We’re barely into the new NBA season but injuries are already a factor. Fortunately, there haven’t been the type of season-ending injuries – yet – that every fantasy manager loathes but there have been some minor injuries that are worth noting. Here is a look at the four important injuries to keep an eye on so far this NBA season.
Gerald Green
Miami Heat
Heat forward Gerald Green is listed as day-to-day following an undisclosed incident that happened at his condominium. Whatever it was, it led to a four-day stay in the hospital last week. There were several reports that Green was found bleeding and “screaming at the top of his lungs” and that he was combative when the emergency units arrived but there has been no definitive word on what happened or how long he will be out. At this point, the best guess is that he’s out indefinitely. However, the Heat seem to be supporting him through it as they have no plans to waive him. Green had averaged 10.3 points including 2.5 three-point shots per game in three appearances this season and he is currently listed as day-to-day.
Bradley Beal
Washington Wizards
Beal left Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks with a left shoulder injury and then sat out practice on Monday as the team continued to monitor his status. He is questionable to play against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, so the good news is that it’s not particularly serious. Owners can breathe a sigh of relief as Beal has typically been an injury-prone player. He played in just 63 games last season and has never played a full 82-game slate in his young career. Beal has averaged 22.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.7 three-point shots per game in six contests this year and the Wizards will not rush him back until he is ready.
Brook Lopez
Brooklyn Nets
Lopez has averaged 20.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game for Brooklyn so far this year. However, he left Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks with a sore right foot and has also been battling back spasms. He didn’t practice on Monday but he is in fact expected to play on Wednesday. The overall play for the Nets is to hold him out of practice this week but to play him in all games, which is good news for both the team and his fantasy owners.
Any time you hear the words “Brook Lopez” and “injured”, you’re always holding your breath for a player that has missed plenty of games in his young career. It’s not a good start to the season for Lopez as you’d rather avoid these bumps and bruises with him, but buyers were aware of what they were getting. Brooklyn is a team in transition right now and they will need Lopez in their lineup in order to have any shot at being respectable this season.
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DeMarre Carroll
Toronto Raptors
Toronto’s biggest offseason acquisition is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his heel and could miss more time this week as the team continues to monitor the situation. They’re trying to find ways to get him some rest. He missed Sunday’s game and is considered doubtful for Tuesday’s affair. If you own him in fantasy, you have to be concerned with the words “plantar fasciitis” because we all know that this isn’t the type of injury that heals in a week or two. This requires an offseason and sometimes surgery. So what does that do to his value? It likely saps a portion of it. He can still be an effective real-life player but this is the time of injury that causes under-production in fantasy.
The Raptors have dropped consecutive games after opening the year with five straight wins but they won’t want to rush him back in a year where there biggest goal remains winning at least a playoff series. Carroll has averaged 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in six contests for Toronto. He is considered day-to-day right now as he continues to deal with the injury.
