The Toronto Raptors had largely dodged COVID-19 for the first half of an NBA season reeling from the global pandemic.

But the Raptors are feeling the full force of it now, preparing to host the Detroit Pistons with a skeleton roster and coaching staff.

Starters Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, plus Malachi Flynn and Patrick McCaw have all been ruled out of TorontoB次元官网网址檚 rescheduled game Wednesday against visiting Detroit, along with head coach Nick Nurse and most of his coaching staff.

Asked what heB次元官网网址檚 learned from the teamB次元官网网址檚 first major brush with the virus, GM Bobby Webster said: B次元官网网址淭hat you donB次元官网网址檛 ever want to go through it again.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 what you can imagine,B次元官网网址� Webster said in a Zoom call with media on Tuesday night. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the emotional stress of having colleagues that potentially, obviously, can be sick. The enormous amount of stress everyone feels, everyoneB次元官网网址檚 walking a bit on eggshells here in the locker room and you canB次元官网网址檛 necessarily be as friendly B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭he basketball will go on, weB次元官网网址檒l play the games, but just to maintain everybodyB次元官网网址檚 belonging and familiarity is really important.B次元官网网址�

Assistant coach Sergio Scariolo, who guided Toronto to a 122-111 win over Houston on Friday, will act as head coach again Wednesday.

Webster said players were cleared to do some individual work on the court Tuesday.

The big takeaway, he said, was that the teamB次元官网网址檚 had B次元官网网址渕ultiple days of no new cases.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a tough couple of days, to get to here and be able to practise, we had to clear a number of hurdles,B次元官网网址� Webster said.

Webster believes the five players out Wednesday will still be unavailable for ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 game in Boston. Jalen Harris and recently-signed big man Donta Hall joined the team from its G League affiliate, Raptors 905.

Scariolo said heB次元官网网址檒l likely play DeB次元官网网址橝ndre Bembry and Harris at point guard along with Kyle Lowry.

The Italian, who coached Spain to the 2019 World Cup title, said there was a definite mood of concern around the players who are cleared to play.

B次元官网网址淏efore practice we were always wondering how our buddies were doing B次元官网网址� at home, and everybody is in touch with almost everybody,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址�(But) at this point the ones that are left have to focus on the basketball task and leave everything that happened out of our gym, at least for that hour, hour and a half, and (Wednesday) in those three hours.

B次元官网网址淓ven work harder to try to do our best for the guys who will not be able to be with us.B次元官网网址�

The game was originally slated for Tuesday at TampaB次元官网网址檚 Amalie Arena B次元官网网址� the RaptorsB次元官网网址� home this season due to CanadaB次元官网网址檚 border restrictions and COVID-19 health protocols in Ontario B次元官网网址� but was postponed due to what the league said was B次元官网网址減ositive test results and ongoing contact tracing within the Raptors organization.B次元官网网址� SundayB次元官网网址檚 game against the Chicago Bulls was also postponed.

The Pistons plane was delayed more than two hours leaving Detroit as the Raptors awaited the green light from the NBA.

Toronto had been one of just four remaining teams in the league that hadnB次元官网网址檛 had a game postponed until SundayB次元官网网址檚 game against visiting Chicago.

READ MORE:

The league has now had 31 games scrapped due to too few healthy players. There was a sense of not if but when it would hit the Raptors, particularly making their homes in Florida, a COVID-19 hotspot.

Assistants Adrian Griffin, Jama Mahlalela and Jon Goodwillie are all still sidelined under health and safety protocols, while Webster said one other assistant who coached Friday is now unavailable. He didnB次元官网网址檛 reveal who, but it would be either Jim Sann, Mark Tyndale, or Jamaal Magloire.

Webster said keeping the teamB次元官网网址檚 spirits up has been a priority.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 difficult, you canB次元官网网址檛 really see people, right? So a lot of it is done via Zoom, we held an all-staff Zoom (Tuesday) just to check in on people,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪ome of itB次元官网网址檚 really as basic as just seeing everyoneB次元官网网址檚 face and having some laughs and doing that.

B次元官网网址淣othing super complicated, nothing super psychological, just actually being there for people and having them know whether theyB次元官网网址檙e in quarantine or theyB次元官网网址檙e not in quarantine that theyB次元官网网址檙e still part of the team.B次元官网网址�

The Raptors at least have some time off coming up. Boston is their last game before the NBA all-star break.

Toronto tips off the second half of the season March 11 against the visiting Atlanta Hawks.

Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press

Like us on and follow us on .

Want to support local journalism during the pandemic? Make a donation