It’s more than just “back to the drawing board” for Dwane Casey and the Pistons. It’s going out to buy a drawing board and writing implements and finding a place to use them.

“It’s almost like training camp,” Casey said after Tuesday’s practice. Even that understates it, because training camp these days is preceded by nearly a month of voluntary team workouts where newcomers are integrated, the playbook is introduced and chemistry is established.

“You’re learning guys’ names,” Casey said next – and that’s a more apt description of the madness that has enveloped the Pistons and a number of other NBA teams as the Omicron variant has exploded the number of players entering health and safety protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two new players joined the Pistons for Tuesday’s practice on the emergency 10-day contracts the NBA only recently approved to prevent a slew of postponements. Trayvon Palmer became the fifth member of the Motor City Cruise to join the Pistons within the last week. Justin Robinson, undrafted out of Virginia Tech in 2019, joined his fifth NBA franchise – and his third in the last month after stints with Milwaukee and Sacramento.

They join the four signed last week on 10-day deals: Cheikh Diallo, Derrick Walton Jr., Cassius Stanley and Deividas Sirvydis. Walton went from the Cruise to signing with the Pistons on Saturday to starting at point guard on Sunday at San Antonio. He started for one overriding reason: He was the only point guard on the roster. Robinson gives them two when they host the Knicks on Wednesday night.

The Pistons have eight players in health and safety protocols among the 12 listed as out for the Knicks. It started eight days ago when Cade Cunningham became the first Pistons player this year to miss a game in COVID protocols and quickly escalated, claiming Isaiah Stewart, Killian Hayes, Saben Lee and Rodney McGruder ahead of Thursday’s game at Miami and adding Cory Joseph, Trey Lyles and Josh Jackson before Sunday’s game at San Antonio.

Also out are injured veterans Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk plus rookies Isaiah Livers and Chris Smith, both coming off pre-draft injuries.

“Some very quick learners, luckily,” Casey said of the newcomers, at least a few of them – Walton, Stanley and Sirvydis – who went through training camp or had a history with the Pistons. “Almost going back to basics, keeping it simple. One thing is staying within ourselves. I thought against San Antonio, we tried to do too much, to fill too many shoes individually. We have to play as a group, play as a unit.”

Casey’s also missed four games over the past two weeks – all road games – due to personal reasons unrelated to COVID-19.

“Every holiday is good. The reason we celebrate is good,” he said Tuesday. “When you’re going through things as a family, it’s a little tougher. But, I promise you, there are other people going through tougher times. We all are blessed.”

If there’s the hint of a silver lining to the Pistons’ plight, it’s that they’ve had a fairly light schedule around the holidays with only three games scheduled over a seven-day period that ends tonight and another two days off before hosting San Antonio on Saturday. With the NBA having recently lowered the quarantine period for players who are asymptomatic and clear other testing markers from 10 days to six, all eight of the players currently in health and safety protocols are eligible to return ahead of Saturday’s game if test results make it possible.

The players weren’t the only ones affected by the virus’ spread. Several assistant coaches were also sidelined and another, Rex Kalamian, had filled in for Casey.

“He did an excellent job,” Casey said. “Then the second group, the development coaches, came in and did an excellent job. When you’re undermanned, you find out exactly who people are and people throughout the organization stepped up. These are tough times in our league, not just us. Then you throw in my personal situation and it was an adverse situation. I’m proud of the way our guys played hard, undermanned. I thought they played hard enough to win in Miami. But, being a young team, it’s a lot to overcome.”

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