The Boston Celtics will reportedly be without at least three of its players for the next seven days due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
The Celtics listed Carsen Edwards (healthy and safety protocols) as questionable for Friday’s game against the Washington Wizards, Thursday evening, before Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Friday that Tristan Thompson, Grant Williams, and Robert Williams were all ruled out due to the league’s new COVID-19 protocols.
Further update: Celtics say Carsen Edwards is listed available and was not a close contact trace. Thompson, Robert Williams and Grant Williams will be required to quarantine for at least seven days.
Edwards is now healthy for Friday’s game against the Wizards; his name was mentioned in the initial report but was corrected afterward. Still, the short-handed Celtics will be without three of its four centers, which drastically thins out Stevens’ depth chart.
This news does not bode well with Boston’s frontcourt progression. Thompson, who’s been a defensive anchor at the center position but is still recovering from a hamstring injury in November, was finding in footing in Stevens’ lineup.
He’s averaged 8.4 points, 8.5 rebounds in 23.1 minutes throughout eight games – Thompson started in all eight games.
Report: Celtics’ Robert Williams Tested Positive For COVID-19
Moments after the Celtics’ injury report for Friday’s game was released, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reported that Celtics center Robert Williams was the only player who, in fact, tested positive for COVID-19.
Williams has been asymptomatic but because Grant Williams and Thompson sat near Williams during Wednesday’s game against the Heat, both have to enter the mandatory seven-day quarantine along with Robert.
According to a league source, Robert Williams was the lone Celtics player to test positive for COVID-19 and has been asymptomatic. Tristan Thompson and Grant Williams are out for contact tracing.
Philadelphia 76ers Guard Seth Curry Tests Positive For COVID-19
In the grand scheme of things, this could be just the beginning of a league-wide outbreak – the association’s biggest concern heading into the 2020-21 bubble-less regular season.
Boston’s news dropped the morning after the Philadelphia 76ers learned mid-game that shooting guard Seth Curry tested positive for the coronavirus, which forced the team to quarantine in New York Thursday night, according to Shams.
However, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, the Nets were still expected to head to Memphis for their game against the Grizzlies Friday night.
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Celtics Player Tests Positive For COVID-19, Three Face 7-Day Quarantine: Report