TORONTO – Toronto Raptors centre Precious Achiuwa will miss his third straight game Monday when Toronto plays host to the Sacramento Kings at Scotiabank Arena.
However, unlike the previous two games he was forced to miss with right shoulder tendinitis, Achiuwa has been placed into health and safety protocols.
The 22-year-old will remain out until Wednesday, and although neither he nor any other Raptors players and coaches tested positive for COVID-19, in compliance with the City of Toronto public health, Achiuwa was asked to self-isolate in an abundance of caution as he came in close contact with someone who tested positive at a Giants of Africa gala event last Sunday. Raptors vice-chairman and president, and Giants of Africa founder, Masai Ujiri said he tested positive for COVID after attending.
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Toronto coach Nick Nurse also attended the Giants of Africa event, but it was determined that he wasn’t at it long enough and he wasn’t in contact with anyone who tested positive, hence why he’s not self-isolating.
Word of Achiuwa requiring to self-isolate is just the latest in what has been a series of reminders around the Raptors that COVID-19 is still very much among us.
“We had to call off a practice (on Thursday), so that was different,” Nurse said Sunday over Zoom after practice. “We’re kind of back to just doing our jobs. We are to (go to) practice and home, mask-wearing, (we’re) vigilant on that. And you’ve just got to try to do your best and stay positive and remain focused in those things, and not use it as any type of excuse for the performance you’re trying to put out either in practice or a game, as well. Just trying to be as safe and keep it as professional as we can, really.”
And around the NBA, as a whole, there are even more stark reminders that this pandemic is still very much prevalent and pervasive in our lives. Most notably, the Chicago Bulls reportedly have nine players in health and safety protocols, including star guards Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.
And this isn’t to say that the Bulls, Raptors or any other team has been lackadaisical in adhering to public health recommendations to try to make it through the pandemic. Unfortunately, this kind of thing just may continue happening while we’re in the midst of a pandemic.
However, as Nurse said, this shouldn’t be a call to panic and give in to fear.
“I think it’s kind of just reality. I agree with you: Wake-up call is too strong,” said Nurse when asked if the COVID-related issues the team has faced this past week was something akin to a wake-up call. “When there’s a situation that we’ve been made aware of, then you step up and do everything you’re asked to do, and you do it together and you do it with a positivity (and not) with, ‘Oh, God.’ We’re not doing that. We’re doing it with a positivity of, ‘Let’s take care of each other, let’s take care of our co-workers and team and community and everything we’re supposed to do.’”
For the Raptors, dealing with COVID is nothing new. The team had a COVID outbreak that spread among the team while they were playing in Tampa last season.
Notoriously, that outbreak appeared to be a catalyst that ended up dooming the Raptors last season to miss the post-season for the first time in seven seasons.
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The Raptors tried to play through it and not make excuses about how it affected them, but its impact was apparent.
From that experience, however, it sounds like the Raptors have learned how to deal with the complications that a team dealing with health and safety protocols bring – plus being back in Toronto can’t be overstated as a factor that helps the team.
“I think for sure,” said Nurse when asked if the Tampa COVID experience helps with this current one. “I mean, first of all, just all the experiences were very difficult because of being the first time, (then) add on difficulty because of being away from home, etc. So, yeah, I think just the going through it and when you get a fifth email in a day that it says, ‘Hey, now we’ve got to do this,’ you’re kind of used to it because you’ve been through it a little bit.”
Much like everyone else around the world, the Raptors are well aware that COVID is here and likely isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Therefore, it’s all about trying to make it through this period as best as we all can.
“I think it’s just … a lot of common sense,” Nurse said. “It’s not too much to ask, it’s not, you know what I mean? It’s just not, I’m just not gonna see it as any burden. I mean, I do want the people to be well. That’s the biggest thing I keep saying is that we still … these people, you know, have a virus, you know, got a virus so hopefully they don’t get symptoms, hopefully they’re well, continue to extend empathy and kindness towards these people, and then do everything we can to be vigilant in our day-to-day moving and everything we’re doing.”
Quick dribbles
• OG Anunoby (left hip pointer) and Khem Birch (right knee swelling) will, once again, be out for Monday’s game vs. the Sacramento Kings.
• With Achiuwa scheduled to miss at least the next two games (Monday vs. Sacramento and Tuesday at Brooklyn), Chris Boucher will continue to start in his place, Nurse hinted at Sunday.
“I think for the immediate future, we’re here where we are, we’ve already played a couple games this way, so yeah,” said Nurse. “I haven’t really looked down the road too much beyond this game tomorrow. But, yeah, I would say we’re staying the same.”
• One of the more pleasant surprises of the last two games has been both the appearances and play of Raptors rookie Justin Champagnie, whose energy and rebounding ability had caught the attention of Nurse and the Raptors coaching staff from the very outset of him being drafted, and is now appearing to bear fruit in actual games.
“I think I’ve liked him a lot, pretty much, Day 1, just from a nose-for-the-ball mentality,” said Nurse of Champagnie. “I think that’s his calling card, and has been, and I like that – it’s been an emphasis for this year. And, really, we’ve talked a lot about this before, it’s been kind of a group of guys who anyone could’ve been brought out of that group, really, at anytime and just familiarity with some of the other guys that gave them the first nod here. But I think he’s a bit of a gamer, he can guard, he plays hard and he rebounds really, really well, period – and especially well for his position.
“I think he’s got a bright future because he’s really got a hard nose, tough mentality when the lights are on.”
Added Champagnie of what he’s been doing these past two games: “I think it just means going out there and just playing, doing what I do. Just doing all the little things and trying to get a ‘W,’ no matter what it looks like. Even in the last game, I didn’t have a point, I didn’t have a rebound, but I still went out there and guarded and defended. Just going out there, doing what I got to do every day, just doing what the team needs me to do, basically.”
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