Aside from COVID-19 having an impact on player availability on a night-to-night basis in the NBA this season, injuries have also been piling up across the league. The rise in injuries may be stemming from a more condensed schedule and shortened offseason due to the pandemic as the league tries returning to its traditional schedule for the 2021-22 campaign. While there haven’t been as many season-ending injuries as we’ve seen in the past, it always feels like a star player is missing two or three weeks due to a nagging injury suffered in a game or practice.
Unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game, and this season has seen its fair share of them. To keep you updated, here’s a running list of all the major injuries in the NBA, and how they are affecting teams and players moving forward. To see every team’s current injury situation, click here.
Anthony Davis
LAL •
PF •
3
Achilles discomfort, calf strain — Out until at least April 15
PPG22.5
RPG8.4
APG3.0
BPG1.78
The Lakers have been hampered with injuries this season. It began with Anthony Davis going down with a strained calf. LeBron James soon joined him on the sidelined with a high ankle sprain, and newly signed Andre Drummond, brought in to help overcome A.D.’s absence, hurt his toe in his Lakers debut. Fortunately, the team reportedly hopes to have Davis, who’s missed the past 23 games due to discomfort in his Achilles’ tendon along with an adjacent calf strain, back in the lineup after the team’s five-game Eastern Conference road trip, making April 15 against the Boston Celtics the earliest date for Davis to return.
Kevin Durant‘s time on the sideline is coming to an end. The Brooklyn Nets star is listed as available for Wednesday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Brooklyn hasn’t necessarily needed Durant’s ridiculous offensive production in his absence, going 18-4 in the time he’s been sidelined with a hamstring strain. But getting him back healthy is paramount to this team’s championship aspirations. Brooklyn is absolutely loaded with talent, from James Harden and Kyrie Irving to recent additions in Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge. Getting Durant back is just the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake for a team that is already viewed as the favorites to win it all this season.
Read More: NBA injury updates: Lakers hopeful Anthony Davis returns after road trip; James
