty living out of Disney World hotels is, even by non superwealthyathlete standards.
And Disney is almost totally open unlike the bubble last summer. So there are not exactly a couple of empty hotels for them to use this time. And I assume other areas are the same, the choices the NBA had for bubble sites (at an even larger size) aren't there because although this is the *worst things have been* there are more people who DGAF.
 

RedOctober3829

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I wonder how they contact trace these guys. Obviously they all just played a game together and sat on the bench together without masks. Probably were in the lockeroom together that way also. By position groups? locker proximity? looking at pre and post game with cameras? Who went to dinner together after the game?

Given the current spread of COVID is sky high in the community, players are going to get this thing. Teams have to be as proactive as possible that no one is also out for contact tracing. Masks as much as possible, no locker room congregating, no in person position meetings, etc. I hope they are trying to do that.

Otherwise this thing is going to get shut down real quick.
They wear bracelets that have chips in them track who they’re in close contact with.
 

radsoxfan

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They wear bracelets that have chips in them track who they’re in close contact with.
Thanks, I had no idea. Looks like they aren't on during games or at team hotels, so a little bit unlclear how accurate this really is to catch all close contacts.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30628788/nba-require-players-wear-sensors-part-contact-tracing
Interesting strategy, hopefully teams can figure out a way to minimize these close contacts. If each positive player is going to drag 3+ other people out with them, this season might not last too long.
 

RedOctober3829

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Thanks, I had no idea. Looks like they aren't on during games or at team hotels, so a little bit unlclear how accurate this really is to catch all close contacts.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30628788/nba-require-players-wear-sensors-part-contact-tracing
Interesting strategy, hopefully teams can figure out a way to minimize these close contacts. If each positive player is going to drag 3+ other people out with them, this season might not last too long.
The nfl players wore these in the facility as well. Many college hoops programs do too.

they can use the game tape to monitor close contact as well.
 

Humphrey

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If you're down to 5 players left and someone fouls out that player stays in the game but any foul beyond the 6th on him is also a team technical. It happened maybe 5-10 years ago to some team that rested half its roster in a meaningless to them game 82.
Yes. Pro rules only. NCAA rules you play down a guy, I think; a la Hickory High.
 

scottyno

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Yes. Pro rules only. NCAA rules you play down a guy, I think
Yeah, or more than one guy, not sure if there's a lower limit, but as someone mentioned earlier Alabama had that game a few years ago where they had to play with 3 players on the court.

edit: Apparently 2 is the lower limit, but in the refs discretion you can play with 1 if they think either "team" can still win the game.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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It's critically important as a data point for message board Top 5/Top 10/Top 15 player lists.
I seriously get this aspect even if its not my thing. Fans do rely on this sort of data to argue who is better etc. I might even argue that the value to fans might be higher than whatever extra money Tatum gets. Deuce's grandkids probably won't need to work as things stand now.
 

TripleOT

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If this gets any worse, the Celtics back court is going to be Evan Turner and Joe Mazzulla.
 

TripleOT

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So after the buzzer of the Wiz game, Tatum dapped up and hugged his “big brother” Bradley Beal. Will Beal now have to sit for close contact reasons?

It’s bad enough that players are in each other’s faces during the game. Bro hugging and even hand shaking is not a good idea when trying to keep a virus from spreading.

Unless the strategy is “Let everyone get Covid,” I don’t see how the NBA is going to protect the season in a non bubble situation.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

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So after the buzzer of the Wiz game, Tatum dapped up and hugged his “big brother” Bradley Beal. Will Beal now have to sit for close contact reasons?

It’s bad enough that players are in each other’s faces during the game. Bro hugging and even hand shaking is not a good idea when trying to keep a virus from spreading.

Unless the strategy is “Let everyone get Covid,” I don’t see how the NBA is going to protect the season in a non bubble situation.
Yes
 

HomeRunBaker

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IIRC, the ABA experimented with a no foulout rule. After 6, each foul was either extra shots or the shooting team kept the ball.
NBA Summer League has a 10 foul out rule. I was out in Vegas one year when Bargnani picked up his 10th foul and played another possession before anyone knew because nobody had ever fouled out before. I think he did it in like 20 min too.
 

