Everything you need to know about NBA health and safety protocols

With the Covid-19 pandemic taking another wave in the USA, many NBA teams are struggling to have enough available players for their games.

Many superstars such as Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, or Trae Young have missed significant time due to NBA's health and safety protocols.

When you place a bet on NBA games these days, checking the availability of the players is a must because a lot of the players are sidelined due to so-called, health and safety protocols.

Therefore, we decided to explain how that protocol actually works.

NBA players who test positive for COVID-19 now have a quicker path to return to play, after the league completed a significant update to its health and safety protocols on Monday.

Isolation periods for players who test positive may now be significantly shortened — down to six days from what has been the customary 10 —provided those players are asymptomatic and meet other testing standards. Teams were told of the new protocols Monday in a memo sent by the league, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

The NBA relied on data, telling teams that the updated protocols “reflects analysis of testing data that the league and its infectious disease experts and epidemiologists have gathered throughout the pandemic.” The changes were made in agreement with the National Basketball Players Association.

The NBA has seen coronavirus numbers soar in recent days, even with 97% of players vaccinated and at least 65% of eligible players boosted against the virus. A pair of coaches — Phoenix’s Monty Williams and Portland’s Chauncey Billups — entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols Monday.

The count of players in the NBA’s protocols remained around 120 on Monday afternoon, with no fewer than 63 players ruled out from among the seven games on the day’s schedule because of virus-related issues.

Atlanta listed 12 players as out — 10 for virus reasons, two for injuries — for its game against Chicago, but the Hawks said guard Trae Young was cleared to return, making that announcement about 90 minutes before tip-off.

Teams that have been hit particularly hard by virus-related issues have been able to cobble together rosters over the last couple of weeks primarily by signing players to 10-day hardship deals.

Jayson Tatum was one of 15 players — eight Celtics, seven Timberwolves — ruled out of the Boston-Minnesota game for virus-related reasons alone.