We the North head south for Tampa training camp
There's no longer an NBA bubble, but from a media standpoint, many of the same COVID-19 restrictions remain in place.
What it means for our readers is access to Toronto Raptors players is once again going to come solely in group formats on virtual conference calls.
It's not ideal, but safety has to trump all.
Raptors players not already in Tampa travelled to Florida yesterday and will remain there until their first pre-season game, when they head to Charlotte on Dec. 11 for a pair of contests on Dec. 12 and Dec. 14.
Mandatory individual workouts begin today and will continue until at least Dec. 6. If all the players have been cleared at that point — once again, every player and staff member is tested daily for COVID-19 — team workouts can begin Sunday at the earliest.
Normally a media day would occur in which all the players are made available to the assembled members of the press. This year, the league has turned media day into media week, with two players available each day beginning today.
The Raptors, because they're in special circumstances having to begin the season playing in Tampa, will start with an availability for general manager Bobby Webster today and then jump in with two players and head coach Nick Nurse on Wednesday, at which point they'll start rolling out the new faces in the lineup and those who have not been heard from recently.
Without the bubble, the protocols for returning to play after a positive COVID test — something the league fully expects will happen on some level — are much more strict than they were when everything during the 2019-20 playoffs took place within the Disney Resort confines near Orlando.
For a player to return after a positive test, he must sit out a minimum of 12 days from team activity and can return then only if he has been either symptom-free for 10 days or produce two consecutive negative test results at least 24 hours apart.
Either way, no player who tests positive can return any earlier than the 12-day minimum.
The NBA hasn't laid out any criteria in terms of the number of positive tests it would take to shut the league down.
They'll deal with the positives as they come and adapt accordingly.
THE DAVIS SITUATION
The Raptors have been tight-lipped on this issue since Terence Davis was charged with numerous offences following an alleged altercation with his girlfriend in Manhattan in October.
To date, all the team has said on the matter is they support the league investigation of the undrafted guard who was such a pleasant surprise this past season in his rookie year.
A court date is set for Dec. 11, but in the interim, the Raptors have already had to make at least one decision on Davis' future with them. On Sunday, the team had to guarantee his rookie contract in order to maintain his rights. The belief is that has happened, with the Raptors awaiting both the results of the league investigation and the court's decision on the charges.
Once the court has ruled and after the league has concluded its investigation, the team will have to make a decision on whether they keep him in the fold or find a way to send his contract elsewhere.
FILLING OUT THE ROSTER
The Raptors' training camp roster is officially at the maximum 20 players.
The most recent signing, confirmed by player representative Mike George on the FAN590 radio Monday, is forward Oshae Brissett.
Brissett became a favourite of head coach Nick Nurse last season, starting with his time with the Canadian Olympic team in its preparations for the World Cup in China.
The Mississauga, Ont. native built on that as one of a pair of two-way players with the Raptors last season, spending time with both the parent club and its G-League affiliate, the 905s.
According to George, Brissett isn't on a two-way contract this year, which bodes well for him nailing down a full year with the parent club.
Newcomers to camp this year include free agent signings C Aron Baynes, F DeAndre' Bembry, C Alex Len, drafted rookies G Malachi Flynn and G Jalen Harris, as well as invitees SF Henry Ellenson, SF Alize Johnson, and F Yuta Watanabe.
QUICK HITS
As part of the league protocols, the NBA will once again have an anonymous tip line to rat out players and staff not adhering to the pandemic rules. A handful of players including then-Laker Dwight Howard were reprimanded by the league for failing to wear a mask inside the bubble
The NBA will once again have an anonymous tip line to rat out players and staff not adhering to the pandemic rules.
after receiving calls to the tip line ... In terms of the size of a travelling party a team can take on the road, that number will be limited to 45, 17 of whom will be players ... Boston head coach Brad Stevens has added one-time Celtic and recently retired player Evan Turner to his developmental staff. Turner played 10 years in the league with six different franchises ... The G-League season will go ahead this year, but will be played within a bubble in the Atlanta area. Toronto won't enjoy the advantage of having its developmental team just down the highway this season as it did when the Raptors called Scotiabank Arena home and the 905s were just down the road in Mississauga. Still, Toronto to Atlanta would have been a much bigger travel day than Tampa to Atlanta.