KINGS STAR RETURNS TO PRACTICE
Kings coach Luke Walton finally had some good news to report during a morning Zoom session with the media Tuesday.
Walton said there was nothing new on Marvin Bagley III and Harrison Barnes, but point guard De’Aaron Fox is recovering quickly from an ankle injury and center Richaun Holmes has completed his mandatory 10-day quarantine for leaving the NBA bubble. Neither is expected to play when the Kings scrimmage the Miami Heat today, but the team will need them when seeding games begin at Walt Disney World Resort next week.
Fox went down with a sprained left ankle during practice July 15. The team initially said Fox would be reevaluated in 7 to 10 days, but Walton revealed that Fox has already returned to practice for conditioning and nocontact drills.
“He did more today than he’s done any day prior,” Walton said. “He looked good. He was getting up and down. We’re still not doing any contact, but he definitely is making some good progress. I would expect him back with us soon.
“It’s very encouraging. The thing with ankle sprains is you just don’t ever really know how long it’s going to take. People heal different, so to see the progress he made even from Day 1 to Day 2 was very encouraging, and again today he really pushed it. No contact, but he pushed it. We’ll get some good information as far as how he feels tomorrow when he wakes up after pushing it this hard today.”
Holmes returned to practice after being holed up in his room for the past 10 days. He was placed under mandatory quarantine after inadvertently crossing the NBA campus line to pick up a food delivery. Walton previously said the Kings had sent exercise equipment to Holmes’ room to help him stay fit. On Tuesday, Walton said that included one unusual piece of equipment.
“We ended up hanging a punching bag in his quarantine room,” Walton chuckled. “He said that was the thing that kind of helped him through.”
Walton said the team will gradually increase Holmes’ workload in hopes of having him “hitting on all cylinders” when the Kings play their first seeding game against the San Antonio Spurs on July 31.
“He looked good,” Walton said. “We’re going to ease him back in just because now, with that first quarantine as well, it’s pretty much 12 of the last 13 days without playing basketball. So even though he’s looking great and he’s getting up and down a little bit, we’re going to take our time, ease him back into it.”
Walton said Barnes was still in Sacramento trying to clear COVID-19 protocols after testing positive for the virus earlier this month.
“Every day we kind of get an update from back there as far as where he’s at in that process and as soon as he’s clear we’ll get him out here,” Walton said.
A source told Marc Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated Barnes could travel to Orlando on Tuesday if he passes one more COVID-19 tests. The Sacramento Bee learned there was a chartered, medium-size private jet scheduled to fly from Sacramento to Orlando on Tuesday night, but the team would not say whether Barnes was expected to be on that flight.
Walton said the team is still awaiting further analysis of MRI results after Bagley went down with an injury to his right foot during Sunday’s practice. Walton was asked if being in the NBA bubble is prolonging that process.
“The films have been sent out,” Walton said. “We’re waiting to kind of get some more information back from that. Being in the bubble is always a little different. I don’t know how the protocols work. We’ve got a lot going on, so I just trust in the process that’s happening. When I get the information, I’ll share it with you guys.”
Clippers' Beverley leaves NBA bubble for emergency
On the same day the Los Angeles Clippers added one starter to practice, the team also lost another when Patrick Beverley departed the NBA's campus at Walt Disney World to take care of what was described as an "emergency family matter," according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Anyone who leaves the NBA's campus can reenter only after spending between four and 10 days in quarantine. The timing not only rules out Beverley for the team's first two scrimmages, against Orlando on Wednesday and Washington on Saturday, but also puts into question Beverley's availability for the team's first seeding game on July 30, against the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers.