The brand new NBA season has hogged up much of the limelight. Yet, what has gone unnoticed is that many of the league’s big players are entering the health and safety protocol. Thus comes a worrying sign for the NBA, as big teams are losing out on their star players.

The latest addition to this list, is Cleveland Cavaliers star Lauri Markkanen. He joins a list of fellow stars as well, who entered the protocol earlier.

The Cleveland Cavaliers under trouble

24-year-old Markkanen started the season fairly well. He has averaged around 13 points in an otherwise lackluster campaign for the Cavaliers thus far. The team sat with a record of 4-4, just outside of the top-10, with him playing. Markkanen’s best game was in the side’s narrow victory against the Charlotte Hornets.

However, just as the Finnish prospect was beginning to find his feet, he has now entered an unwanted list with some of the league’s top stars.

These are all the key names from their respective lineups and hence an increasingly problematic factor.

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The list of absentees becoming a worrying sign for the NBA

The league has some strict measures in place, to ensure that all its players remain fit and healthy. On the other hand, a fair few have now entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols over the past few weeks. The latest of these additions is Lauri himself, whose reason of absence is yet to be known. As a result, he will now miss several regular season outings for Cleveland.

Markkanen joins teammate Kevin Love, who also entered the same unit this past week. In all likelihood, their absence could be connected to another. However, even without the duo, the Cavs recently managed to defeat Damian Lillard’s Blazers 107-104. So that’s one good sign for JB Bickerstaff and men.

However, the increasing number of absentees comes as a serious concern for the NBA. Hopefully, the concerned individuals recover sooner rather than later. We can only hope for their good health, and that none of their sides lose out in abundance due to their absence.

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