3 Teams in the NBA which can benefit from other teams missing their unvaccinated players
The NBA has been involved in a big controversy right as the 2021-22 season approaches, and it all has to do with the Covid-19 vaccine and how some big-name players are openly talking against the vaccine.
Of course, the NBA does not force players to take it, but some cities, such as New York and San Francisco, require a dose of the vaccine and full vaccination, respectively, for those over 12 years old to be able to attend indoor events.
The NBA does have different protocols for vaccinated and unvaccinated players, but does not require a vaccine for players.
A spokesman for the NBA, Mike Bass, explained that the league proposed a deal about a vaccine mandate, but the NBAPA rejected it.
3 teams that could take advantage of the anti-vax situation happening in the NBA
Players from the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets need to be vaccinated to play in home games (at least one dose in New York) and even attend practices. Visiting players won't face this issue in the mentioned cities.
Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets is probably at the forefront of the latest news regarding NBA players and the Covid-19 vaccine, as he could miss all of his teams' home games. Not having Irving would definitely hurt the Brooklyn Nets' Big Three and their quest for an NBA championship, and help other teams along the way.
Without the trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving all playing at the same time, the Brooklyn Nets could again face several issues against some of the best teams in the NBA, which is not what the organization was thinking when putting together such a group.
Golden State Warriors' Andrew Wiggins and Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal are also among those against the vaccine.
In this article, we will look at the sporting side of things and give you three teams that could benefit from the mess generated about vaccinated and unvaccinated players in the NBA right now.
Without further ado, let us start.
#3 New York Knicks
Of course, you'd think that the New York Knicks could face the same issue that the Brooklyn Nets are seeing right now, with one of their best players taking a rough stance against the vaccines.
However, the New York Knicks are the only team from California or New York that have 100% of their players fully vaccinated, according to AP, and those issues will not bother the squad.
Kings of New York: "Knicks GM Scott Perry said the entire Knicks roster and coaching staff is vaccinated." nypost.com/2021/09/24/kni…
Of course, without Irving playing in 41 of the 82 games for the Brooklyn Nets in the regular season (hypothetically), the New York Knicks could benefit from playing their city rivals without one of their most unstoppable players.
If the season started tomorrow, that would be the case in Irving's situation and he would at least miss the Nets' home games. However, it is still early and he might change his mind regarding that matter.
The Knicks would benefit quite a bit, as their four-game series against the Brooklyn Nets could go on without Irving (depending on how the state will control those cases of players who are visitors in the same state).
#2 Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks could also benefit from the Brooklyn Nets' situation with Kyrie Irving, as regular-season issues could definitely put the Nets on the back foot entering the NBA Playoffs and clear Milwaukee's path to another deep postseason run.
Moreover, it could even help the Bucks grab the top seed of the Eastern Conference, and the team just proved in the 2021 NBA Playoffs that it is tough to play against at the Fiserv Forum, winning 10 out of 11 games at home.
LeBron James, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, and other NBA stars explained why they got the Covid vaccine
sbnation.com/nba/2021/9/28/…
Of course, the Milwaukee Bucks will be looking at themselves when thinking about a quest for back-to-back championships, and the team's confidence will definitely give it the feel that they can beat any team with any roster construction.