The final stretch of the NBA season has been one of the most unpredictable with the number of teams that have nothing to play for having as big of an impact as the number of teams that do. Injuries have also played an important role – as they always do – with several notable players going down. Here is a recap of the latest key injuries from around the association.
Kyle Lowry – G, Toronto Raptors
The Raptors All-Star point guard has missed time with a sore back and as it stands right now, there is no timetable for his return. Toronto has clinched a playoff spot and while they are still jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference, the reality is this team doesn’t have a chance if Lowry isn’t at his best in the postseason, so they have to be particularly careful down this final stretch.
The ideal situation for the Raptors might be to have a healthy Lowry in the lineup for their last two games in order to help him find a rhythm heading in to the playoffs and considering what seems like a day-to-day status, that could very well be what happens. Toronto is back in action on Wednesday against Charlotte and while his return hasn’t been ruled out, it wouldn’t be a surprise of Lowry sits. The former Villanova man has averaged 17.9 points, 6.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game this season.
Al Jefferson – C, Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets pulled out a 92-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday without Jefferson in the lineup because of a sore right knee. With his workload capped in each of his past four games, there is a good chance we could see his season come to a premature end. Charlotte is just 1.5 games back of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East but even if they did find a way to get in to the postseason, it isn’t as though they are going to make a deep playoff run. Jefferson has averaged 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season and the Hornets can’t afford to lose his production at both ends of the floor long term. They’re looking forward to next year, so don’t expect him to play again down the stretch.
Ricky Rubio – G, Minnesota Timberwolves
At this rate, it’s easy to understand why some basketball experts feel that Rubio will never be able to stay healthy as he has missed significant time in three of his four NBA seasons. Rubio was limited to just 22 games this season while dealing with various nagging injuries and now he has been shut down for the remainder of the year with an ankle injury. Rubio averaged 10.3 points and 8.8 assists this year but considering his inability to stay on the floor, he was somewhat of a liability overall.
Hassan Whiteside – C, Miami Heat
Whiteside has been one of the most intriguing stories of the season so far but he is dealing with a nagging hand injury that forced him to miss Sunday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers. The 25-year-old big man logged an effective 31 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons but he tore stitches in his hand and a decision was made for him to sit versus Indiana because of the pain. Miami has lost four straight to fall outside of a playoff spot and the sense of urgency surrounding the team could mean that Whiteside is back in the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets. Whiteside has averaged 11.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game this year and has become an integral piece in the Heat’s starting five – especially with Chris Bosh sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Jose Calderon – G, New York Knicks
Calderon has averaged 9.1 points and 4.7 assists for the Knicks this season but is unlikely to play another game as he continues to deal with a nagging Achilles injury. New York has nothing left to play for and while Calderon’s fantasy owners appreciated his production on a terrible Knicks team, it looks like his season is over at this point.
