NBA Injury Report: October 29
Published: Oct 29, 2021
NBA Injuries
| NBA INJURIES | ||||||
| NAME | POS. | TEAM | INJURY | DATE INJURED | EXP. RETURN DATE | ANALYSIS |
| Trey Burke | PG | DAL | COVID | 28-Oct | Day To Day | Burke is one of the final players off the bench in Dallas who won't get much run unless Luka Doncic and/or Jalen Brunson get injured. No real fantasy impact. |
| Malcolm Brogdon | G | IND | Hamstring | 27-Oct | Day To Day | The Pacers top scorer is dealing with a tight Hamstring and if he needs to miss any time,T.J. McConnell and Brad Wanamaker will get more minutes and Jeremy Lamb will see more shots. |
| Daniel Gafford | C | WAS | Quad | 27-Oct | No Timetable | Montrezl Harrell seems to be the priority in the Wizards rotation over Daniel Gafford and Gafford is dealing with an injured Quad and if he needs more time off Davis Bertans could step in if needed for reserve minutes. |
| Kristaps Porzingis | PF/C | DAL | Back | 26-Oct | Day To Day | Porzingis injured his Back and he's had to miss a game because of it and Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell get a bit of a boost with him off the floor. The Back just seems a little stiff. Porzingis is no stranger to injury. |
| Doug McDermott | F | SAS | Knee | 26-Oct | Early November | McDermott should be back in the next few games after injuring his Knee and while he's out Lonnie Walker and Devin Vassell will see more playing time and Keita Bates-Diop could get a few minutes as well. |
| Isaac Okoro | SG | CLE | Hamstring | 25-Oct | Day To Day | While Okoro has been getting a true rotation commitment, the Cavs continue to play with a big lineup and Okoro will be battling Lauri Markkanen and indirectly Kevin Love for minutes and shots. We haven't received official word whether or not he'll miss extended time. He's DTD for now. |
| LeBron James | G/SF | LAL | Ankle | 24-Oct | Day To Day | James is dealing with a minor Ankle injury and it has already cost him a few games and while he's out, Russell Westbrook will see a lot more time with the ball and Kent Bazemore and Carmelo Anthony will help fill in. |
| PJ Washington | PF/C | CHA | Knee | 24-Oct | Day To Day | Washington has missed his last couple of games with an injured Knee and Miles Bridges and Gordon Hayward will continue to benefit with more shots. Mason Plumlee's minutes are protected and Jalen McDaniels will get more run as well. |
| Jrue Holiday | G | MIL | Ankle | 23-Oct | Day To Day | Holiday has missed a couple of games with an injured Ankle and George Hill has been starting in his place. Grayson Allen has seen a few more shots because of Holiday being out of the lineup. |
| Norman Powell | SG/SF | POR | Knee | 23-Oct | Day To Day | With Powell dealing with an injured Knee, we've seen Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little get playing time in the Blazers rotation. Both have played over 22 minutes per game to start the season. |
| Terry Rozier | G | CHA | Ankle | 22-Oct | Day To Day | Rozier has missed most of the games thus far and while he's out, Kelly Oubre Jr. has done a very nice job filling in and even Ish Smith has seen more love in the Hornets rotation. We don't know if Rozier's injury is one that will keep him out for the next number of weeks. Update coming soon on that. |
| Cameron Payne | G | PHX | Hamstring | 22-Oct | Day To Day | Payne has Hamstring pain (pun intended), and while he's out Elfrid Payton will see run backing up Chris Paul. Devin Booker can also shift to PG if needed as well. |
| Josh Hart | SG/SF | NOP | Quad | 20-Oct | Day To Day | Hart is going to have a lot competition for minutes at his position as Trey Murphy has been playing 22 minutes per game and Nickeil Alexander-Walker logs a lot of minutes as well. It'll be an uphill battle for him this year. |
| Brook Lopez | C | MIL | Back | 19-Oct | No Timetable | We don't know when we'll see Lopez back in action, but Bobby Portis who was key for the Bucks in the Finals will benefit and we've seen Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Sandro Mamukelashvili get double-digit minutes. |
| Pascal Siakam | PF/C | TOR | Shoulder | Pre-Season | Late Novemeber | Reports are telling us that Siakam is a bit ahead of schedule but until he returns in the next month or so, OG Anunoby will continue to fill in along with Precious Achiuwa. Scottie Barnes has been impressive on both sides of the ball and could be kept in the Raptors starting lineup once Siakam returns. |
| Zion Williamson | PF | NOP | Foot | Pre-Season | No Timetable | We don't know when we'll see Williamson take the court but while he's out Brandon Ingram will have to help guard the post a bit and we've seen Herbert Jones draw starts as well. |
| Cade Cunningham | G | DET | Ankle | Pre-Season | Day To Day | The Pistons are going to be very careful with Cunningham and until he's ready to go, Josh Jackson and Frank Jackson will see more minutes and Saddiq Bey will continue to take 15-16 shots per game. Once Cunningham is fully ready, scoring priorities will likely shift. |
| Kawhi Leonard | SG/SF | LAC | Torn ACL | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Leonard is one of the biggest question marks heading into the season and we may not see him play at all this year and he's a hard player to stash unless you have unlimited INJ spots. With Leonard out, Nicolas Batum and Terance Mann will get more time in the Clippers rotation. |
