We’ve been talking a lot about the Phoenix Suns and their ongoing injury issues this NBA season, but on a brighter note, Landry Shamet and Cameron Payne have returned to the lineup and the team will start generating more offense. We’re still waiting on the return of Cameron Johnson and Devin Booker will need a few more weeks to recover, but don’t write off this team just yet. As always, at this time of the year, basketball players get sick too and a lot of the players listed in today’s injury report are currently sick and they’ve had to sit out games because of it. These illnesses are apparently not COVID related. It’s winter, and people get sick, especially those experiencing rapid climate change traveling from city to city. Here are some of the latest NBA injuries. 

 

2022 NFL Injury Report Fantasy Basketball Week 12

NBA Point Guard Injury News

Jrue Holiday, PG Milwaukee Bucks (Illness)

Holiday has missed a few games because he’s been sick, but all signs are pointing to him returning to the Bucks lineup in their next game and Jevon Carter will lose out on minutes and his temporary spot in the Bucks rotation. George Hill will be Holiday’s main backup point guard.  

Darius Garland, PG Cleveland Cavaliers (Thumb)

Garland has missed a few games with a sprained thumb and he’s still listed as day-to-day but it wouldn’t be shocking to see a timetable slapped onto his status. We just saw Donovan Mitchell score 71 points and with Garland sitting, Mitchell’s usage exceeds 35 percent, and with more time with the ball will come more scoring. Let’s also not forget that Evan Mobley is hurt too, and the Cavs will need the rest of their starters to shoot more. Caris LeVert certainly benefits, and he’ll have a bit of time bringing up the ball. Cedi Osman and Raul Neto can help Mitchell bring up the ball as well if Mitchell is having a ton of success playing off the ball.

Russell Westbrook, PG Los Angeles Lakers (Foot)

Westbrook departed from the Lakers previous game with a foot injury and we’ll have to see if he’s looking at any missed time with Anthony Davis already out, LeBron James will need help bringing up the ball and scoring and Patrick Beverley has proven recently that he can be a reliable secondary scorer. Dennis Schroder will see his minutes rise if Westbrook has to miss any time and he can provide some quick scoring off the bench as well. Schroder could potentially start for a game or two. The Lakers can also turn to Kendrick Nunn as well and give him a few minutes to run the offense. 

D’Angelo Russell, PG Minnesota Timberwolves (Illness)

Russell missed the Timberwolves last game with an illness and if Russell needs to sit again, a lot of shots will be open for the taking and Anthony Edwards will take a good handful of them and with Jordan McLaughlin still out, Jaylen Nowell can help Edwards bring up the ball and will see a lot more minutes and shots of his own. With Karl-Anthony Towns still out, Kyle Anderson will certainly see a boost in his field goals. 

Collin Sexton, PG Utah Jazz (Hamstring)

Sexton will miss a few more games as he’s recovering from a hamstring injury and Malik Beasley will see even more reserve minutes behind Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson. Beasley continues to take at least 10 field goals and provides help with mainly scoring, but he has pulled down a few rebounds consistently in his last handful of games. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is used sparingly in the Jazz offense. Sexton’s timetable to return could be extended as hamstring strains can take longer to recover from but for now, we’ll view him as week-to-week. 

Cameron Payne, PG Phoenix Suns (Foot)

Payne had been sitting with an injured foot and returned to the court earlier this week. He's definitely not out of the woods in regard to this injury because he's now dealing with discomfort in his foot and he'll be sidelined for at least one game and with Devin Booker still out, Duane Washington Jr will have to back up Chris Paul. Damion Lee can also indirectly benefit if Landry Shamet needs to rotate to point guard to relieve Chris Paul for a few minutes. It wouldn't be surprising seeing him inactive for an additional couple of games.

Alex Caruso PG, Chicago Bulls (Ankle)

Caruso has been banged up throughout the season and if he needs to sit out in order for the swelling to go down, more reserve minutes for the Bulls will be divided between Coby White and Goran Dragic with Ayo Dosunmu still being the prioritized point guard.

NBA Shooting Guard Injury News

Bradley Beal, SG Washington Wizards (Hamstring)

Beal has missed the Wizards last three games with a sore hamstring, but after going through shootaround on Tuesday, it’s looking like he could return Tuesday night for Washington. He may need one more game, but he’s coming back and Corey Kispert and Deni Avdija will lose out on time with the ball and shots.

