The NBA is working towards a resumption in the “bubble site” down in Orlando as they navigate through a difficult landscape at the moment and figure out what the next logical step is amid a global pandemic. Before the teams head to Orlando, they are beginning to get back to their specific team’s workout facility in their home markets under some restrictions.
The players have to work out with just one coach and one rebounder and the coaches have to be masked and wear gloves while the player works out. As the Philadelphia 76ers get back to work, their workouts are pretty different amid this new normal at the moment, but the most important thing is, they can continue to work and get back in game shape.
“I get to the gym and you have to wear a mask when you come in,” explained Glenn Robinson III. “My first week being back here, there was a lot of testing, but you weren’t allowed to get on to the court with a rebounder or another coach or anything. Then, moving forward just one coach. I come in, I have my treatment, I have my hour workout with a rebounder and my coach. Obviously, they’re masked, I can workout without a mask. I didn’t know how it would be if I had to wear a mask while working out, but it’s been good. You have to find a way to be professional and getting your work done in about two hours and get out so the next group can get in.”
Rookie Matisse Thybulle, who has not seen much of his teammates since the league was suspended, explained that players are very much isolated to avoid further contact at the moment. These are the protective measures that the Sixers have taken to keep everybody safe.
“Within the facility, we have these small bubbles,” explained Thybulle. “I’m only coming in contact with two guys and it’s the same two guys at a time so it makes it weird. Like I haven’t heard from some guys, I’ve bumped into KO (Kyle O’Quinn) riding his bike in Fishtown and I get to rub past Al (Horford) and Tobias (Harris) in the facility, but other than that, it’s very much in passing.”
Robinson III further explained it was that the players don’t have all of the time in the world to get stuff done. They only have a couple of hours or so to make sure they come in, get their work in, and then get out so the next group can come in and work.
Robinson III explained:
It’s a little weird. It’s basically one person at a time and they have us on blind schedules. Ben’s (Simmons) here and leaving as I’m pulling up and as I’m leaving, Furk (Furkan Korkmaz) is coming in and doing his work so it’s about an hour on the court and about 30 or 45 minutes in the weight room. I think the Sixers are doing things the right way. I don’t know about any other teams. I don’t know if they’re playing or 5-on-5 or 3-on-3, I just know we’re doing things the right way and I’m glad about that because I think that we can get everybody healthy going down to Orlando. I think that’s the game plan and getting the ball rolling. The most important thing is keeping everybody healthy. We cant afford to miss a couple of weeks of training because of a slip up so I take my job very seriously and I keep myself isolated. Hopefully, my teammates and the whole staff are doing the same thing which I know they are.
Backup point guard Raul Neto revealed that he had just returned back to the Philadelphia area recently and that he had to be tested and in self-quarantine before he could get back out on the floor.
“I got here two weeks ago on a Monday, then we got tested Tuesday, and then I had to be quarantined and working out by myself with no coaches close to me for four days and then Sunday was my first workout with my coach and since then, I’ve been doing a 45 minute/50 minute workout a day and then a little bit in the weight room,” he said. “It’s been good, it’s good to be back at the facility even though I can’t see any of the other players, it’s been kind of weird, but it’s nice to be back and able to put my work in and be able to be here.”
These will have to be the rules moving forward to try and keep everybody safe at the moment. The Sixers will get back to work on August 1 against the Indiana Pacers and then the team will be able to continue their championship chase. [lawrence-related id=34070,34063,34053]