Lakers: Russell Westbrook Enters COVID-19 Protocols, Could Be Out 10 Days

Not ideal timing for the Lakers right now.

The Lakers and the NBA have a bit of an issue right now. All across the league, teams are having players and members of their coaching staff test positive for COVID-19. That has resulted in postponed games and teams playing shorthanded far too often. 

This week, the Lakers have already taken a big hit from COVID. They had Talen Horton-Tucker, Malik Monk, and Dwight Howard all test positive. As a result, they will likely be without them for up to ten days from their first positive tests. 

Today, the Lakers announced that Russell Westbrook will also need to enter health and safety protocols. That means that Los Angeles could be without him for up to ten days, unless he is able to return two negative tests in a 24-hour window. 

Lakers guard Russell Westbrook has entered into Covid protocols, sources tell @mcten and me.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 16, 2021

Russ is coming off of a game in which he dropped 23 points on the Mavericks in the win. He also put up 48 assists this month and has been very helpful in opening up the floor for other guys. Part of LeBron's recent surge can be attributed to Russ finding better positioning. But now the Lakers will be without him for likey up to five games. 

The good news is that the Lakers brought some help aboard on Thursday. They signed Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract just a few days after his huge G-League performance. Thomas will likely help fill some gaps with Russ presumed to be out for more than a week. 

But after they just got things trending in the right direction, this isn't great timing for the Lakers. 

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