This NBA season hasn’t exactly gone smoothly in terms of navigating the challenges of the pandemic, while resuming a relatively normal schedule that requires teams to travel around the country to play games. Several games have already been postponed so far, and numerous players have missed time due to COVID protocols.
But the league has opted to press ahead in the face of these issues, in no small part due to the economic realities involved. That extends to the annual All-Star Game, which is scheduled to take place next month in Atlanta, albeit in a largely scaled-down version, and despite criticism from several star players.
This week, the Toronto Raptors became the latest ones forced to miss time, as the team announced on Friday that Nick Nurse, along with five other coaching staff members, will not be on the court for their game against the Rockets, as first reported by Marc Stein of The New York Times and later confirmed by a team release.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse and five other members of the Toronto coaching staff are entering the league’s health and safety protocols and will not coach tonight, @NYTSports has learned
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 26, 2021
Per Raptors: Due to health and safety protocols, six members of the Raptors’ coaching staff, including head coach Nick Nurse, will not be on the bench beginning with Friday’s game vs. Houston.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) February 26, 2021
It’s unclear how long they will be out, but given the nature of the protocols, they could be held out of upcoming games as well. The Raptors are 16-17 on the season and currently hold the No. 5 spot in the East.
