The Bulls were hit hard with yet another injury, this one to Jimmy Butler
Last week on the NBA Injury Report we looked at the post-Derrick Rose Bulls to see if they had any chance of remaining a contender with their franchise point guard on the shelf again. Several factors were listed as things that would influence how well the team performed for the rest of the year, with the main one being the production level of emerging superstar Jimmy Butler. Just a few days after that piece was posted, Butler left early in a game against the Clippers after hyperextending his left elbow. MRI results revealed that Butler had sprained the elbow, and that he would miss the next three-to-four weeks as a result. This could not have come at a worse time for Chicago.
The Bulls are in a close race with Cleveland for the top spot in the Central Division, and Milwaukee is right on their tail as well. Chicago seems likely to fall down the standings quickly, and they desperately need to remain a top-4 seed in the East if they plan on reaching the NBA Finals. Taj Gibson has also been sidelined for Chicago with an ankle injury, and will miss the next week or so. Chicago will rely on youngsters Tony Snell, Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic to play big minutes down the stretch as they try to get healthy in time for the playoffs. Mirotic and Snell will both be seeing around 30 minutes per game in the near future, and should both be snatched up immediately, especially if you are attempting to grab one of your league’s last playoff spots.
With every game making a difference this late in the season, let’s take a look at some other injuries around the league and their fantasy implications.
Out
Chandler Parsons – SF, Mavericks – Day-to-Day (Ankle)
Parsons had missed Dallas’ five previous games coming into Thursday night, and he is expected to remain out until Sunday at the earliest. Parsons is dealing with a sprain and a bone bruise in his left ankle, making it difficult for him to get around. Parsons had averaged 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his last five games for the Mavs. In his absence, veteran Richard Jefferson was plugged into the starting lineup and has not looked terrible, averaging 10.2 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from behind the arc in his last five games. When Parsons returns, owners should expect Jefferson and forward Charlie Villanueva to see fewer minutes.
Jusuf Nurkic – C, Nuggets – No timetable for return (Ankle)
Nurkic is dealing with a severely sprained ankle, and has missed Denver’s last four games because of it. There is no timetable for his return, but former coach Brian Shaw was previously quoted saying that it looked like Nurkic would miss “a while.” With Denver out of the playoff picture in the West, there is no real need to rush the center back at this point in the season anyway. The Nuggets should wait until the rookie’s ankle has completely healed before letting him step foot on a basketball court. While Nurkic remains on the sideline, Denver appears to be playing its version of small-ball, featuring dynamic Kenneth Faried at center. There is no clear replacement for Nurkic at this point, and it seems his minutes will be divided among the rest of the team evenly. Will Barton has been playing great for the Nuggets since he came over in a deadline trade with Portland, and could be a valuable guard and three-point shooter for the remainder of the season if you are in need.
Returning From Injury
Kemba Walker – PG, Hornets – Could return next week (Knee)
Walker was recently cleared by doctors to resume all basketball activities, and is hoping he can return to the Hornets sometime in the next week. The Hornets acquired veteran point guard Mo Williams before the deadline from Minnesota, and he has filled in very nicely for Charlotte, averaging 21.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.6 threes made in his seven games since coming over. With Walker returning, it is likely Williams will come off the bench to lead the second unit with Lance Stephenson at his side. Walker’s return will mean less minutes for everyone, but Williams, Gerald Henderson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will suffer the most. All three guys have averaged well over 30 minutes since Walker went down, but they should expect slightly fewer minutes for the rest of the season. Walker was averaging 18.8 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals before the injury, and there is no reason to expect anything less from the exciting guard out of UConn. The Hornets seem to be hitting their stride at the right time, and currently they appear likely to grab one of the final playoff spots in the East.
Nick Young – SG,SF, Lakers – Could return Friday (Knee)
Young has missed the Lakers last five games with a knee injury, but hopes to return either Friday against Memphis or Sunday against Dallas. In his absence, Wesley Johnson and Wayne Ellington have filled in on the wing, with Ryan Kelly receiving some extra minutes as well. The Lakers are a mess with Young on or off the court, but the former first-round pick from USC usually brings some excitement when he plays. Young’s shooting percentages have been abysmal since the calendar turned to 2015, and he is averaging less than 10 points per game since February 1st. His injuries have played a big part in that, and having a sub-par supporting cast hasn’t helped, but if Young wants to stick around in the league he will need to show people he is more than just a poor-man’s J.R. Smith. If Young returns healthy, expect an increase in his current numbers as the season goes on.
Blake Griffin – PF, Clippers – Could return Sunday (Elbow)
It has been nearly four weeks since Blake Griffin was sidelined after surgery to remove a staph infection from his elbow, and oh how his fantasy owners have missed him. Griffin averaged 23.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game in January, while leading the Clips to an 11-4 record during the month. Griffin hopes to get to the court soon, but DeAndre Jordan owners are probably hoping he sits a few more weeks. Jordan has been an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses on the block since Blake went down, averaging 15.6 points, 20.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.5 steals over his last 10 games. Whenever Griffin does return to the Clippers, they will again boast one of the toughest frontcourts in the league, and they trail Houston by only a game-and-a-half for the fourth seed in the West and homecourt advantage in the first-round of the playoffs. With Griffin back in the mix, expect Glen Davis and Hedo Turkoglu to see less time.
Kyle Lowry – PG, Raptors – Could return Friday (Finger)
Lowry has been held out of Toronto’s previous four games due to calf and hamstring injuries and to heal a potentially dislocated finger, according to Fox Sports. Lowry has played poorly since the start of February, averaging only 11.9 points, 5.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds per contest, which are down considerably from his season averages of 18.0 points, 7.0 assists and 4.6 rebounds. With Lowry out, fantasy owners should turn their attention to Greivis Vasquez if he is still available in your leagues. Vasquez is averaging 9.6 points, 6.0 assists and 2.4 rebounds over his last five. Lowry could return to the court anytime now, but if this finger injury turns out to be worse than people thought, jump on Vasquez immediately.
Andrew Chambers is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Andrew, check out his archive and follow him @beardedsports8.
