It was expected once the NBA started testing its players for COVID-19 on Tuesday. A natural uptick in cases around the Association.
We’re now seeing that in full force with two members of the Sacramento Kings testing positive for the virus.
Sacramento Kings star guard Buddy Hield tests positive for COVID-19
While not surprising, this has to be considered bad news for the NBA as it looks to resume a season that has been suspended since March 11.
Multiple players on a team coming down with the virus during the season and the playoffs would be pretty darn bad. Now, imagine one of those players being among the top stars in the NBA. That’s almost the worst-case scenario.
As for Hield, he’s an extremely important member of a Kings team that has a small opportunity to earn a playoff spot when the season resumes.
Acquired in the DeMarcus Cousins trade years back, the former top-10 pick is averaging 19.8 points on 40% shooting from distance this season.
COVID-19 infections and the NBA
Nikola Jokic headlines a group of players that have already come down with the virus since the NBA started ramping up testing.
The good news here is that these players have time to recover before the season starts in about five weeks.
The bad news? The season is set to resume at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The theme park is located in Florida, one of the global epicenters of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s going to be interesting to see how many players test positive as results come back and are released to the public. As for the Kings, Hield joins Jabari Parker in testing positive.