Dallas Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis was forced to sit out the team's scrimmage on Sunday after forgetting to take his COVID-19 test on Saturday.
However, Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle clarified that KP did not intend to break the NBA's bubble protocols, adding that it was an “innocent mistake.”
Carlisle said KP's missed COVID-19 test was "an innocent mistake" and that test times vary. "You may have testing at 10 a.m., you may have it at 1 p.m., you may have it at 5. Some nights you come back from practice and you may have it at 6:30. We just got to constantly be aware."
— Dwain Price (@DwainPrice) July 26, 2020
Carlisle even admitted he nearly missed his own test during the Mavs' first off day.
Carlisle: "This situation is one where (KP) just took his eye off the ball a little bit in terms of the day-to-day protocols and procedures. I almost missed testing on our first off day. I was lucky I was able to get tested a little bit before 9 p.m. before they were closing up."
— Dwain Price (@DwainPrice) July 26, 2020
Naturally, it seems unlikely any player would willingly violate protocol. They would be immediately subjected to suspension, probably for the remainder of the restart.
Not to mention, players probably learned not to fool around with the “bubble” regulations when Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard was warned for failing to wear a mask.
Kristaps Porzingis has had an up-and-down season in his first year with the Mavs.
The former New York Knicks star was averaging 19.2 points and 9.5 rebounds before the hiatus, though he has not been quite as efficient of a pick-and-pop shooter as Dallas would prefer. Porzingis was shooting below 35 percent from beyond the arc, his most worst percentage since his rookie campaign.
However, the “Unicorn” certainly anchored the Mavs' frontcourt defense. He was averaging 2.1 blocks per game — with his 0.3 defensive box plus-minus being the best mark in that category since his rookie year.
The Mavs have an opportunity to make some noise once the seeding games begin in Orlando
Dallas is currently the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, but the team is also just 1.5 games back of the fifth seed and 2.5 games back of the fourth seed.
It would be unfortunate for the Mavs if Porzingis faced potential discipline from the league. But as Carlisle stated, the missed test appears to have been an honest mistake.
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