The Houston Rockets didn’t offer much new information following Monday’s practice as to the expected arrival dates of superstar guards Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Earlier in the day, Westbrook confirmed that his absence was due to a positive test for COVID-19.
Both are expected to rejoin the team “soon” at the NBA bubble site in Florida, and well before Houston’s restart date of July 31. Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said Monday that both stars are working through “protocols,” though Harden’s reason remains undisclosed.
“They’ll be here as soon as protocols get out of the way,” D’Antoni said. “They’re all anxious to get here. They’re doing what they need to do to stay in shape. This is not going to set us back.”
“They’re working out on their own,” Houston’s head coach clarified. “When they get here, they’ll be able to hit the court running.”
D'Antoni on Westbrook and Harden: "They're working out on their own. When they get here, they'll be able to hit the court running."
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) July 13, 2020
The Rockets have completed three practice sessions in Florida without their All-Stars, but D’Antoni insists that their temporary absence won’t be a setback. One reason for his confidence: Both Westbrook and Harden are healthy enough to work out on their own and stay in shape.
Westbrook said in his COVID-19 announcement on Monday that he’s “currently feeling well,” and teammate Jeff Green said later in the day that Westbrook had told him that he’s “fine.”
Robert Covington and Russell Westbrook's positive COVID-19 test: "
"We've just got to be there to support him. It's a tough thing to deal with. We've got to be there for our teammate. It's hard for him not to be with us yet. We're all going to be in this together." #Rockets
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) July 14, 2020
After positive tests, the NBA requires at least 14 days off the court (and multiple negative tests) before a player can rejoin his team. It remains unclear exactly when Westbrook contracted the virus, but D’Antoni said the 2017 MVP had participated in some individual workouts at team facilities, and Westbrook didn’t return to Houston until late June.
Based on that timing, Westbrook’s positive result — and the corresponding 14-day timetable — could be fairly recent. However, the latest it could have been was nearly a week ago, since Westbrook said he learned of his diagnosis prior to his team’s July 9 flight to Orlando. As a result, that 14-day period should elapse well before the season resumes.
D'Antoni says he's not going to go into whether Westbrook had symptoms. Says that's his business, and Russ can decide what he wants to share.
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) July 13, 2020
Rockets forward Thabo Sefolosha, who opted out of playing in Florida, said earlier this month that some of his teammates had tested positive. To this point, Westbrook is Houston’s only confirmed case.
The team did not directly comment on Harden since he does not have a public diagnosis, but the Rockets insist that both former MVPs are expected to arrive in Florida and rejoin the team in the near future.
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