Los Angeles Lakers News: Team reopens practice facility
Los Angeles Lakers News: The purple and gold can get back to work, kind of.
For the first time since the Coronavirus outbreak, Rudy Gobert’s positive test results, and the ensuing suspension of the 2019-2020 season, the Los Angeles Lakers are slowly returning to their practice facility.
Point Guard Quinn Cook and Power Forward Devontae Cacok were the first Lakers to test the waters when they headed out to El Segundo on Saturday.
Despite finally being able to practice, Cook went on an Instagram Live with teammate Jared Dudley to address some of the new post-Coronavirus protocol he and his teammates will be facing as they make their respective returns.
"“… And me and Devontae Cacok were the only players in there. And we had to wear our masks in the training room. But once we were on the floor, working, and in the weight room, working, we could take our masks off to work.”"
On the live stream, Cook also spoke about having his temperature taken by a pair of nurses before entering the building and the facility’s insistence that they leave behind the gear they wore before leaving their respective workouts.
Although this is great Lakers news for some of the lesser paid players on the team, stars like Anthony Davis and LeBron James may continue to stick with private facilities or delay their training until social distancing is effectively over. As the week continues, we may start to see Dudley and other players get shots up or hit the weight room at a higher rate.
In poetic fashion, the Clippers are hot on the Lakers’ tail in both the standings and the reopening of facilities. Despite getting a slight head start on them this weekend, the Clippers are hot on the Lakers’ tail and opened their Honey Practice Facility early on Monday morning.
Out east, the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks have also joined the fold. According to GM Jon Horst, they’ll be given “modified access” to their facilities as well.
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Despite facilities slowly opening up for NBA teams, the verdict on the fate of the season remains unclear. For the time being, the Lakers and others will do their best to stay in shape should the season resume in a condensed format in the coming months.