Miami Heat v New Orleans Pelicans
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 04: Head coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat reacts during the third quarter of an NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on March 04, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

The head coach of the Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra, called into question the NBA regarding its health and safety protocols after his team was forced to play without their forward Caleb Martin against Eastern Conference contender Chicago Bulls.

Erik Spoelstra Pushes NBA to Review Current COVID-19 Protocols

According to Heat Nation, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra emphasized that the NBA needed to revisit the COVID-19 health protocols because it was not only affecting his squad but also other teams in the league.

Spoelstra said that many other NBA teams were also facing similar absences, and he stated that the league needed to have a solution as early as possible.

The Heat head coach said that players were missing games regardless of being symptomatic or asymptomatic. Spoelstra pointed out that everybody got their shots and their boosters against the virus, which could be enough to not keep them out of the game even if they have the flu since players were feeling healthy.

Moreover, Spoelstra said that there was a contradiction in the protocols. He added that since the league was hunting for it, added more testing, and tried to find things, they could definitely find positive results.

Meanwhile, Martin, who scored 28 points in the win of Miami over the Milwaukee Bucks, was placed in the league's health and safety protocols despite feeling healthy because he tested positive for COVID-19.

Spoelstra shared that Martin was frustrated because he was feeling well, but he could not help his team. He added that the guy came off the best game of his career as a professional athlete, and he was preparing to exceed his numbers, but he was not allowed to play in Saturday's game.

Miami Heat Head Coach Expresses Impact of Missing Key Players Due to COVID-19 Protocols

The Heat head coach said that Martin shared with him that he felt like he could play. Spoelstra said that he felt Martin's frustration.

The 51-year-old head coach considered the current situation of the pandemic as an extraordinary time. He admitted that it was not like normal times from two years ago.

However, despite his concerns about his player's health, he said that asymptomatic players who were sitting out, losing extended periods of time, two weeks or 10 days, without any course of recourse needed to be answered.

He admitted that the NBA is still trying to limit the spread of the virus by taking players who were positive for COVID-19 away from their respective teams, but their absence could impact a team, especially if superstars were not exempted in the protocols.

Furthermore, Martin has been a pleasant surprise for the Heat this season despite only averaging 7.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game. Martin's impact for the Heat could not be seen in the stats sheet as he was doing the dirty work for the team while shooting 48.9 percent from the field.

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Written by: Jess Smith

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