The NBA announced that operations will be suspended for “at least” 30 days in the wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic. But we should realistically prepare for the NBA to be absent longer. In a most-ideal scenario, the league could return without fans in attendance, but there’s reason to suspect even that goal is out of reach.

The primary reason is that the United States lacks tests. Sam Amick wrote for The Athletic about how a critical shortage of testing means that Kings players haven’t even been tested yet.

To Sam’s point, testing NBA players shouldn’t be top priority. It’s an alarming failure that a city as large as Sacramento is unable to properly test those who need it. The elderly and immunocompromised are in very real danger. Until testing becomes more widely available, until the curve is successfully flattened, holding large public events would be completely irresponsible.

It took the NBA too long, in my opinion, to finally shut everything down. That the league had every intention of allowing the Kings to play the Pelicans, knowing that the league was going to be shut down the following day, was absurd and reckless. That the league allowed fans into the building at all was dangerous.

But now that the league has shut down, and now that sports leagues world wide are following suit, the NBA will hopefully exercise more caution. Be prepared for a long hiatus unless other external factors dramatically shift in a positive direction.

Stay safe. Avoid large crowds if you can. Wash your hands.