HomeRunBaker

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So back to the question I posed the other day. Who are considered “close contacts” to Tatum? He was in the middle of Celtic huddles and had physical contact with many of them so who is spared from quarantine? Bradley Beal was on him much of last night and he is now out for precautionary reasons but many others were switching on Tatum all night then flew to Miami together on the team plane. This entire thing is going to blow up in another week if I had to wager on a date.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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So back to the question I posed the other day. Who are considered “close contacts” to Tatum? He was in the middle of Celtic huddles and had physical contact with many of them so who is spared from quarantine? Bradley Beal was on him much of last night and he is now out for precautionary reasons but many others were switching on Tatum all night then flew to Miami together on the team plane. This entire thing is going to blow up in another week if I had to wager on a date.
They generally use the cdc guidelines ofmore than 15 minutes cumulative withon 6 feet but I believe they have some discretion to look at data and make judgement calls. Also, any direct contact is colse contact. There's some description of the process in this article. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/rockets/amp/NBA-and-COVID-19-How-the-league-s-protocols-15834847.php
 

sezwho

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NBA Summer League has a 10 foul out rule. I was out in Vegas one year when Bargnani picked up his 10th foul and played another possession before anyone knew because nobody had ever fouled out before. I think he did it in like 20 min too.
That’s interesting. It’s probably been discussed in a separate thread here, but I’ve often wondered if the nbachallenge of protecting the stars to the point of bastardizing the officiating would be lessened if they got to make each call in a vacuum, rather than thinking about keeping StarXYZ in the game down the stretch.

Also really going to miss Tatum and hopefully no complications and complete recovery!
 

Lose Remerswaal

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Yeah, or more than one guy, not sure if there's a lower limit, but as someone mentioned earlier Alabama had that game a few years ago where they had to play with 3 players on the court.

edit: Apparently 2 is the lower limit, but in the refs discretion you can play with 1 if they think either "team" can still win the game.
Inbounds plays must be tough with just 1 guy
 

Captaincoop

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So back to the question I posed the other day. Who are considered “close contacts” to Tatum? He was in the middle of Celtic huddles and had physical contact with many of them so who is spared from quarantine? Bradley Beal was on him much of last night and he is now out for precautionary reasons but many others were switching on Tatum all night then flew to Miami together on the team plane. This entire thing is going to blow up in another week if I had to wager on a date.
There is not one case that I'm aware of, across not just pro sports, but college and youth, of transmission occurring across teams during a game. The close contacts the NBA and Celtics sport medicine folks are going to be worried about are not who was guarding Tatum during the game, but who had dinner with him, who rode in a car or bus with him, etc.
 

lexrageorge

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There is not one case that I'm aware of, across not just pro sports, but college and youth, of transmission occurring across teams during a game. The close contacts the NBA and Celtics sport medicine folks are going to be worried about are not who was guarding Tatum during the game, but who had dinner with him, who rode in a car or bus with him, etc.
One possible exception could be Marcus Smart, who guarded Rudy Gobert quite closely and tested positive soon after Gobert did. Could be coincidence, but we'll never really know one way or the other.

Keep in mind that Tatum and Beal may have interacted beyond just during the game, given that they are close friends off the court.
 

HomeRunBaker

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There is not one case that I'm aware of, across not just pro sports, but college and youth, of transmission occurring across teams during a game. The close contacts the NBA and Celtics sport medicine folks are going to be worried about are not who was guarding Tatum during the game, but who had dinner with him, who rode in a car or bus with him, etc.
I know little about infectious disease but if I’m leaning on, breathing on and touching Tatum for 2 hours wouldn’t that make me pretty susceptible to catching it from him? It has spread through college football teams all fall.....did that come from eating lunch together or practicing on the field? Hard to tell.
 
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radsoxfan

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I know little about infectious disease but if I’m leaning on, breathing on and touching Tatum for 2 hours wouldn’t that make me pretty susceptible to catching it from him? It has spread through college football teams all fall.....did that come from eating lunch together or practicing on the field? Hard to tell.
Generally speaking people feel confident it comes from sustained close contact in enclosed spaces. NBA arenas are inside but obviously different than a lockerroom. And while players are close for brief periods of time, it often doesn't last long.

Having said that, all these things are just guidelines and probabilities. It's not like the virus magically disappears at a specific distance (6 feet) and always waits 15 minutes before its infectious. It's just that interactions seem to be more likely to have a higher probability of causing a new infection.

I'm sure if Tatum was breathing heavily on someone right next to him for 20 seconds there is at last some chance that could do it too. In the end, they're just trying to make their best guess, and fortunately it does seem like its pretty uncommon for there to be transmission between different teams.
 

mauf

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I know little about infectious disease but if I’m leaning on, breathing on and touching Tatum for 2 hours wouldn’t that make me pretty susceptible to catching it from him? It has spread through college football teams all fall.....did that come from eating lunch together or practicing on the field? Hard to tell.
The absence of documented on-field spread suggests that those CFB outbreaks were due to failure to follow basic safety protocols (i.e., what every business with non-virtual operations needs to do), rather than on-field spread. As an indoor sport, basketball is different; the Gobert case strongly suggests that on-court spread happens. And now that CDC recognizes that the 15 minutes of exposure that results in being designated a close contact need not be consecutive, I’m not sure how teams that have a positive test result are able to continue playing, the way football teams have been able to do.

Trying to play makes sense risk-wise for the pros, but I think it’s an open question whether they can pull it off. It’s crazy that college BB is happening, though I’m sure the vast majority of participants didn’t need to have anyone twist their arm.
 

mauf

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Generally speaking people feel confident it comes from sustained close contact in enclosed spaces. NBA arenas are inside but obviously different than a lockerroom. And while players are close for brief periods of time, it often doesn't last long.

Having said that, all these things are just guidelines and probabilities. It's not like the virus magically disappears at a specific distance (6 feet) and always waits 15 minutes before its infectious. It's just that interactions seem to be more likely to have a higher probability of causing a new infection.

I'm sure if Tatum was breathing heavily on someone right next to him for 20 seconds there is at last some chance that could do it too. In the end, they're just trying to make their best guess, and fortunately it does seem like its pretty uncommon for there to be transmission between different teams.
Didn’t the Gobert case strongly suggest that on-court transmission from player to opponent happens? (On-court transmission among teammates could probably never be proven, as transmission in the locker room, on the bench, or elsewhere would always be at least as likely a possibility.)
 

the moops

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5 guards - Payton Pritchard, Marcus Smart, Tremont Waters, Carsen Edwards, Jeff Teague
1 forward - Aaron Nesmith
2 centers - Daniel Theis, Tacko Fall

Guess on the starting lineup?

Smart, Waters, Teague, Theis, Tacko?
 

radsoxfan

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Didn’t the Gobert case strongly suggest that on-court transmission from player to opponent happens? (On-court transmission among teammates could probably never be proven, as transmission in the locker room, on the bench, or elsewhere would always be at least as likely a possibility.)
I think it would would suggest it, of course we don't know if anything happened before or after the game between them. And I'm sure they didn't do any genetic analysis to prove it, Smart could have theoretically gotten it from anywhere.

Right now, best estimates are that roughly 3% of the US population is currently infected with COVID-19. In any group of 30 random people, 1 will be infected, it's pretty insane. Going to be hard to prove anything at this point.

The NBA is testing all the time so less than 1 in 30 NBA players are probably currently infected, but when the pandemic is this widespread they are just playing with fire. They will be lucky to not have a lot of cancelled games in the next month.
 

Ale Xander

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5 guards - Payton Pritchard, Marcus Smart, Tremont Waters, Carsen Edwards, Jeff Teague
1 forward - Aaron Nesmith
2 centers - Daniel Theis, Tacko Fall

Guess on the starting lineup?

Smart, Waters, Teague, Theis, Tacko?
PG Teague
OG PP
F Smart
F Nesmith
C Theis