Update 1/6/2022 1:30 PM

Beal will sit for a few more games as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury and with him out, there are plenty of shots to go around and Kyle Kuzma will certainly see a boost in shots and Monte Morris will pick up a few more. When it comes to playing time and usage, we'll see more from Corey Kispert and Deni Avdija. We'll likely see Kispert starting again until Beal is ready to return and Kispert has been playing over 27 minutes per game this season and he should take 7-10 shots.

Paul George, SG Los Angeles Clippers (Hamstring)

We’ll have to see if George has to miss any action but he’s clearly not 100 percent and his hamstring has been nagging him a bit. If he does have to sit, Kawhi Leonard (if healthy) will take more shots and Norman Powell sees a major usage bump and he’ll take more shots for certain. The Clippers will also need some more floor-stretching ability and Marcus Morris can help with that as well. Don’t be surprised if the Clippers take it game-by-game with George so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him not travel for their upcoming two-game road trip. Stay tuned!

Kelly Oubre Jr SG Charlotte Hornets (Hand)

We won’t be seeing Oubre play any basketball for the rest of the month and possibly longer after he tore ligaments in his hand. Oubre is having surgery and the Hornets are once again dealing with mid-court injuries because Gordon Hayward is hurt again as well. With Oubre out, Jalen McDaniels will see more minutes and McDaniels has scored 10 or more points in his last 4 games and he’ll be needed to take more shots. The Hornets will also likely need JT Thor to shift to small forward and play reserve minutes at the position if Hayward has to miss more time. The Hornets are also missing Cody Martin as well. They continue to battle injuries. 

Lonnie Walker, IV SG Los Angeles Lakers (Tailbone)

Walker has been dealing with a tailbone injury and has had to sit out. Austin Reaves will pick up more shots until Walker, currently day-to-day is ready to return to the court. Patrick Beverley will see more time with the rock with Russell Westbrook sidelined and Walker being out should give Beverley more opportunities to shoot as well. Troy Brown Jr has played 20 minutes or more in 3 straight games and has scored in double figures in 3 of his last 4 outings. Dennis Schroder and Kendrick Nunn could see their minutes boosted. 

Update: 1/6/2022 1:30 PM

The reports keep changing about Walker's health. A few days ago, he was hurt with a bruised tailbone and now he's dealing with a sore knee and hasn't played for a few games and it'll be interesting to see if Walker sits for both legs of the Lakers back-to-back on Friday and Saturday. The Lakers guards are a bit banged up and Troy Brown Jr (if healthy) will see more playing time. Dennis Schroder and Kendrick Nunn will pick up reserve minutes. 

Javonte Green, SG Chicago Bulls (Knee)

His knee pain won’t go away and he was playing between 15-20 minutes and Green will likely need to sit out for a few more games and while he’s out, Derrick Jones Jr could see minutes backing up DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams. If DeRozan needs rest, the Bulls might have to run a three-guard offense to give him relief. 

NBA Small Forward Injury News

Andrew Wiggins, SF Golden State Warriors (Adductor/Illness)

Wiggins should return to the Warriors lineup over the next couple of games. His adductor injury is apparently all healed up, but now Wiggins is sick and he is still sitting because of an illness. The Warriors will still need Jordan Poole and Donte DiVincenzo to help Klay Thompson out in the back and mid-court and with both Wiggins and Stephen Curry out, Poole’s usage percentage rises to 36. DiVincenzo can play multiple positions and he along with Thompson can shift up to small forward if needed. Wiggins hasn’t seen the floor in a month. 

Khris Middleton SF Milwaukee Bucks (Knee)

Middleton played just six games before his knee pain flared up to the point that we haven’t seen him since the middle of December. Middleton will miss at least two more games with the sore knee and Pat Connaughton and Joe Ingles will have to fill the void. Grayson Allen will certainly see more shots and Jrue Holiday becomes the undisputed second-prioritized scorer now that he’s feeling better and ready to return. Middleton’s timetable could potentially be lengthened as the Bucks will be as careful with him as possible as they look toward the playoffs. 

Gordon Hayward, SF Charlotte Hornets (Hamstring)

Every other week it’s another injury that Hayward suffers, and he had to leave the Hornets previous game with an injured hamstring and with Cody Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr sidelined, Jalen McDaniels is walking into a ton of minutes and P.J. Washington will be needed to take more shots and help stretch the floor a bit more. McDaniels has been a lot more productive on both sides of the ball recently. For now, consider Hayward day-to-day as we wait for an update regarding how badly Hayward injured himself this time. 

