Seth Curry’s positive COVID test puts the Sixers’ immediate future in question — among the more serious concerns about his health and those around him.
The Sixers were the subject of a bombshell news drop Thursday night. Seth Curry returned a positive coronavirus test as Philadelphia played the Brooklyn Nets, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The entire team will thus quarantine in New York overnight before contact tracing begins. Curry was on the bench with teammates through part of the first quarter before the team was notified and he was removed from the building.
Initial concerns obviously revolve around player safety and health. While we can assume Curry is asymptomatic, there is the chance he becomes sick in the future or that those around him — including teammates — could become infected. COVID is extremely contagious, and we can do nothing but wish health and safety upon Curry and those in his orbit.
He wore a mask on the sidelines in the first quarter, but he was presumably with the team in the locker room pre-game as well, where it’s much more difficult to enforce or guarantee mask-wearing. He was also situated close to some teammates during the game.
Excuse the blurry screenshots here, but looking back through the first quarter footage tonight.
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) January 8, 2021
Seth Curry was the only player on the first row of the bench to start the game. As time wore on, other guys (including Embiid right next to him unmasked) were much closer pic.twitter.com/AZqYWUOpYs
The fallout of this game from a basketball perspective is unclear. That said, the Sixers’ Saturday contest with Denver will likely be postponed, with a high possibility for future postponements. This will also impact the Washington Wizards, who Philadelphia played Wednesday night, and the Nets, who were in the building with Curry on the sideline and in contact with Curry’s teammates.
This could lead to postponements and, if unlucky, future positive tests for at least three teams. The Sixers are currently atop the Eastern Conference at 7-2, but with Curry due to miss several games — and the potential for teammates to miss several games, too, assuming the season even continues in the near future — the general takeaway is uncertainty. This is the most glaringly problematic COVID test in the NBA so far this season, and how the league proceeds will set new precedents.
On the court, Philadelphia has not proven it can survive an extended absence from Curry, who is key to unlocking innumerable offensive opportunities. He creates space for Embiid and Simmons, and is a constant companion in two-man actions with Philadelphia’s stars. His loss will be felt.
Hopefully, Curry did not spread COVID to anybody around him and everyone healthy. If that is not the case, and future positive tests turn up, the Sixers would be in for a long few weeks. Contact tracing will inevitably tie Curry to teammates, too. Kevin Durant is in the middle of a mandatory seven-day quarantine due to contact tracing, so expect multiple absences (if not multiple postponements) in the coming days.