NBA News and Notes: Nets Players Test Positive

Unfortunately, as the season should be winding down and fans should be getting excited at the possibility of their teams making a postseason run, we instead are left in a time of disarray when it comes to all sports leagues, but especially the NBA. They were the first to shut it down after Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus, but now it is a matter of not only if the NBA will restart, but when that restart would be if they do.
Some believe it might not be until the middle of June, but one thing is for sure, it will be no time in the immediate future. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the news that has circulated around the league during their hiatus.
Handful Of Nets Test Positive
While Rudy Gobert might have been the first to have tested positive, he certainly has not been the last. On Tuesday, it was announced that four players on the Brooklyn Nets had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Those players were not identified by the team, but it is noteworthy not only for the safety of their team but of others as well.
While the team didn’t identify the four players, it has been leaked that Kevin Durant was one of the four players who tested positive, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Durant has not played this season as he is recovering from an Achilles injury suffered last postseason. Still, he has been with the team throughout the season.
In regards to other teams, the Los Angeles Lakers announced that their entire team would be tested in the immediate future. The last game the Lakers played was against the Nets, so this is more of a precautionary move as opposed to one triggered by symptoms or other concerns.
Still, with how quickly this virus has proven to spread, it would not be surprising to see others diagnosed as well.
No Drug Testing During Hiatus
The NBA and the NBA Player’s Association have been working hand in hand on a lot of topics ranging from how the league will resume (if it does) to issues like drug testing. In regards to the latter, the two sides agreed to suspend drug testing for the players during the hiatus.
Usually, players are subject to up to six drug tests throughout a year (four in-season and two out of season). These tests can look at everything from performing enhancing drugs to drugs of abuse like marijuana. With other issues certainly more pertinent at this juncture, though, the two sides agreed that this testing was just not needed at this point.
Is There Friction Between Gobert And Mitchell?
Much has been made about Gobert to this point. On the one hand, his positive test may have been a blessing in disguise, allowing the NBA to get way ahead of the curve and shut down the league for the safety of its players.
On the other hand, Gobert has drawn ire from players in the league and from the media due to what seemed like a reckless approach to how he handled the initial concerns of the coronavirus.
Some of those concerns came from within his own locker room as Donovan Mitchell, who also tested positive, admitted that he was a little frustrated with Gobert at first.
Still, despite the frustrations, he ultimately is glad that Gobert is doing well and that it was confined to just the two of them as opposed to spilling out through the rest of the locker room.
Mitchell and Gobert have been two of Utah’s biggest assets this season. On the year, Mitchell is averaging 24.2 points on 45.3% shooting to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
Gobert has been averaging 15.1 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. Together, they have Utah in a playoff spot (assuming the league continues), and the two will hope to put the virus behind them and get back to basketball sooner than later.
Clippers Sign Noah
Prior to the league shutting down, there was a little bit of other news that came out. One such piece saw a former All-Star get a contract as the LA Clippers had signed Joakim Noah to a 10-day contract. Last season, Noah played in 42 games averaging 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Noah has continuously been hampered by injuries as he has aged, but when healthy, he was always an enigmatic character and a solid addition on the basketball court. Noah’s best season was likely the 2013-14 season when, at age 28, Noah averaged 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists with the Chicago Bulls.
Still, the Clippers were hoping to catch lightning in a bottle by adding Noah to an already impressive roster.
Carter May Have Played His Last Game
One of the saddest parts of the NBA hiatus is that it may mean that we have seen Vince Carter’s last game in the NBA. With the understanding that he would hang them up at season’s end, Carter has been enjoying one last ride at age 43.
Now with the Atlanta Hawks, Carter is in a reserve role and has been averaging 5 points and 2.1 rebounds over 60 games.
It is crazy to think, but Carter entered the league last century. In 1999, his rookie season, Carter lit up the NBA with the Toronto Raptors, averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and three assists per game.
As stellar as his rookie season was, he only went up from there. He averaged 20 or more points per game in 10 straight seasons while reaching double-digit averages in 16 seasons.
He is undoubtedly a Hall-of-Famer. Here is just hoping we might get to see him suit up one last time and give him a proper sendoff.