Kawhi Leonard, SF Los Angeles Clippers (Illness)

Leonard is sick and missed his last game against the Heat and for Leonard investors, missing this game stinks because even if Leonard feels better, he’s looking at a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday meaning he will sit one of those games. The Clippers may just let him sit for the Denver game and bring him back versus the Timberwolves, a much easier opponent. If Leonard can’t play along with Paul George, Norman Powell will see a big uptick in minutes and shots and Nicolas Batum will also see reserve run. 

Royce O’Neale, SF Brooklyn Nets (Illness)

O’Neale was sick and had to sit for the Nets last game and the Nets have a lot of depth and T.J. Warren and Joe Harris can help fill the void if O’Neale needs to sit. The Nets have a ton of defensive players in their midcourt that have helped them transform defensively over the last month of action. Seth Curry could see more time with the ball if O’Neale needs to sit out once again on Wednesday night. 

Devin Vassell, SF San Antonio Spurs (Knee)

Vassell will have a procedure on his knee and we don't know when he'll take the court again. With Vassell out, 15-20 shots are open for the taking and the Spurs don't have a lot of consistent scorers, but both Keldon Johnson and Tre Jones will benefit by seeing more time with the ball and Josh Richardson and even Romeo Langford should see more minutes. The Spurs can also feature Jeremy Sochan more on offense as he's shown aggressiveness in getting to the basket. Sochan can help stretch the floor a bit but he's more of a banger in the post. It would be surprising to see Vassell return to action before the all-star break.

Duncan Robinson, SF Miami Heat (Finger)

Robinson is going to miss close to a month of action as he is going under the knife to have a procedure done on his finger. With Robinson and his three-point shooting out of the mix, Caleb Martin and Victor Oladipo can see more minutes and action. Robinson doesn't get a full rotation commitment of at least 20 minutes of playing time when the Heat are at full strength and luckily for him, that hasn't been the case and he supplies the Heat with instant offense and makes all of his money shooting from beyond the arc. 
 

NBA Power Forward Injury News

Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF Milwaukee Bucks (Knee)

He’s been dealing with a sore knee, but Antetokounmpo is ready to return to the court after missing the Bucks last game. His teammate Jrue Holiday is ready to return as well after being sick the last few days. Khris Middleton will remain sidelined. 

Zion Williamson PF New Orleans Pelicans, (Hamstring)

Williamson hurt his hamstring and had to leave the Pelicans last game. New Orleans is dealing with a few injuries on the big man front as Larry Nance Jr has been hampered by injuries as well. If Williamson needs to sit for a few games, as he’s already missing at least one outing, Herbert Jones will toggle between small forward and power forward and Naji Marshall will certainly see more playing time. Marshall has shown a lot of toughness in the post and if you ask him, he’ll say he’s the toughest player in the league. Jonas Valanciunas may be forced to play 30 minutes until Williamson and Nance return.

Update: 1/6/2022 1:30 PM

We now know that Williamson will sit out for a few weeks and we don't have a clear timetable on when to expect him back in action, but the Pelicans will take it easy with him as Williamson has been no stranger to injuries throughout his career. The Pelicans will need to rely more on Herbert Jones, Naji Marshall, and Trey Murphy III to provide offense. CJ McCollum will continue to see a boost in shots as Brandon Ingram is still out with his injured toe. Jonas Valanciunas will be forced to play more minutes as Larry Nance Jr and even Willy Hernangomez are not 100 percent healthy. Marshall will see the biggest boost in production will a lot more playing time presented to him

Evan Mobley, PF Cleveland Cavaliers (Ankle)

Mobley shouldn’t be out much longer, but he has had to miss the Cavs last two games and if he needs any more time off the floor, Kevin Love will take more shots, Jarrett Allen will get more plays called for him in the post and Lamar Stevens could see reserve run. The Cavs are also dealing with Darius Garland being out and some of their reserve scorers like Cedi Osman, Isaac Okoro, and Lamar Stevens will need to play bigger roles.

Bol Bol, PF Orlando Magic (Health and Safety Protocols)

With Bol out, Wendell Carter Jr and Mo Bamba will have to help Paolo Banchero guard the post. Bol could be out for the Magic’s next few games and Gary Harris may benefit indirectly by seeing more reserve minutes. The Magic should consider increasing Carter’s playing time now that he’s been back on the court for a couple of weeks. He has played more than 20 minutes in just one game since returning and he hasn’t experienced any setback health-wise and with Bol out, it gives Orlando an opportunity to extend Carter.

