NBA's Latest Practicing Update is Bad News for the Sixers

At this time, NBA leaders are doing all they can to ensure they do the right thing as the coronavirus spreads not only around the country but around the league as well. Ever since Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 last Wednesday, the league has seen a rise in cases over the past week.

For the Philadelphia 76ers, their organization underwent testing this past Monday. The results weren't great, considering the team confirmed that three members of the franchise tested positive. It's unclear if said three members were players or not, but regardless of who it was, it just goes to show that COVID-19 is much more contagious than anybody initially anticipated before the NBA shut down.

And anytime more cases pop up, it becomes harder to estimate when the league will resume its operations. Currently, the NBA is on a guaranteed 30-day hiatus. At this point, it has become clear that it will be more than a month before basketball is back. The return could be in June, or it could be in July.

But right now, it's hard to assume when considering all of the new factors coming into place. Obviously, the NBA's biggest concern right now is the coronavirus. Before teams get back to playing, commissioner Adam Silver wants to make sure all players, coaches, and other staffers are safe from the virus and can take the court with or without fans watching.

However, the latest rule put in place regarding practice could slow up the process of returning too -- especially for a team like the Sixers. Initially, teams were told they were going to be able to practice at the team's facility after self-quarantining for 14 days. Not even a day after that announcement, the rules changed.

Instead of practicing as a whole, players were allowed to individually practice at team facilities as long as they weren't coming in contact with teammates. Now, that rule is out the window too. As of Thursday, all NBA teams were ordered to shut down their practice facilities until further notice. No team practices, no individualized workouts -- nothing.

And it didn't just stop there. In addition to team facilities being closed off to the players, the NBA also prohibits players from using any sort of health club, fitness center, public gyms, college facilities, etc. Anything other than a home court or gym is unacceptable at the moment. For a young team like the Sixers, that rule could set those who live in condos and apartments in the city back as they don't own home gyms.

Now, that adds another obstacle in the way. Not only are teams going to want to make sure they are clear from COVID-19 before returning, but they are going to need to ensure their players have enough time to get into shape. As a lot of players don't have access to somewhere where they can work out, it could automatically add another month to the hiatus as another training camp would pretty much be needed.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_