The Washington Wizards has six players who test positive for COVID-19, making a total of nine players who remain on NBA health and safety protocols.
The Wizards had their next two games against the Cleveland Cavaliers originally scheduled for Sunday and Monday postponed on Friday. Washington has had four consecutive games postponed since the last time on January 11 at Phoenix.
“It’s just a set of unfortunate circumstances,” said Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard, in a video call with reporters. “If you go our way, really going back to when we played in Chicago [Notes:on Dec. 29 and 31] , almost every team we play, one player tested positive. The next day [and] the next day, several players in some places. It was inevitable.
“The NBA has been pointing to this period for some time that it would be very difficult. And they weren’t kidding. Every city we went to seemed to be more and more. You never mean well, we escaped or nothing went wrong for us yet because you knows that inevitably something will be your turn and, unfortunately, this was our turn. “
The Wizards canceled training on Tuesday before the league’s decision to postpone Wednesday’s game against Utah Jazz. The Wizards later listed striker Rui Hachimura and central Moe Wagner as questionable due to the health and safety protocols in the injury report.
Sheppard said the team found that it had achieved six positive cases of players on Friday. The team hopes that if there are no new positive cases on Saturday, Wizards players who are not in quarantine and security protocols will be able to return to the facility for some individual training.
Even though the Wizards could return to the court and practice now, they don’t have enough players to train with so many injured players, such as Russel Westbrook (quad), or in quarantine or security protocol.
Westbrook is due to be reevaluated early next week.
“In terms of activity, we were very limited, to zero, in terms of return to facilities,” said Sheppard. “Certainly players who are quarantined, players with COVID can’t even work out … If there isn’t a positive test tomorrow, we can put the boys back in gym 1 to 0.”
“I think four teams have lost several games,” added Sheppard. “And so far I think it is a small victory considering what is going on … and what could happen.”