Now its Richaun's turn to enter Health & Safety Protocols

Just one game after the Sacramento Kings were able to get back to a full roster following a covid-19 outbreak earlier this month, it was announced on Saturday that starting center Richaun Holmes has been placed in the league’s Health and Safety Protocols.

He will now likely miss the next three games with a hope that he can return in time for the team’s January 7 contest in Denver, but that is a best-case-scenario.

Holmes was just five games into his return to the court following a 7-game absence after he suffered an eye laceration during the Orlando Magic game back on December 8. As a result of that injury, he made the decision that he would wear protective goggles for the rest of his career due to several eye injuries he suffered of late.

The 6-10 high-energy bigman has averaged 12.8 points and 8.7 rebounds over 27 games this season. His effective play with guard Tyrese Haliburton has developed into a lethal offensive weapon for the Kings this season.

With Richaun out, the Kings have several other centers on the roster to turn to. Alex Len is recovering from his own bout with Covid-19 and has yet to see any action since being activated.

Reserve Damien Jones has emerged as a very competent presence in the paint and will likely see extended time on the floor as head coach Alvin Gentry has clearly started trusting the 6-year veteran more of late.

Tristen Thompson has also showed similar activity and will surely see some time if Len is not ready to return.

As of Saturday, no other Sacramento players have been announced as entering in Health and Safety protocols, but there are several key guys that missed the first wave. Including Harrison Barnes, Haliburton, and Buddy Hield.

These announcements tend to come in clusters, so stay tuned. We could be in for another rough couple of weeks.