Celtics Team Vaccination status

[aefgogreen]

I was critical of the team for not playing the starters and then not having RWil either for the game in Toronto.  I was chided for not realizing how important rest was.  It never occurred to me that this may be the result of vaccination status.  This was likely never about rest.  We lost a game over vaccine status.

It seems now that likely Horford and Brown were not vaccinated and couldn't make the trip.  Tatum has said earlier that he was vaccinated so I am not sure what the deal was with him.  Seems a strange game to rest him when we were otherwise so short handed.

I think this has already detracted from the team.  We have a loss that we didn't need to lose.  It may not make any difference in the end but we were on an absolute role as a team.  Bottom line is that we have lost 2 in a row.  We don't need this kind of unnecessary, avoidable distraction.

Al stated that should the Celtics face the Raptors in the playoffs, he will be eligible to play in Toronto.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.boston.com/sports/morning-sports-update/2022/03/31/al-horford-celtics-vaccination-status/%3famp=1

Al did not say he was vaccinated. He was using word play to avoid the question.

Right, but you have to be vaccinated to play in Toronto and Al said he’s eligible to play. Unless, you think he’s lying about his availability.

He said he *will be* ready to play.  That could mean he's already vaccinated, or, more likely, that he intends to get vaccinated soon.

Fair, but “Will be” is all that I care about. Wouldn’t it be odd though for someone to be against receiving the vaccine all this time and then being like, “Well, If we end up playing Toronto first round I will go and get the shot.” Guess it’s possible, but seems unlikely to me.

What I'm concerned about is that the player gives himself enough time that he's eligible.  If we take the two-week period (after the shot) into account, I don't think the Celtics can wait until after they're sure they're playing Toronto for him to get the shot.

[jambr380]

It seems a lot of people are making uninformed assumptions that will likely age badly. First and foremost, Ime said, "All guys, if healthy, are eligible to play." I guess one could posit that not being vaccinated might be considered, 'unhealthy', but that seems a stretch.

Tatum and Rob were both confirmed as getting the vaccine by several articles. It's obvious why Rob missed the game, as he had just torn his meniscus the night before.

Horford just recently said, "I'll be ready to play wherever." I suppose it means he hasn't yet been vaccinated, but it at least insinuates that he will get it if needed.

That leaves Brown. But by all accounts he has previously praised the vaccination efforts of the league:
https://twitter.com/JaredWeissNBA/status/1446590132635701248/photo/1  Isn't it quite possible that he is just being diplomatic in his role as VP?

It should also be noted that there was a team dinner in Toronto that Josh Richardson and Dennis Schroder did not attend, but everybody else did. This was the first game against them in November. The rules at the time allowed unvaccinated individuals to play, but they had to remain in their hotel rooms the rest of the time. No way Jaylen and Al would have been out to a team dinner in public unless they were actively breaking protocol.

It's entirely possible the team is lying by releasing these details about guys being vaccinated, but I am going to choose to believe that the team is standing by their response at the beginning of the year about not commenting on vaccination status. It seems as though Ime slipped up, but that should be considered a good thing for people still worried.

[keevsnick]

I was critical of the team for not playing the starters and then not having RWil either for the game in Toronto.  I was chided for not realizing how important rest was.  It never occurred to me that this may be the result of vaccination status.  This was likely never about rest.  We lost a game over vaccine status.

It seems now that likely Horford and Brown were not vaccinated and couldn't make the trip.  Tatum has said earlier that he was vaccinated so I am not sure what the deal was with him.  Seems a strange game to rest him when we were otherwise so short handed.

I think this has already detracted from the team.  We have a loss that we didn't need to lose.  It may not make any difference in the end but we were on an absolute role as a team.  Bottom line is that we have lost 2 in a row.  We don't need this kind of unnecessary, avoidable distraction.

I think both of JB and JT legitimately needed rest.  Both have been experiencing knee pain.

And, we don't know what the personal issue Horford was dealing with, but is it unfair to think that it took two days instead of one?  If it was a ruse related to vaccination status, why not play the prior game?

