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Injuries are a huge dampener to any NBA team’s championship hopes. And unfortunately, they are part of the game. This season has been quite a challenging one for a lot of teams. Aside from dealing with coronavirus protocols, injuries remain a plague that has forced teams to field a short handed roster on multiple occasions.
But what teams fear the most is, when at least one of their stars falls to an injury. As we’ve seen in the past, an injured star player can not only diminish the team’s momentum but it also forces teams to play without the player that is responsible for generating their wins, and this takes a lot of adjustments. Because of this, it puts the team in a vulnerable position that may break a team’s campaign for the season. For this piece, let’s take a look at the five in-season injuries that shook the playoff landscape.
Christian Wood
Injury: Right Ankle Sprain
NBA Status: Out for six weeks, has returned to action
Christian Wood was having a breakout season with the Houston Rockets. After the departure of James Harden, it was expected that the team would struggle without their former NBA MVP. However with the emergence of Wood, the Rockets looked like a team that still had enough to power themselves to the postseason especially with their newly acquired big man averaging 22.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
Unfortunately, Wood suffered a right ankle sprain that sidelined him for 17 games. And with his absence, the Rockets struggled mightily as they ended up winless in all of those games. It is worth noting that before his major injury, the team was holding a a 11-10 win-loss card.
Although Wood has finally returned to action, it doesn’t look like the season can be salvaged anymore. With the Rockets now holding a 12-30 record, which is good only for the lowly 14th spot, it seems like their playoff hopes have now gone out of the window. In fact, at one point, the Rockets were in contention to become the team to hold the worse losing streak in NBA history. Fortunately, the team was able to end their 20-game losing streak by ending up with a win against the Toronto Raptors, 117-99.
Had Wood been healthy throughout, the Rockets might have at least had a chance to pull off some surprises in the Play-in Tournament. But sadly for them, this wasn't the case.
LaMelo Ball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgXY7oRH098
Injury: Fractured Right Wrist
NBA Status: Out Indefinitely
LaMelo Ball has put together a fine rookie season that not only placed him in contention for the Rookie of the Year Award, but also powered the Charlotte Hornets to relevancy. Unfortunately, the Hornets’ lottery pick in 2020 fractured his right wrist after a hard fall in their game against the Los Angeles Clippers, which ended up in a 125-98 loss.
With Ball expected to miss the rest of the season, the Hornets’ playoff hopes could be in serious jeopardy. They are currently holding a 21-21 record, which places them in a vulnerable sixth seed. Although this still gives them a decent chance to participate in the Play-in Tournament that will decide the seventh and eight seeds, the Hornets will have to deal with the absence of their prized rookie, who is averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 dimes, and 5.9 rebounds per contest. Furthermore with a hungry Boston Celtics team and the resurgent New York Knicks just a hairline away, their spot in the playoffs isn't a sure lock.
On a more positive note, the team still has Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier, and a talented reserve in Devonte Graham to power the team. But if the Hornets can’t figure out a way to play competitive basketball without Ball, then their playoff drought will continue to haunt them. Furthermore, his absence will definitely affect the last few spots of the Eastern Conference.
Joel Embiid
Injury: Left Knee Bone Bruise
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NBA Status: Out for 2-3 weeks
The Philadelphia 76ers have been atop the Eastern Conference with a 30-13 record because of Joel Embiid. The NBA MVP candidate has been on a tear this season, averaging 29.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. In fact, he has dropped a couple of monster double-doubles this season including a 50-17 night in a victory against the Chicago Bulls.
Unfortunately, the 7’0 All-Star big man suffered a scary knee injury after a poster dunk in a game against the Washington Wizards. Thankfully, no structural damage was found in Embiid’s knee. However, he will be out of action for the Sixers for quite some time with the team opting to be cautious. And this may bring about some major changes in the playoff race especially in the East.
As the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers may not need to worry too much about not making the postseason. However, they are in danger of losing that top spot to the star powered Brooklyn Nets, who are just in their heels with a 29-14 win-loss card. Although the Sixers are still winning without Embiid in their lineup as they have won four of their last five games, thanks to their formidable depth, the team still do have a lot of holes to cover with the absence of their prized big man.
With 43 games into the season, it is worth noting that the Sixers are 6-5 when they play without Embiid which is respectable but not stable. Aside from this, the Sixers haven’t had a lot of playoff success in the past with either Embiid or Simmons sidelined by injury. Furthermore with the four time All-Star missing a lot of games, it will be unclear on what kind of shape Embiid will be in when the team plays the games that matters the most.
Anthony Davis
Injury: Calf strain and Tendinosis
NBA Status: Out Indefinitely
The Los Angeles Lakers were penciled for another dominant season this year, especially after how they win the championship during the 2020 NBA bubble in Orlando and a couple of notable veteran acquisitions during free agency. However, the Lakers’ season is turning out to be a rocky one especially with the injury to Anthony Davis.
AD has had a quiet season with the Lakers so far, as he averaged 22.5 points 8.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Unfortunately, leg injuries have slowed down the Lakers star and an aggravation of his achilles in a loss against the Nuggets has sidelined him ever since.
Ever since the major injury, the Lakers are currently 7-8. And despite his absence, the team still holds the third spot in the West with a 28-15 win-loss card, thanks to LeBron James doing most of the heavy lifting.
Surely, the Lakers are still a formidable team without AD with James at the helm. However, the Lakers have showed some vulnerabilities without him. This includes the team’s lack of size in the paint which placed more pressure on the shoulders of the team’s outside shooters. But more importantly, this has placed more responsibility on the shoulders of the reigning Finals MVP, LeBron James, which leads us to the next player in this list.
LeBron James
Injury: High Ankle Sprain
NBA Status: Out Indefinitely
LeBron James hasn’t had any career-threatening injuries for so long in his career, and this is because of how much he invests in taking care of his body. However at already 36 years of age, any player can be vulnerable, especially when you're playing at maximum intensity during the grueling regular season. In his last game against the Atlanta Hawks, James suffered a high ankle sprain that will sideline him for quite some time.
With the injury to Anthony Davis, James has played heavy minutes this season in order to rack up the wins for the Lakers. Unfortunately, an injury to James suddenly leaves the defending champions without a star to depend on. Although the team still has some respectable vets in Dennis Schröder, Kyle Kuzma, and Montrezl Harrell, James’ absence leaves a major hole in their line-up.
With the Lakers suffering major blows to their stars, there is possibly a major shakeup in the playoff race in the West. If the Lakers don’t find a way to win without AD and James, then teams such as the Clippers, Nuggets, and Trail Blazers will try to rise above the ladder at the expense of the defending champs. To make matters worse, the Lakers are facing a tough schedule ahead with games against contenders like the Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
There are a lot of uncertainties regarding how the Lakers will weather the storm without their stars. On the bright side, the Lakers can pull off some moves before the trade deadline and try their luck in the the buy-out market that could possibly have Andre Drummond. However, that still isn’t a surefire way to keep the team in competitive form until James and AD returns to action. The team better finds a solution fast before they find themselves in danger of not making the postseason, which ultimately dethrones them off their championship seat.
