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More Wizards players enter COVID-19 protocols, bringing total to 6

By Chase Hughes

More Wizards players in COVID protocols, bringing total to 6 originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

WASHINGTON — The Washington Wizards now have six players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, as well as several staff members, as they continue to monitor a coronavirus outbreak.

The latest players to enter protocols are big men Anthony Gill and Thomas Bryant, along with guard Aaron Holiday. They join Raul Neto, who was placed in protocols just before the team’s game on Sunday night, as well as Bradley Beal and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Bryant has yet to appear in a game this season as he continues to recover from ACL surgery, but this still leaves the Wizards with four players usually on their active roster who are unavailable for the time being.

“I’m having a hard time keeping track of it. It changes by the hour,” head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said Monday.

Caldwell-Pope tested positive a week ago, so there is some optimism he could return soon. He needs two consecutive negative tests to be cleared. Beal was not far behind him and Unseld Jr. said he’s hopeful he will be cleared before Tuesday’s game at the Miami Heat.

Neto entered protocols after the team did a round of tests at their walkthrough on Sunday afternoon. The news broke he would be out just an hour before tip-off and after Unseld Jr. had addressed the media in his pregame press conference.

Things are moving fast, but Unseld Jr. is encouraged by the fact no one seems to be severely affected by the virus.

“I think it ranges from no symptoms to very light symptoms. I don’t think there have been any severe issues beyond flu-like [symptoms] or common cold, which is good. Obviously, the concern and the underlying thing is safety and the safety of their individual family and immediate folks around them. So, that’s a positive,” Unseld Jr. said.

The Wizards are able to sign players to 10-day hardship contracts due to recent league rule changes and have called up two guards from their G-League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. Having Jordan Schakel and Jordan Goodwin has helped them continue to practice simply by having enough players to run 5-on-5 scrimmages.

Yet, it has still been a challenge given those players are not regular members of the team who fully understand the playbook and personnel. There could also be a domino effect when players return due to their time off and depending on their symptoms.

The Wizards experienced the after-effects of players in protocols last season when they had six games over a two-week stretch postponed due to an outbreak. Once they returned to game action, the Wizards had trouble competing against teams that were in midseason form.

Forward Kyle Kuzma recently had a brief stint in protocols and described what it was like when he came back.

“I was messed up. I was sick and I was down for six days. I didn’t really do anything for about six days. So, coming back into those first three games… it was a struggle,” he said.

“I was definitely struggling with my breathing and my conditioning because obviously when you’re sitting out during the season, it’s weird because you play games every other day. When your body has two days off or three days off, it’s like whoa, what are we doing right now? Then, combat that with having COVID, I was struggling a little bit.”

Wizards are looking for a pass-first point guard this offseason

By Andrew Gillis
Wizards looking for pass-first point guard this summer originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonLess than a year ago, the Wizards’ point guard situation seemed settled — at least, it appeared to be for a few-year stretch. Fast forward to April, and the Wizards are entering a massive summer with a bevy of questions, one of which is at the point guard position. After the addition of Spencer Dinwiddie didn’t work out, the team traded him to Dallas for Kristaps Porzingis and spent the rest of the year with a by-committee approach at the point guard position. That included Ish Smith, Tomas Satoransky and Raul Neto down the stretch. Now, the search will commence for a point guard that fits the Wizards' style of play. “I think we need somebody who is going to be a pass-first point guard,” general manager Tommy Sheppard said Tuesday. “I think we need somebody that’ll be able to contain the dribble on the defense end and help us keep people out of the paint. Those are some of the prerequisites we’re probably going to be looking for.”The Wizards boast a roster full of shooters in Bradley Beal, Porzingis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma amongst a few others. That’s an area the Wizards want to grow from, as a pass-first guard could help facilitate the team’s offensive sets.“In the NBA anymore, I think they may even try to change the position into called points guard,” Sheppard joked. “A lot of guards now are just looking to score first. I’m traditional, I like point guards that really set the offense and really try to get everybody involved and move the ball because you see the results. When we move the ball, we’re pretty good.”There are a few players the Wizards turned to this season, like Deni Avdija and Kuzma, to help run the offense and orchestrate everything on the floor. And while the idea of a pass-first point guard might be enticing, it’s hard to find a true guard like that.There’ll be a handful of moves for the Wizards this summer, but they’re ready to exhaust all avenues possible to improve at the point guard position.“Ideally, you have a guy who can keep us organized, who can defend his position, obviously make a shot when the ball finds him, but I don’t think you need a guy that’s tasked with having to orchestrate everything,” coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “I think that’s a lot to ask for. In an ideal sense, but those guys don’t exist. There’s not, I don’t think, five to 10 names left when you look at the true essence of a point guard. I think they’re hybrid guards and they’re players — you try to find the best talent, the best complimentary player for this group.”
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