I don't know what Horford's personal reason was and I don't know what particular ailments Brown and Tatum had but it doesn't appear that is was anything too serious.  To me it is very unusual to rest two young players just because it was a back to back and if that turns out to be the only reason, then I will continue to be critical.  We messed with our mojo.  We should have treated the game like a playoff game in my opinion.  That isn't to say you treat every game all season that way but at this particular point in the season and with us playing so well, there was no reason to rest BOTH Brown and Tatum and essentially concede the game.

Based on what has been coming out, I now don't believe this was about rest.  If players were unvaccinated and this resulted in them not being able to play in this game, then this is on them.  And they had better work really hard to get the mojo back.  This has hurt the team, or at least distracted the team, in more ways than just one more loss.

The game before when they were both listed as probable I think both of them were at points seen stretching or flexing their legs, and Tatum has already flat out said he's dealing with a knee issue. Then there was Brown who was visibly stretching his leg on the sideline after coming out of that last game, he's also missed games in the past due to the knew soreness, so believing that his knee needs a rest seem very plausible to me.

I don't know, is it possible there are some vaccine issues with Tatum/Jaylen/Al? I guess so. But the second night of a back to back on the road against a team you have a cushion on in the standings late in the year when the next game is against a direct competitor (MIA) seems like perhaps the most obvious rest date imaginable. Especially if you don't care THAT much about the first/second seed because you don't want to play the nets. To be honest I'd be surprised if both guys don't rest at least one more game, although Jaylen can only miss one more and still get to his 65 games played incentive.

[mobilija]

Response to MattyIce on prev page:

For normal people, ie not athletes that we bend rules for, you must test before getting on a plane back to the US. A +test would result in not being allowed on plane until you test negative.

Could be different on a private jet...

[Goldstar88]

I was critical of the team for not playing the starters and then not having RWil either for the game in Toronto.  I was chided for not realizing how important rest was.  It never occurred to me that this may be the result of vaccination status.  This was likely never about rest.  We lost a game over vaccine status.

It seems now that likely Horford and Brown were not vaccinated and couldn't make the trip.  Tatum has said earlier that he was vaccinated so I am not sure what the deal was with him.  Seems a strange game to rest him when we were otherwise so short handed.

I think this has already detracted from the team.  We have a loss that we didn't need to lose.  It may not make any difference in the end but we were on an absolute role as a team.  Bottom line is that we have lost 2 in a row.  We don't need this kind of unnecessary, avoidable distraction.

Al stated that should the Celtics face the Raptors in the playoffs, he will be eligible to play in Toronto.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.boston.com/sports/morning-sports-update/2022/03/31/al-horford-celtics-vaccination-status/%3famp=1

Al did not say he was vaccinated. He was using word play to avoid the question.

Right, but you have to be vaccinated to play in Toronto and Al said he’s eligible to play. Unless, you think he’s lying about his availability.

He said he *will be* ready to play.  That could mean he's already vaccinated, or, more likely, that he intends to get vaccinated soon.

Fair, but “Will be” is all that I care about. Wouldn’t it be odd though for someone to be against receiving the vaccine all this time and then being like, “Well, If we end up playing Toronto first round I will go and get the shot.” Guess it’s possible, but seems unlikely to me.

What I'm concerned about is that the player gives himself enough time that he's eligible.  If we take the two-week period (after the shot) into account, I don't think the Celtics can wait until after they're sure they're playing Toronto for him to get the shot.

That’s a good point as well. Another reason I find it to be odd.

[Neurotic Guy]

I was critical of the team for not playing the starters and then not having RWil either for the game in Toronto.  I was chided for not realizing how important rest was.  It never occurred to me that this may be the result of vaccination status.  This was likely never about rest.  We lost a game over vaccine status.

It seems now that likely Horford and Brown were not vaccinated and couldn't make the trip.  Tatum has said earlier that he was vaccinated so I am not sure what the deal was with him.  Seems a strange game to rest him when we were otherwise so short handed.

I think this has already detracted from the team.  We have a loss that we didn't need to lose.  It may not make any difference in the end but we were on an absolute role as a team.  Bottom line is that we have lost 2 in a row.  We don't need this kind of unnecessary, avoidable distraction.

