Actually no. There are no league wide mandates or parameters for physicals. Each team administers tests as they see fit for their own doctors. Teams pass or fail physicals based on their own standards. This actually helped us to not sign Chandler Parsons. Coming off the Brandon Roy and Greg Oden knee injuries, we were more strict on physicals. Parsons was going to sign with us but his agent found out that we were going to examine his knee. Knowing that he wasn’t going to pass our physical, the agent quickly pivoted and advised him to sign with the Grizzlies instead since they weren’t going to administer any knee tests.
Iirc, and don't quote me since it's been some time since I have seen it, someone asked him and he said he was just made aware of the report and can not comment without seeing more, but that the team takes the health of the players very seriously and would not make a player that the process has not cleared play.
It would not be logical for league investigation to uncover any wrongdoing on the part of the Blazers. Portland's had little to say but it has been consistent, while Golden State's telling of the events has been......well, interesting and varied. If the NBA penalizes the Blazers for this then I think something is really fishy.
Really makes you wonder who this original source was that had the Blazers injecting GP2 with Toradol and forcing him to play. That narrative's been shot to smithereens but no one's talking about it even though it was believed without being vetted and started the whole road to the Blazers being investigated because Payton is (check notes) sore.
Yep. The Blazers might want to let it lay there but the league may surprise us and decide that there are grounds for disciplinary action against the Warriors.
so, after about 80 hours of Portland being labeled an outlaw franchise....of forcing Payton to have Toradol injections and lying about it....of Payton probably being out for 3 months....of the Warriors being wronged by the dastardly Blazers who shamefully mistreated Payton... we find ourselves at this point: * The initial stories and reporting unraveled without the Blazers having to do a thing. A classic rope-a-dope * Payton might miss 3 months; or he might be back right after the all-star break * Payton was give an oral anti-inflammatory about at the level of extra-strength Advil or Motrin * Portland may have failed to disclose this to the Warriors and that leaves a bunch of questions: * what were the reasons that Payton failed his physical? Was he given an MRI or just an exam and interview? * how many times was he given oral Toradol? 56 times? 3 times? * does the Toradol have to be prescribed by a doctor or can it be dispensed by a trainer? * Did the Blazers suggest Toradol to Payton or did a player who has had several surgeries ask for it? * what are the protocols for reporting the distribution of anti-inflammatory meds to players? * how often are anti-inflammatory meds given to players? * If issuing anti-inflammatories to players is common, and there is no set league-wide protocol, and can be issued by trainers...if the Blazers did fail to disclose, was that a deliberate attempt to conceal or a simple over-sight? inquiring minds want to know
The cynic in me believes that if the roles were reversed the Blazers would be getting a fine and have to forfeit a draft pick for floating a story detrimental to the league and effectively tampering, but no action will be taken against the Warrios.
Can't disagree with any of that. Similarly, I don’t get how people think the Blazers is such an awful and stupid organization that is willing to potentially get caught red handed trying to fuck over another franchise. That seems extremely risky for Portland.
More so because the Blazers aren't winning -- they don't have this rabid national fanbase willing to support them in just about anything that comes out about them. In fact, you have more of a movement nationally to see the Blazers fail because fans of just about any team that think they have a path to a championship would love to trade for Damian Lillard. That makes a lot of good copy for national pundits and beat writers in major markets trying to drive views for their social media.
