NEWSLETTER
Billy Donovan has shared that assistant coaches Chris Fleming and Damian Cotter have tested positive for COVID. The head coach met with reporters at the Advocate Center in Chicago ahead of Sunday night’s Game 1 against Milwaukee, sharing that the Bulls found out the news Friday morning.
“We have two coaches out right now,” Donovan said. “Chris Fleming has tested positive and so has Damian Cotter, so we have two coaches who will not travel tomorrow. So, yeah, we’re all concerned about that stuff.”
Donovan went on to say the team is trying to be as safe as it can as they head into the postseason, and he does not know what the positive tests for either coach will mean for the rest of the team. Protocols have lightened for teams around the NBA as the season has gone on, especially for those squads who are fully vaccinated. While the Bulls initially announced that they had not met a 100 percent vaccination status before the season, they did share that the mark had been reached in early November.
Bulls asst coaches Chris Fleming and Damian Cotter both tested positive for COVID this week, per Billy Donovan. Neither are traveling with team to Milwaukee tomorrow. Too soon to speculate how long they'll be out, but Donovan said both have had only mild/cold-like symptoms so far
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) April 15, 2022
Not only could it be considered a competitive disadvantage to have two assistant coaches away from the team, but this clearly creates a wider concern about the potential spread. The entire Bulls roster – minus midseason pick-up Tristan Thompson – already tested positive earlier in the season, showing all of us just how fast things can go south in tight quarters.
This news comes only a handful of hours after news broke that Clippers All-Star Paul George tested positive and would have to miss his team’s do-or-die Play-In Tournament finale tonight. All we can do now is keep our fingers crossed these are isolated incidents, and we don’t see this become a greater issue as the playoffs start this weekend.
Check out Donovan’s full press conference:
LIVE: Coach Donovan Post-Practice Media Availability https://t.co/NBQ6e3Vqtp
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 15, 2022