| Klay Thompson | SG/SF | GSW | Achilles | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Thompson has been hurt the last couple of years and will likely need a few more months and Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole will fill in until he can finally take the court again. |
| Jamal Murray | G | DEN | Torn ACL | Pre-Season | No Timetable | With Murray recovering from a Torn ACL, Monte Morris and Facundo Campazzo will help run the point. Even Will Barton will get some time to handle the rock. |
| Caris LeVert | SG/SF | IND | Back | Pre-Season | Day To Day | LeVert hasn't been able to shake injuries throughout his career and he's currently dealing with an injured Back, but recent reports indicate that he could return in the next couple of games. The rookie Chris Duarte has filled in very nicely. |
| Victor Oladipo | SG/SF | MIA | Quad | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Oladipo is another player who we may not see until March or April and he's very fragile and another player that is a waste of an INJ spot because he may not play. Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson both benefit with him out. |
| Jonathan Isaac | F | ORL | Torn ACL | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Isaac is very fragile and we don't know when we'll see him make his season debut. Wendell Carter Jr. has been filling in at PF and Franz Wagner has done a good job providing offense at SF. |
| Markelle Fultz | G | ORL | Torn ACL | Pre-Season | No Timetable | With Fultz out for an undisclosed amount of time, Cole Anthony takes command of the offense with Jaeln Suggs helping him out in the backcourt. |
| Chuma Okeke | PF | ORL | Hip | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Okeke will be in a big battle for minutes between Wendell Carter Jr. and Mo Bamba once he comes back. Hip injuries take a while to fully recover from and we need to get a clearer timetable for Okeke. |
| Dillon Brooks | SG/SF | MEM | Hand | Pre-Season | Early November | Brooks injured his Hand and while he's been out, Desmond Bane and De'Anthony Melton have done an excellent job filling in and if Bane especially continues shooting well, the minutes distribution in the Memphis mid-court will be intriguing. |
| Donte DiVincenzo | G | MIL | Ankle | Pre-Season | No Timetable | DiVincenzo will need more time before he can get back on the court and reclaim his SG spot on the team and Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen will continue to see heavy run in the Bucks rotation. Jordan Nwora benefits as well. |
| T.J. Warren | F | IND | Foot | Pre-Season | No Timetable | We don't know when we'll see Warren back on the court and until he's ready to roll Justin Holiday and Oshae Brissett will see more playing time. |
| Thomas Bryant | C | WAS | Torn ACL | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Bryant had surgery on his Knee at the beginning of the year and while we don't know when he'll be active again, it wouldn't be surprising to see him back out there in mid-to-late December, but until he's back, Montrezl Harrell and Daniel Gafford will fill in. |
| James Wiseman | C | GSW | Knee | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Wiseman can't shake the injuries and his recovery has been slow and while he's out Kevon Looney and Nemanja Bjelica will get more run. Looney has been drawing starts and Andre Iguodala can shift to PF as well. |
| Nerlens Noel | PF/C | NYK | Knee | Pre-Season | Day To Day | Noel's Knee is still bothering him and while he's out, Taj Gibson will soak up all of the back up minutes behind Mitchell Robinson. They have Jericho Sims if needed as a reserve. |
| Serge Ibaka | PF/C | LAC | Back | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Ibaka has Back issues and while he recovers Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein will handle the middle with Marcus Morris and Nicolas Batum helping out at PF. |
| Coby White | G | CHI | Shoulder | Pre-Season | No Timetable | The Bulls have a lot of depth now and when White eventually comes back he'll be competing for minutes against Alex Caruso. Lonzo Ball has been playing 36 minutes per game so far so White's minutes could be spotty when he returns. |
| Kendrick Nunn | G | LAL | Knee | Pre-Season | Early November | Nunn should be ready to go in the next couple of weeks and Rajon Rondo will lose out on playing time once Nunn returns as he will back up Russell Westbrook. |
| Rudy Gay | F | UTA | Heel | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Gay will be playing behind Royce O'Neale when he returns and we'll have to see whether or not he'll get 20 minutes per game. He mainly operates out of the post, but he can step back and hit shots from the arc still as well. |
| Dario Saric | PF/C | PHX | Torn ACL | Pre-Season | No Timetable | It is unknown when we'll see Saric take the court and we will see JaVale McGee back up Deandre Ayton. We may not see Saric at all this season. |
| Jonathan Kuminga | F | GSW | Knee | Pre-Season | Day To Day | Kuminga will be playing behind Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala when he returns and it's uncertain how many minutes will be carved out for him in the Warriors rotation. |
| Zach Collins | PF/C | SAS | Ankle | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Will Collins ever be healthy again? His lower body continues to fail him and because we don't know when he'll be on the court, Keldon Johnson and especially Doug McDermott benefit. |
| Trevor Ariza | SG/SF | LAL | Ankle | Pre-Season | December | Ariza's defense will be needed down the stretch when the Lakers make a title run, but for now while he's out, Malik Monk, Carmelo Anthony and Kent Bazemore will see more burn in the Lakers rotation. |
