Austin Rivers Says 'Ignorance' Part of COVID-19 Issues, Praises Knicks Protocols

New York Knicks guard Austin Rivers lamented larger fundamental problems within the country as multiple NBA teams have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rivers stressed the importance of people doing their part to benefit the wider collective Saturday, per the New York Post's Greg Joyce:

"We just gotta do our part individually. It's tough, though. It is everywhere. Unfortunately in our country, people don't wear masks all the time. You have ignorance displayed every day, which is causing this to be more delayed and more serious. … It's frustrating to see people mess around with that stuff. We just control what we control and do our part. The Knicks have done a great job of keeping us in line with that stuff."

The NBA's bubble proved to be a success as the league didn't experience any COVID-19-related problems within the Walt Disney World Resort. But with games now played in home cities, the situation has changed drastically.

The Philadelphia 76ers had seven players take the court for their 115-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets, in part due to the league's health and safety protocols. The Boston Celtics figure to be similarly undermanned for Sunday's contest with the Miami Heat.

In a 72-game season, a positive COVID-19 test can rule a player out for a not insignificant chunk. The player is required to quarantine for at least 10 days. Once cleared from quarantine, the player then has to work out for two more days before he can rejoin his team.

"The number one skill is availability," Rivers said before emphasizing how having a full roster could provide a major competitive advantage.

Heading into their game against the Nuggets, the Knicks are sixth in the Eastern Conference at 5-4, and nobody from their starting five has missed a game to this point.