Al stated that should the Celtics face the Raptors in the playoffs, he will be eligible to play in Toronto.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.boston.com/sports/morning-sports-update/2022/03/31/al-horford-celtics-vaccination-status/%3famp=1

Al did not say he was vaccinated. He was using word play to avoid the question.

Right, but you have to be vaccinated to play in Toronto and Al said he’s eligible to play. Unless, you think he’s lying about his availability.

He said he *will be* ready to play.  That could mean he's already vaccinated, or, more likely, that he intends to get vaccinated soon.

Fair, but “Will be” is all that I care about. Wouldn’t it be odd though for someone to be against receiving the vaccine all this time and then being like, “Well, If we end up playing Toronto first round I will go and get the shot.” Guess it’s possible, but seems unlikely to me.

What I'm concerned about is that the player gives himself enough time that he's eligible.  If we take the two-week period (after the shot) into account, I don't think the Celtics can wait until after they're sure they're playing Toronto for him to get the shot.

That’s a good point as well. Another reason I find it to be odd.

I think it might be more odd to play your heart out all season and then potentially chuck the season because you don’t want a vaccination  - especially when the vaccine is extremely safe and I have no doubt they’ve been vaccinated for many things previously.

[pokeKingCurtis]

It seems a lot of people are making uninformed assumptions that will likely age badly. First and foremost, Ime said, "All guys, if healthy, are eligible to play." I guess one could posit that not being vaccinated might be considered, 'unhealthy', but that seems a stretch.

Tatum and Rob were both confirmed as getting the vaccine by several articles. It's obvious why Rob missed the game, as he had just torn his meniscus the night before.

Horford just recently said, "I'll be ready to play wherever." I suppose it means he hasn't yet been vaccinated, but it at least insinuates that he will get it if needed.

That leaves Brown. But by all accounts he has previously praised the vaccination efforts of the league:
https://twitter.com/JaredWeissNBA/status/1446590132635701248/photo/1  Isn't it quite possible that he is just being diplomatic in his role as VP?

It should also be noted that there was a team dinner in Toronto that Josh Richardson and Dennis Schroder did not attend, but everybody else did. This was the first game against them in November. The rules at the time allowed unvaccinated individuals to play, but they had to remain in their hotel rooms the rest of the time. No way Jaylen and Al would have been out to a team dinner in public unless they were actively breaking protocol.

It's entirely possible the team is lying by releasing these details about guys being vaccinated, but I am going to choose to believe that the team is standing by their response at the beginning of the year about not commenting on vaccination status. It seems as though Ime slipped up, but that should be considered a good thing for people still worried.

Tp for the deep dive here

[jambr380]

Bobby Krivitsky
@BobbyKrivitsky
Brown says that as a VP of the NBPA he feels it's important to protect all players' rights, so you won't hear him comment on his or anyone else's vaccination status.

He also said he's looking forward to the playoffs after missing out last year, and he's ready to play wherever.

Sean Grande
@SeanGrandePBP
In case anyone missed it, or misinterpreted his answer Wednesday, I asked Al Horford directly if he would be good to go/cleared to play in a potential playoff series in Toronto.

His answer.

"Absolutely."

Hopefully we can put to rest the narrative that Brown and Horford aren't vaccinated and may not really be available to play in Toronto.

[radiohead]

It seems a lot of people are making uninformed assumptions that will likely age badly. First and foremost, Ime said, "All guys, if healthy, are eligible to play." I guess one could posit that not being vaccinated might be considered, 'unhealthy', but that seems a stretch.

Tatum and Rob were both confirmed as getting the vaccine by several articles. It's obvious why Rob missed the game, as he had just torn his meniscus the night before.

Horford just recently said, "I'll be ready to play wherever." I suppose it means he hasn't yet been vaccinated, but it at least insinuates that he will get it if needed.

That leaves Brown. But by all accounts he has previously praised the vaccination efforts of the league:
https://twitter.com/JaredWeissNBA/status/1446590132635701248/photo/1  Isn't it quite possible that he is just being diplomatic in his role as VP?

