Los Angeles – Finally, the Lakers are seeing their number of cases go in the right direction.
The team learned Tuesday morning that Dwight Howard and Talen Horton-Tucker had tested the NBA’s COVID-19 protocol. Horton-Tucker started against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night as the Lakers held Howard in the first half.
The Lakers’ protocol has four players: Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, Austin Reaves and Kent Bazemore. Head coach Frank Vogel and assistant coach Phil Handy are also part of the protocol.
One of the main drawbacks of losing players in the last three road trips has been the quarantine of the Lakers across the country. Bradley and Handy were scheduled to return to Los Angeles (from Dallas) on Saturday, and Reeves and Monk (from Minnesota) on Tuesday, according to the team. On Tuesday morning, the team said Vogel and Bazemore were still in Chicago.
Across the NBA, more than 100 players joined the protocol in December. Interim head coach David Fizdale said he was working hard to prevent the Lakers from sneaking into a spiritual approach, even if they lost in the previous two games.
“It’s not comfortable or practical for everyone,” Fizdale said. “It’s the world going through this. Survive the storm, find out who’s playing, let’s play. Know who is coaching, we coach. That’s all, accept what’s in front of us and don’t look for excuses. Get out there and play your ass. ”
The Lakers are back with Kendrick Nunn returning from a preseason injury, all-star mogul Anthony Davis playing for at least a month with a knee injury, with four players still out for protocol. Add depth with the roster, Guard Mason Jones and Wings Gemerio Jones.
Mason Jones was added as a two-way contract player and the Lakers ditched Chaundee Brown to create a place to call him. Jones has played for the South Bay Lakers this season, averaging 18.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.2 steals. He has played in 32 career NBA games. Given the onset of COVID-19, which is affecting the league, players on two-way contracts have unlimited days to play in the NBA club (previously 40 with the parent club until the end of the G League season. ). I could only spend the day).
Jemerrio Jones is the eighth Lakers to return to the franchise in a non-consecutive season this year. He had previously played at the end of the 2018-19 season and played six games. Jones signed a 10-day contract under the NBA’s new hardship exemption. This gives the teams more flexibility in exchanges over 10 days while dealing with absenteeism linked to the protocol. He plays for the Wisconsin Group, a subsidiary of the G-League in Milwaukee.
Fizdale suggested that both Joneses would be used on a limited basis, but he wanted to boost the energy level of the veteran teams who had to do more dirty work on demand.
“It can also help you get more things out of the glass, loosen the ball, run on the ground and get a cheap basket,” he said. “Gemerio is a very switchable kid. A kid who can hold multiple positions and bounce off the ball, and that’s obviously what we’re talking about improving. And (Mason), he can play with the ball in the hole, and I’m not afraid to put him at ease. ”
Lakers ‘Dwight Howard and Talen Horton-Tucker Leave COVID-10 Protocols – Press Telegram Source Link Lakers’ Dwight Howard, Talen Horton-Tucker Leave COVID-10 Protocols – Press Telegram
–
