Jared Dudley Praises 2 Largest California School Districts for Closing Amidst Coronavirus Spread

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jared Dudley is applauding the move by Los Angeles and San Diego unified school districts to close schools in an effort to combat the novel coronavirus.

The infectious nature of the virus, coupled with the mounting death toll across the world and within the United States, sparked the move by the respective school districts.

Dudley, like every other NBA player, is currently sidelined after the NBA announced a suspension of play on Wednesday night. That stoppage came in the wake of a positive coronavirus diagnosis of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert.

The 34-year-old Dudley hasn’t seen much action this season, averaging just 7.8 minutes per game in his 40 appearances.

While that’s led to limited statistical numbers, Dudley’s experience and ability to connect with teammates have been clear positives.

In addition, he’s served as a potential threat from beyond the arc, connecting at a 47.1 percent rate (16-of-34) on his long-range shots.

Exactly when the NBA will resume play remains unknown. Surely, the hope within the NBA is that play will resume as quickly as possible.

From the Lakers’ perspective, the simple reason for that desire is the fact that they currently have the best record within the Western Conference at 49-14.

The possibility of play resuming with the start of the postseason is likely to grow with each passing day.

While the Lakers would be assured of making their first postseason since 2013, their ultimate goal is to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.