Even as their injury report raises daily questions about player availability, the Miami Heat appear boosted when it comes to at least one aspect of their medical outlook.
Amid increased COVID testing by the NBA during the holiday period, the Heat moved forward with the booster process during last week’s road trip, with the team well positioned to avoid mandatory daily testing.
Concern about breakthrough infection has increased around the league in recent days, with LeBron James away from the Los Angeles Lakers due to NBA health-and-safety protocols and the Heat to face a depleted Indiana Pacers roster on Friday at the start of their next trip, with Indiana guard Justin Holiday sidelined by the protocols.
The Heat previously reached full vaccination status, with the NBA last month issuing a memo with guidance about booster vaccines being recommended by Wednesday.
Several players in recent weeks have missed extended time in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, including Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Chicago Bulls center Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton.
The Heat have not lost time to such protocols this season, but last season lost forward Jimmy Butler for 10 games due to a debilitating bout with COVID.
The NBA’s guidance regarding the booster came out in advance of the emergence of the Omicron variant.
According to an ESPN report, “The NBA is aware of 34 cases of fully vaccinated players or team staff becoming infected with a breakthrough case of COVID-19 through November 19, including 31 that had detectable levels of antibodies significantly lower than those observed in the remaining testing population, according to the report.”
The NBA earlier reached a 97-percent vaccination rate, with both the league and the National Basketball Players Association recommending boosters, which now are widely available for those in the league’s age group. Coaches and referees also have been instructed to receive boosters.
Like many teams, the Heat have scheduled their booster shots to minimize loss of time due to reactions to the vaccinations.
Unlike the NHL, which has had to postponed stretches of games for teams, most recently the New York Islanders, due to high positivity rates, the NBA has yet to cancel a game this season in regard to the pandemic.
The Heat continue to require the wearing of masks for games at FTX Arena other than while eating or drinking. The team does not have a vaccination requirement for fans, although the NBA has required either proof of vaccination of a negative COVID test for those seated in close proximity to the court. Several teams have eased mask requirements for fans since the start of the season.
The Heat last season saw 10 players miss time due to healthy-and-safety protocols: Butler, Bam Adebayo, Trevor Ariza, Avery Bradley, Goran Dragic, Moe Harkless, Udonis Haslem, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn and KZ Okpala.
Many of those absences came during the period when contact tracing removed players from competition. Such restrictions have been lifted this season for those vaccinated.
Those who test positive, even with breakthrough infections, generally are required to sit out at least 10 days, although dual negative test results can shorten that period.
The Heat’s concerns about potential infection have been heightened with a rigorous travel schedule that included 13 of their first 20 games on the road, with 13 of the next 20 also on the road following Wednesday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at FTX Arena.
The Heat were on the road during Thanksgiving week, but have only one road game during Christmas week.
