SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports’ Mark Medina discusses the difficult decision players have to pick up on the season and how the teams have reacted to the few who have already given up.
USE TODAY
The Los Angeles Lakers opened their season hoping that Dwight Howard could restore his NBA career and help them win a championship. Howard had the same ambitions.
Once the NBA stopped the season on March 11th due to the new coronavirus, however, different circumstances shifted priorities. In a conference call on Tuesday, the Lakers’ vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said that Howard has not yet informed the team whether he will play or sit when the NBA resumes its season on July 30 in Orlando.
Melissa Rios, the mother of 6-year-old son David Howard, died on March 27 near her home in Calabasas, California, following an attack after battling epilepsy. Amid last month’s protests that began after George Floyd’s death while he was in police custody in Minneapolis, Howard has publicly stated that he may remain out of season to assist ongoing efforts to address racial inequality.
“We will continue to work in those mitigating circumstances with Dwight, support him, support his 6-year-old son and hope for the best that he is part of our roster in Orlando,” said Pelinka. “But it will be an ongoing process.”
The Lakers already know that they won’t have a complete list to open the resumption of the season. Last week, Lakers striker Avery Bradley decided not to worry about the story of his 6-year-old son with respiratory disease. Pelinka said he had ongoing conversations with Bradley and his family and “wanted to support him on his journey”.
Still, Pelinka acknowledged that “it is difficult to lose Avery”, citing his toughness, defensive efforts and general presence as an appetizer.
“We completely understand your decision. This is a decision of mixed emotions from a basketball perspective, “said Pelinka, who was once Bradley’s agent.” I really hoped they had the opportunity to compete for a championship. But I understand that in this case, safety and family are the first and that’s where things ended. “
The Lakers have signed an agreement to sign the free agents’ guard JR Smith, but that move cannot be officially made until Wednesday. According to the 113-page NBA protocols on health and safety, Smith should complete a medical history questionnaire, undergo a medical history review, and then be tested for coronavirus. This test procedure includes performing at least three negative PCR tests in at least five days before that player starts any training.
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The other Lakers players started that procedure on June 23, but Pelinka declined to say whether a player’s tests were positive due to privacy concerns. He also mentioned the NBA already announced last week that 16 out of 302 players initially tested positive for COVID-19. The Lakers had two coronavirus-positive players tested in March after being initially tested. Pelinka declined to say if those players have since tested negative.
“What we are seeing in the league is that some people choose to take a step forward and talk about a positive test and their journey and we want those rights to come from that person,” said Pelinka. “If they choose to step forward and share their journey, I would prefer it to come to them since it is the best source for that.”
Pelinka admitted that the Lakers “are still working” by determining if they will have a complete list once the mandatory individual workouts begin on Wednesday, as they were still waiting for further test results. Pelinka said the Lakers have not finalized who will be attending their 35-member travel party, although he plans to be in Orlando assuming he remains healthy. He also said that the team will impose “flexible staff” to account for the different absences among staff members.
As for the team itself, Pelinka said that “it is too early to start talking about rotations.” The Lakers (49-14), who have the best Western Conference record, will rely on LeBron James and Anthony Davis, of course. But to justify Bradley’s absence, the Lakers have several options in Smith, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, Alex Caruso, Dion Waiters and Markieff Morris.
“We had such a strong chemistry, such a strong team chemistry, that I think the platform will be seamless in terms of the kids who jump up and are part of that identity and chemistry that we have already formed,” said Pelinka . “I don’t see it change with the new additions at all, just because it’s such a strong identity.”
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