Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe tested positive for coronavirus.
And so did teammate Pat Connaughton.
Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton has tested positive for COVID-19 and thus is not yet with the team in Orlando. He told the @journalsentinel and ESPN: "I am healthy and I feel great and I am excited to join my teammates in Orlando once I meet all the NBA protocols."
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) July 20, 2020
Connaughton is one of several Bucks – along with Wesley Matthews, George Hill Donte DiVincenzo, Sterling Brown and Kyle Korver – stepping up at guard to replace Malcolm Brogdon, who left for the Pacers last offseason.
That depth and Milwaukee’s advantage over the rest of the East gives Connaughton ample time to get cleared, travel to Disney World, quarantine and join the team. The Bucks have the top seed in the Eastern Conference nearly clinched, and they’ll face a relatively easy matchup in the first round of the playoffs.
It’s unclear whether stars, after a long layoff and relatively quick restart, will be able to handle huge minutes in playoff games. Depth could be more important than usual in the postseason, and Milwaukee – in addition to the star power of Giannis Antetokounmpo – has it.
At least if everyone gets healthy.
