Spurs center Jakob Poeltl is the latest NBA player to enter the league’s health and safety protocols and is expected to miss several games, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Based on the adjusted NBA’s protocols for COVID-19 this season, a player who is being ruled out for a few games has generally tested positive, though that hasn’t been confirmed in Poeltl’s case.
The Spurs’ starting center, Poeltl has played well in the early going this season, averaging 13.9 PPG, 9.7 RPG, and 2.6 APG in 29.9 minutes per contest (seven games). All those numbers would be career highs.
With Poeltl unavailable for perhaps the next week or 10 days, backup centers Drew Eubanks and Jock Landale will move up the Spurs’ depth chart. The team could also play more small-ball lineups, with a forward like Thaddeus Young or Keita Bates-Diop in Poeltl’s place.
Besides Poeltl, the players currently in the NBA’s health and safety protocols include Tobias Harris, Khris Middleton, Lauri Markkanen, and Kevin Love.
Boy, are they still testing these guys… I just thought testing was out of our lives for good, clearly not yet!
When was the pandemic declared over? SMDH