Former stars like Lance Stephenson, Joe Johnson, Mario Chalmers or Isaiah Thomas have been able to get a foothold in the NBA, for quite variable results.
As everywhere in the world, the new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, accelerated by the development of its variant Omicron, has resulted in putting spades in the wheels of the NBA.
The most prestigious basketball championship in the world had to continue its activity with the absences of many players, placed in a health protocol (anti-covid) in the event of a positive test. As a result, some teams had to compete on the floor with a reduced workforce.
As of January 6, 2022, 88 players were affected by this virus, simultaneously. The Washington Wizards and the Indiana Pacers are the most affected as they have had to deal with eight absences each. A total of 12 league fixtures have been postponed due to the unmet minimum number of players.
But these drawbacks had a rather unexpected and beneficial effect on the careers of some players, who were no longer necessarily popular in the NBA. Like the pivot Bismack Biyombo, whose first two appearances were enough to convince the leaders of the Phoenix Suns to sign a contract until the end of the season.
The success has been more resounding for Lance Stephenson, revived by the Indiana franchise in the absence of many senior players. Missing for more than three years, “Born Ready” did ten days of training with Atlanta before surprising everyone when they arrived in Indiana. Who expected him to score 30 points against the Brooklyn Nets for his home debut?
Regarding Isaiah Thomas, the ex-All star point guard, has tried everything to return to the league. But the former Washington Wizards player failed to convince Lakers executives, contracting Covid-19 just after his first game.
Ethan Platt
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