Bradley Beal said the Washington Wizards “fight the league” by playing the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday with only eight available players and six Wizards sidelined by the NBA health and safety protocol.
After a nine-day hiatus due to a coronavirus outbreak within the team that led to the postponement of five games, the Wizards were finally allowed to return to practice on Wednesday evening. But the team had only eight players available and, according to coach Scott Brooks, actually did light shootings.
“We weren’t able to get into a gym for a week,” said Beal, whose team hasn’t played against the Phoenix Suns since January 11. “That changes the rhythm and form of guys – that’s like a recipe for injury, frankly. I think we’re fighting the competition on it.”
With a lack of healthy bodies and little conditioning, Beal said he and Russell Westbrook planned to talk to Michele Roberts, the executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, about the Wizards’ options for staying safe.
Beal said that in addition to the Wizards who want to stay injury-free, players in the league have “mixed feelings” about wanting to keep playing and making money while protecting themselves and their loved ones.
“We already have boys with injuries,” said Beal. “Now we have a big part of our team, like over 50%, with the virus now … we’ll hear from the league tonight, hear from them tomorrow and see what they want to do.”
The Wizards, who embark on a four-game road trip in Milwaukee on Friday, signed Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija, Troy Brown Jr., Ish Smith and Moritz Wagner out of the game against the Bucks due to health and safety protocols.
Westbrook (quad) was re-evaluated this week and stays out and Thomas Bryant (left ACL) is out for the season. Westbrook did some light work on the track on Wednesday evening and is traveling with the team on the upcoming road trip. But Brooks said he wasn’t sure when Westbrook will be allowed to play.
The Wizards are expected to have Beal, Robin Lopez, Raul Neto, Garrison Mathews, Jerome Robinson, Isaac Bonga, Anthony Gill and Cassius Winston available to play.
Brooks said the team could not practice until Wednesday night. The Wizards will rehearse on Thursday morning with about 15 to 16 hours between the two sessions before playing the Bucks.
“It will put us in a very difficult position to play a game on Friday night,” said Brooks. “If they let us play the game, of course we have to play the game. I don’t know how we can play it, but we’re going to do our very best, whatever the league tells us what to do. I believe in the game. competition. “
The game between Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night became the 16th game delayed by the NBA this season.
“[COVID-19] is around everyone, ”Brooks said. This is not a hoax. There are more than 400,000 Americans [who] have died with this virus. And we take it seriously. You are clearly concerned. “