Account
Report: NBA HCs Won't Be Allowed to Participate in Player Workouts After Restart
May 7, 2020
Players in some NBA cities will be allowed to resume volunteer individual workouts at team facilities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but head coaches are not permitted to take part, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
However, per Wojnaworski, teams "will be able to designate six assistant coaches or player development personnel to provide supervision of player workouts on the courts."
Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported that teams whose facilities are no longer under their respective states' restrictions can open up Friday.
Charania had previously reported the Friday date on April 27, and on that day, he also offered more notes on restrictions at team facilities.
"Players must wear facemasks at all times, except when in physical activity," Charania tweeted. "Staffers working with players must wear gloves; physical distancing of at least 12 feet."
The NBA suspended play March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. It has stayed suspended as the disease continues its spread worldwide.
Jeff Zillgitt and Mark Medina of USA Today also provided more guidelines in a 14-page memo the NBA sent to all 30 teams regarding facility workouts and best practices.
Of note, no more than four players are allowed in the facility at the same time; people must be 12 feet apart; two players can't shoot at the same basket; hot tubs, cold tubs, saunas or oxygen or cryotherapy chambers are banned; and anyone who enters must get a temperature check.
As for Friday, Zillgitt and Medina reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets are the only teams planning to open on that day, with the possibility of one or two more.
The Houston Rockets were set to start Friday, but the restriction on gyms has been extended to May 18 in Texas, per the USA Today duo.
The Atlanta Hawks are opening sometime next week, per comments from general manager Travis Schlenk to USA Today. As for everyone else, teams are either eyeing a safe return to the court sometime soon or have no concrete plans to open up at this time.