After the NBA made it all the way through the seeding games and the playoffs in Orlando without a single positive test inside the Bubble, the league made the decision that the 2020-2021 season would not resume in a similar isolated environment, but rather return to some semblance of normal with teams playing in arenas.
But given the surge in cases in recent weeks, the prospect of safely allowing fans inside the arenas remains in question. Some teams, like the Lakers, have announced that they won’t permit fans at Staples Center to start the season, while the Warriors have submitted a bold plan that would allow them return to 50 percent capacity at Chase Center, but has to this point been rebuffed by local officials.
With the vastly reduced offseason and the December 22 start date is fast approaching, teams have begun preparations to start training camps with players returning to their home markets and starting individual work on Tuesday, but they are already hitting some snags relate to the pandemic. On Tuesday, the Warriors announced that they were postponing their team-wide first practice after two players reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
Warriors GM Bob Myers just announced that Golden State’s first practice will be delayed one day from Sunday to Monday after two Warriors players tested positive for COVID-19
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 1, 2020
The report did not specify which players tested positive, and likely most teams will not for positive tests prior to the season beginning, but we’ll continue to update the story as new information becomes available. The Warriors will certainly not be alone in dealing with positive tests, particularly early in camp, and everyone is still learning to work and adjust to new procedures for what happens when there’s a positive test.