| Talon Horton-Tucker | SG/SF | LAL | Thumb | Pre-Season | Mid-November | When Horton-Tucker returns in the next couple of weeks, Malik Monk and Kent Bazemore will have more competition for minutes. Expect the rotation to shift a bit. |
| Tony Snell | SG/SF | POR | Foot | Pre-Season | Day To Day | Snell is dealing with a sprained Foot and we've seen him sneak into rotations before and he can definitely get 10-12 minutes per game once he comes back behind Norman Powell. Snell helps out defensively. |
| Onyeka Okongwu | PF/C | ATL | Shoulder | Pre-Season | Late December | Okongwu will be playing behind Clint Capela and Danilo Gallinari once he returns and it's very hard to tell whether or not he'll even account for 15 minutes per contest. |
| Yuta Watanabe | F | TOR | Calf | Pre-Season | Day To Day | Watanabe is strictly a reserve who will be on the outside looking into the rotation once he's healthy. Chris Boucher can't even get that much love in this rotation. |
| E'Twaun Moore | G | ORL | Knee | Pre-Season | Day To Day | Franz Wagner has been solid to start off the year and Moore will be an injury-replacement player in the rotation when he's healthy. He's got multiple options in front of him including Terrence Ross |
Player News
Kristaps Porzingis (illness) said after Wednesday’s Game 2 loss to the Knicks that his current stamina issues may be related to the problem that sidelined him for eight games late in the regular season.
After an illness limited him to 13 first-half minutes in Boston’s series-opening defeat on Monday, Porzingis came off the bench in Game 2. Unfortunately, he could only give the Celtics 14 minutes. Following the game, Porzingis said his current problem may be related to the upper respiratory ailment that sidelined him for eight games late in the regular season. “Probably, probably,” Porzingis said. “I’ve had like ups and downs throughout until this point. Just now, had a big crash. Now, my energy, my everything, hasn’t been good, but who cares? Have to move forward and it will get better from this point.” While Boston’s shot selection was the focus following its two home defeats, Porzingis’ limited availability has also been a factor. He’ll hope to return to full health in time for Game 3 on Saturday afternoon.
Nikola Jokic finished with 17 points (6-of-16 FGs), eight rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block, two three-pointers and six turnovers in Game 2 against the Thunder on Wednesday.
This was Jokic’s worst performance of the postseason, and it came to an end in the third quarter. He fouled out with 1:17 left in the third, which brought his night to a close after he played 32 minutes. OKC was up 41 points when Jokic fouled out, so his night may have been close to over anyway. Jokic dominated Game 1, and the Thunder adjusted. Denver will need other players to step up if they want to have a chance of winning this series, but Jokic will also need to be better than he was in this game.
Michael Porter Jr. struggled on Wednesday and finished with just eight points (2-of-10 FGs), five rebounds, one steal and two three-pointers in Game 2 against the Thunder.
MPJ was slightly better in the second half, as all eight of his points came in the third quarter. However, the game was already out of hand at that point after a terrible first half for both Porter Jr. and the Nuggets. MPJ shot 1-of-8 in Game 1, and they’ll need him to be much better moving forward. The series will now shift back to Denver, and MPJ will look to get back on track during the two home games before the series heads back to Oklahoma City.
Russell Westbrook provided a boost off the bench with 19 points (5-of-11 FGs, 8-of-10 FTs), one rebound, five assists and one three-pointer in a 149-106 loss to the Thunder in Game 2 on Wednesday.
Despite an ugly first half for Denver, Westbrook was productive and entered the break with 15 points. He didn’t add much in the second half, though he sat the entire fourth quarter, still it was enough to lead the Nuggets in scoring. Russ has been awesome over Denver’s last five games, and his continued success will be key to the Nuggets winning this series. Though this game was ugly, they still have homecourt advantage in this series. They’ll look to keep it in Game 3 on Friday.
Chet Holmgren recorded a double-double on Wednesday with 15 points (3-of-8 FGs, 7-of-7 FTs), 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks and two three-pointers in Game 2 against the Nuggets.
After struggling in Game 1, Holmgren bounced back and recorded the fourth postseason triple-double of his career, with three of those coming this season. Aside from Game 3 against Memphis, Holmgren has swatted at least two shots in every game during these playoffs, which was a trend that continued in this game despite him only playing 26 minutes. Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein (14/8/5/1/1) will look to continue to limit Nikola Jokic (17 points) in Game 3 on Friday.
Jalen Williams bounced back on Wednesday with 17 points (6-of-11 FGs), four rebounds, seven assists and two blocks in Game 2 against the Nuggets.
Williams was criticized for his poor performance in the Thunder’s Game 1 loss, but he responded well in OKC’s blowout victory. He was on pace for a bigger night, but he only played 26 minutes and sat the entire fourth quarter due to the lopsided score. He shot the ball much better after shooting 5-of-20 in Game 1, and he’ll need that success to carry over into Game 3 in Denver on Friday.