NBA IS SETTING A GREAT EXAMPLE
How Russell Westbrook's positive test proves league protocols are working
Jul 14, 2020, 5:11 pm
Photo by Getty Images.
Russell Westbrook made news Monday when he announced that he tested positive for COVID-19. However, the significance of Westbrook testing positive BEFORE he departed with the rest of his Rockets teammates to Orlando proves that the NBA testing protocols are working.
You never want to see anyone test positive for coronavirus but it is important to try and put things in perspective and not be alarmed over every positive test. The league announced the results of 322 tests that they have conducted on players since teams started to arrive inside the Disney World bubble. Out of the 322 players tested just two were positive and those players are isolating away from everybody else. I'm not a math guy but 0.6% of players testing positive is an unbelievably strong number for the league. Let's hope the media focuses on the 0.6% instead of the two players on-site that have COVID-19.
Testing positive for COVID-19 is not an automatic death sentence and some in the media need to stop treating it as if it is. Positive tests are happening around our country and unfortunately, they will continue to happen. You can't eradicate this virus overnight but you can try and be careful and take proper measures to help contain it as the NBA has done. Any athlete that gets the virus is surrounded by the best doctors the league can provide.
I initially questioned the NBA restarting in late July when it was first announced at the beginning of June as I had hoped to see the league return sooner, but I now understand why the NBA did what it did. The late July start allowed teams to test their players regularly once training facilities reopened in anticipation of traveling down to Orlando for the restart. This helped prevent anyone that has the virus from spreading it to teammates and others before traveling to the bubble. Now having an additional two weeks to prepare for the 8 game regular season, means that a player like Westbrook that has COVID-19 can still fully recover, test negative, travel down to Orlando, and not miss a significant amount of games as long as he proves that he is healthy.
The NBA has made it possible to resume its season by having a great testing protocol in place to prevent a virus outbreak and by spending the money to make the bubble happen. Props to Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBAPA for taking this seriously and for getting it right.
Russell Westbrook testing positive for COVID-19 BEFORE he even went inside the #NBABubble proves that the #NBA protocols are working... #Rockets @JakeAsmanShow pic.twitter.com/LZ1VF89D0I
— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) July 14, 2020
You can listen to The Jake Asman Show weekdays from 8 AM -10 AM Central on SB Nation Radio.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
___________________________
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!