It should also be noted that there was a team dinner in Toronto that Josh Richardson and Dennis Schroder did not attend, but everybody else did. This was the first game against them in November. The rules at the time allowed unvaccinated individuals to play, but they had to remain in their hotel rooms the rest of the time. No way Jaylen and Al would have been out to a team dinner in public unless they were actively breaking protocol.

It's entirely possible the team is lying by releasing these details about guys being vaccinated, but I am going to choose to believe that the team is standing by their response at the beginning of the year about not commenting on vaccination status. It seems as though Ime slipped up, but that should be considered a good thing for people still worried.

Tp for the deep dive here

Hmm…so maybe this is one of the reasons why JRich was traded? I mean he was playing pretty solid and was on a relatively cheap contract. The possibility that he wouldn’t be available for a playoff series may have weighed in on Brad’s decision?

[Briantir]

Just saw a post on basketball forever for instagram Jaylen brown and Al Horford are unvaccinated, does anyone know anymore details about this?

Playing Toronto is problematic for a lot of teams it seems.

[Phantom255x]

Just saw a post on basketball forever for instagram Jaylen brown and Al Horford are unvaccinated, does anyone know anymore details about this?

Playing Toronto is problematic for a lot of teams it seems.

Mannix said this in an interview with TSN recently, and it’s picking up steam. Mannix does have good sources and intel on the C’s.

Scal has also implied this in the past, so I hate to say it but it feels likely Jaylen and Horford aren’t vaccinated. Which is a bit odd in Horford’s case since he said he’ll be available whenever needed so does that mean Horford might get the vaccine soon?

Some people on Twitter were also joking that Jaylen went all out tonight to try and win because he wants to avoid a series with Toronto lol which would be the case if they are 4 seed

[gouki88]

Just saw a post on basketball forever for instagram Jaylen brown and Al Horford are unvaccinated, does anyone know anymore details about this?

Playing Toronto is problematic for a lot of teams it seems.

It’s not confirmed at all. Both Brown and Horford have said they’d be available for a Toronto series. Only way to know the deal is to have to play Toronto

[SparzWizard]

Just saw a post on basketball forever for instagram Jaylen brown and Al Horford are unvaccinated, does anyone know anymore details about this?

Playing Toronto is problematic for a lot of teams it seems.

Mannix said this in an interview with TSN recently, and it’s picking up steam. Mannix does have good sources and intel on the C’s.

Scal has also implied this in the past, so I hate to say it but it feels likely Jaylen and Horford aren’t vaccinated. Which is a bit odd in Horford’s case since he said he’ll be available whenever needed so does that mean Horford might get the vaccine soon?

Some people on Twitter were also joking that Jaylen went all out tonight to try and win because he wants to avoid a series with Toronto lol which would be the case if they are 4 seed

To enter Canada you need to be fully vaccinated.

It's too late to be fully vaccinated, that means 2 full doses and a booster right? Or just at least 2 full doses? Either way, won't make it in time if they haven't even gotten the first dose.

Our season may potentially come down to who is unvaccinated, so better to avoid Toronto for a potential first-round matchup lol. Then again, it could also be problematic if Toronto upsets another team who faces them and moves onto the East Semis. That would be interesting.

[GreenlyGreeny]

I’m going to be optimistic and we’re going to end up with the three seed and face Chicago. After all, Memphis is bound to rest and we have the tiebreaker over Philly, so that should be all she wrote. Could not ask for an easier trip to the second-round. Even with Timelord resting the whole series, it’s probably an easy sweep or gentleman’s sweep.

Now if we somehow end up facing Toronto and if Brown and Horford are both unvaccinated, we better be prepared for a seven game series against Toronto…

[mef730]

I’m going to be optimistic and we’re going to end up with the three seed and face Chicago. After all, Memphis is bound to rest and we have the tiebreaker over Philly, so that should be all she wrote. Could not ask for an easier trip to the second-round. Even with Timelord resting the whole series, it’s probably an easy sweep or gentleman’s sweep.

Now if we somehow end up facing Toronto and if Brown and Horford are both unvaccinated, we better be prepared for a seven game series against Toronto…

Agree. In fact, I think there's a pretty good chance for the two, if Milwaukee rests their players during their upcoming back-to-back.

Mike