According to Mike Singer of the Denver Post, Denver Nuggets forward Bol Bol has entered health and safety protocols.
Bol joins Bones Hyland and Austin Rivers among bench players that have been forced away from the team due to COVID-19 protocols, and the Nuggets are beginning to deal with a serious roster crunch. Jamal Murray was out to start the year, and Michael Porter Jr. and P.J. Dozier have now joined him. Nikola Jokić spent multiple games sidelined, while Vlatko Čančar is still working his way back from injury too.
The Nuggets had not utilized Bol extensively during the first quarter of the 2021-22 regular season, but given the injuries and absences to several rotation players, there was always a chance he would be given an opportunity at various points. Those opportunities have not found their way to Bol just yet as he has averaged just 4.7 minutes per game during primarily garbage time. The forward has not progressed the way the Nuggets have hoped and is in the last year of a two-year, $4.2 million contract he signed during the 2020 offseason.
In the absence of Hyland and Rivers, Markus Howard received his first rotation opportunity last night. With Bol now going out too, the Nuggets have recalled Petr Cornelie from his G League assignment with the Grand Rapids Gold to give the Nuggets some semblance of depth, also according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post.
The Nuggets are 1-1 on their current road trip and will face the New York Knicks in a Saturday matinee.
