The Bulls‘ COVID-19 outbreak continues with Ayo Dosunmu and Stanley Johnson both being placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago.
They are the sixth and seventh Chicago players to enter the protocols, along with Coby White, Javonte Green, DeMar DeRozan, Matt Thomas and Derrick Jones Jr.
Johnson just joined the team on Thursday, signing a 10-day deal under the hardship exception. The Bulls added a second hardship player, Alfonzo McKinnie, on Friday. Dosunmu, a rookie guard, has started the last two games due to the depleted lineup.
The Bulls still have 11 active players, so there doesn’t appear to be any danger of tonight’s game in Miami being postponed. The NBA hasn’t called off any games so far this season after COVID-19 caused chaos with the schedule last year, particularly in the early part of the season.
Schaefer adds that Alex Caruso, who has missed the past three games with a strained right hamstring, has been listed as available for tonight.
Way too many players are being affected. The team needs to do a better job of disinfecting the facilities. They didn’t seem to have this issue last season.
Probably if you were being tested daily, you would have had it 2 or 3 times…bulls have been on the road (ie. in airports) a lot lately, so subject to contact with a lot of people. Omicron is here, and travels fast although apparently not as deadly. Omicron was not around last season.
I hope the result is that soon everyone including those unvaccinated, will have had it and antibodies will be everywhere, so maybe this can become ‘just like the flu’ as some famously incorrect people said in early 2020.
It’s been a lot of years since nba teams actually went IN airports when traveling.
No telling how/why so many players are catching covid, but it’s certainly not via airports on road trips.
Maybe recent Thanksgiving gatherings is a spreader… even to people/players who weren’t even in those gatherings.
And Christmas is just around the corner. Uh oh…
i hope that were not rushing back caruso because we have so little depth. id rather him get healthy and we use more exceptions
Today was the projected date for his return, hope he doesn’t get COVID as a result.
In the words of the great Lombardi, “What the hell’s going on out here?”
Bubble the bulls!
Bulls have their own plane so airport exposure would be minimal. Special gates and not subject to normal rules. However their team protocols certainly need to be addressed ASAP.
Team protocols are irrelevant. Everyone is getting Covid regardless. This is probably a god thing for the Bulls. Better to get it now than later toward or in the playoffs. Hopefully the next variant isn’t until after then.
Agreed. As you say, better to have this happen now while only 27 games into the season. Long season.