The Toronto Raptors are currently the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference and appear well on their way to a playoff birth this season. Their seeding could have a major effect on the rest of the Eastern Conference playoffs due to a pair of vaccine mandates.
One is Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for travelers, which does not allow unvaccinated players (or other unvaccinated travelers) into the country without a 14-day quarantine. Another is the U.S.’ own rule requiring players on temporary visas (and other prospective immigrants) to be vaccinated in order to reenter the U.S. after leaving.
This could have major circumstances for whoever the Raptors get matched up against in the first round of the playoffs. ESPN NBA insider Tim Bontemps reported Wednesday that the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks have confirmed that their team is fully vaccinated ahead of the playoffs. However, the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers declined to comment on their team vaccination status to Bontemps, meaning that it is entirely possible that players from either of those teams could potentially miss games if they play in Toronto this postseason.
This news certainly got the NBA world talking, with many seeing this as a clear advantage for the Raptors this postseason.
U think a raptors championship with kawhi and an injured KD was bad? Wait til we win based off vaccination status lmaooo https://t.co/4aZVCyPbff
— Noor (@noorrzainab) March 30, 2022
As Tim points out in the story, the Sixers have a brief road trip to Toronto before the regular season ends, so there will be an opportunity to see if anyone mysteriously misses the trip lol https://t.co/JqPAfafixF
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) March 30, 2022
Last year, Covid rules put Canada's only NBA team at a huge disadvantage. This year, it could give the Raptors an upper hand. This is some solid reporting. https://t.co/MwDCmzWe7k
— Nathan Vardi (@nathanvardi) March 30, 2022
Toronto vs. Boston looks like a better first round matchup than I thought. https://t.co/eOepLEaOM0
— Libaan Osman (@libaanstar1) March 30, 2022
There is still a lot of wiggle room for seeding in the Eastern Conference in terms of seeding at this point, so it is unclear who will be playing Toronto in the playoffs.
Whoever it is may be at a disadvantage this postseason. But at this point, the players knew the rules and this possibility, so they will have to live with the result whether they are vaccinated or unvaccinated. (And as some of the above reactions note, the Raptors previously got the other end of this from their relocation to Tampa for the 2020-21 season.)
[ESPN.com]
