Numerous players have circumvented the anonymous tipline by contacting commissioner Adam Silver directly, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports (video link). The tipline was established to encourage players to report violations of protocol at the Orlando campus. Dwight Howard, Richaun Holmes and Bruno Caboclo were among the players reprimanded by the league for violations since teams arrived in Orlando.
We have more restart-related news:
- The teams in Orlando that don’t make the playoffs will head home immediately, Haynes tweets. NBA teams that have been mathematically eliminated on or before Wednesday will head home right after their final game has ended.
- The league has taken some heat for seemingly preferential treatment in terms of access to COVID-19 testing. Players and staff members have been tested multiple times but the league isn’t taking away tests from the general public, as Mark Medina of USA Today explains. The NBA launched a community testing program that will provide thousands of COVID-19 PCR tests for free, both in Orlando and in the league’s 29 other team markets, through this month.
- The biggest losers in the restart were the eight teams who weren’t invited to Orlando, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today opines. Several of those teams have young rosters that could have benefited from additional playing time. There have been discussions about bringing those teams to Orlando once others start leaving after being eliminated from contention but it’s unlikely to become a reality, Zillgitt adds.
You forgot the word “not” in the last bullet point.
Maybe next year Caboclo will finally begin to develop into a decent NBA player with Houston.
Medina & USA Today is really shoveling crap for the NBA. The link is a list of unsupported assurances. It defies rationality to make this claim, not just once:
“We’re not taking away from existing testing,” said Kathy Behrens, the NBA’s president of social responsibility and player programs. “We know testing needs to happen. Our focus is on what we can do to contribute so that testing is available.”
So what can they do?— Nothing follows. The NBA does not run a testing lab. They just want to or something.
The tests that are free to certain recipients (conveniently near NBA facilities) do NOT increase the capacity to process the tests. That is the problem. But certain media is helping to turn this into a racial issue to cover their tracks. Blame the big bad thing, ignore the choices made.
Why not be honest and say it’s a national issue best handled by governments— and they haven’t? Instead lies:
“My outlook is that this is a bridge to a vaccine,” said Marc Morial, the president and CEO of the National Urban League. “If people know they have the virus, they can self-quarantine and they can get treated.”
But people know less thanks to the NBA taking priority! And the initiative has nothing to do with a vaccine. More misdirection follows, like saliva tests need almost daily application or it fails, so is useless to people having to wait weeks for a result.
USA Today blows on several levels also.
The NBA playing games is more important! That’s all that should or needs to be said!
Amen bro! Nothing beats pro hoops!!!
Caboclo started playing late in life. Issue with foreign players. Is cause they are long n athletic. Look good with their teams. Does not mean it works in USA. There is a rude awakening. The talent is deep in USA. The competition fierce. For most it’s first time seeing this. Considering he was still learning basketball. Had to be a shock. Plus picked 20th. There’s unreachable goals for them. He should have been in NBDL or Europe for 3 yrs. He still has a chance to be productive. Rockets should just send him down for half a yr. Train n coach him on what they want from him. He can play PF or defend the wing. He can become a rotation player. I really believe that. He’s shown some good flashes. But then gets lost after bad outings. Has to learn to just do enough. No team has really given him a good shot.
The Rockets have early Bird rights with him next season so they should be able sign him to a multi-year deal for the minimum without having to use any part of their MLE. With his size and length he should be able to play anywhere they want in the front court. Of course he will never be the Brazilian Kevin Durant like he was supposed to be, but like you said he can be developed into a decent rotation player backing up at either PF or as a small-ball center.
KD Brazilian …. that’s crazy right. He’s long and athletic, I guess that’s why. But seriously that didn’t help him. South American basketball players are athletic. Cause all play soccer lol. So these bigs or long guys. Have well developed legs and coordination. Yeah I hope they give him a shot.