Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers joked that Dwight Howard would be forced to play point guard against the Denver Nuggets Saturday afternoon, following the announcement that the team would have only nine eligible players for the game due to COVID-19 protocols. Speaking with reporters via Zoom during his pregame availability, the Sixers boss outlined his rotation as best he could given the unusual circumstances the team finds itself in.

While Howard won't actually handle the ball, desperate times do call for desperate measures. Thankfully for Sixers fans–and really anyone who enjoys basketball at all–things aren't quite so desperate that Dwight the Point Guard becomes a reality.

Watch Doc's press conference for yourself below (via TNT)

The game between the Sixers and Nuggets had initially been in jeopardy of being postponed given the severity of the Philadelphia roster's outbreak. Stemming from Seth Curry's positive test for Coronavirus, at least four players–including Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle–have been ruled ineligible to play due to the NBA's contract tracing protocols. While no players beyond Curry have tested positive for COVID as of Saturday morning, the league chose to quarantine all those exposed to mitigate any further spread.

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With so many players unable to participate in the contest, the Sixers were in danger of falling below the minimum number of men needed for a game to proceed. However, thanks to the league office declaring that Joel Embiid, Danny Green, and Paul Reed were eligible to play after clearing protocols, the Sixers were able to suit nine players, one more than the required eight.

While it was a victory just to get the game to proceed, the Sixers will now be tasked with actually attempting to win it. Thankfully, that shouldn't require any ball handling from Dwight.