Marvin Bagley III, PF Detroit Pistons (Hand)

Bagley hurt his hand and left the Pistons last game and we don’t know how severe his injury is and the Pistons will need Isaiah Stewart to help out at power forward a little more. Jalen Duren will continue playing in the middle of the paint. With Isaiah Livers also still out, the Pistons could shift Bojan Bogdanovic to power forward and keep Stewart coming in off the bench to help their depth up front. If Detroit decides to do this, they could start Saddiq Bey at small forward upping his minutes and production potential. Bagley had been playing 17-20 minutes in recent games. 

Update: 1/6/2022 1:30 PM

We now know the severity of Bagley's hand injury and it's not good. He had surgery on his fractured hand and he's another player that won't be back until after the all-star break and that's just for a re-evaluation and he could miss additional time after that. The Pistons will need Bojan Bogdanovic and Isaiah Stewart to play most of the power-forward minutes. Saddiq Bey can toggle between both small forward and power forward. Once Isaiah Livers is healthy, he'll also be added to the mix. 

Jonathan Kuminga, PF Golden State Warriors (Foot)

Kuminga could be looking at time on the shelf with a sprained foot and the Warriors are dealing with a few injured big me and Draymond Green and Kevon Looney don’t have a lot of depth behind them. Anthony Lamb is one of their few options with size that they can bring in off the bench and he’s played 26 minutes or more in 2 of his last 3 contests. James Wiseman and JaMychal Green are also injured and we haven’t seen Andrew Wiggins return to the court. The Warriors are forced to play Looney more minutes.

Update: 1/6/2022 1:30 PM

Kuminga will sit for another two games before being re-evaluated next week and the Warriors can use all of the help they can get to support the light frontcourt depth they're currently sitting with. Anthony Lamb will continue picking up a lot more second-unit minutes behind Kevon Looney and Draymond Green. Green will continue to shift to center leaving the power forward spot to Lamb.

NBA Center Injury News

Jusuf Nurkic, C Portland Trail Blazers (Illness)

This situation is very bizarre because Nurkic left the Blazers last contest with an illness and there are links to a hard hit he took to his head earlier in the game. Does this mean that he could end up going into concussion protocol possibly? Yes, but that hasn’t been confirmed and the Blazers are getting ready to hit the road to Minnesota for their next game on Wednesday. If Nurkic travels with the team, that’s a good sign and if he doesn’t he could be looking at the rest of the week off. If Nurkic has to sit, Drew Eubanks will draw starts and Trendon Watford could back him up. Jerami Grant and Josh Hart will see more shot opportunities as well and Grant will likely have to post up more to generate offense under the rim. He normally sets up at the elbow. Hart is explosive and attacks the rim with force and Portland will need him to do that more, so the opposition plays further back into the paint. They’ll stack the perimeter otherwise. 

James Wiseman, C Golden State Warriors (Ankle)

Wiseman hasn’t played in a few games and we don’t know when we’ll see him take the floor again as he doesn’t have a timetable to return according to recent comments by Coach Kerr. With JaMychal Green and Jonathan Kuminga also hurt, the Warriors frontcourt is down to Kevon Looney, Draymond Green, and Anthony Lamb. They are very light when it comes to depth and with Andrew Wiggins still out, Donte DiVincenzo will need to play small forward a bit at times. 

JaMychal Green, C Golden State Warriors (Leg)

This injury is getting a bit scary because it’s an infection and the Warriors don’t know when he’ll be ready to return to the court. Green’s been out since the middle of December and Anthony Lamb is about to get a lot more reserve run behind Kevon Looney and Draymond Green. Looney will certainly see more playing time over the next few weeks. Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman are also injured. 

Naz Reid C Minnesota Timberwolves (Back)

Just when Reid was looking like he’d be a good fantasy basketball waiver wire add, he suddenly has back spasms and had to miss the Timberwolves last game. The ‘Wolves are already without Karl-Anthony Towns and next up to back up Rudy Gobert in the post is Nathan Knight. Knight played 22 minutes last game and he should play 20-25 minutes until Reid is ready to return to action. Luke Garza should see a few reserve minutes as well and scored nine points and pulled down six rebounds in 14 minutes on Monday.

Joel Embiid, C Philadelphia 76ers (Foot)

Embiid has a sore foot and the Sixers will elect to play it safe regarding his health and he'll sit for a second straight game on Friday and Montrezl Harrell will likely draw starts until he's ready to return. We should view Embiid as day-to-day until we're told otherwise. P.J. Tucker will shift up to center at times and the Sixers can also turn to Paul Reed to play a few minutes as well. Georges Niang will see more power forward minutes if Tucker does shift up to center. 

 

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