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Welcome back, RotoBallers! I hope everyone is staying warm! I'm here to help you stay up to date on injury news, and how it impacts your teams.
We're back to regularly scheduled programming this week; information is accurate as of Monday 1/22 at night. I'll just cover what has changed since last week.
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Short-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball
Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Indiana Pacers - Hamstring
Haliburton initially missed five games after injuring his hamstring, but it appears he may have returned to action too soon. He played a full 35 minutes during Friday's loss to the Blazers, but he then missed Sunday's game in Phoenix after apparently reaggravating that same injury. I would expect the Pacers to be cautious after already messing up the handling of this injury once. If TJ McConnell is available in your league he is a priority add.
Trae Young, PG, Atlanta Hawks - Concussion
Young suffered a concussion during the Hawks' loss against Cleveland on 1/20, and the team announced he won't travel on their two-game road trip. This means he won't have the chance to play again until the Hawks host the Mavs on Friday 1/26, which he very well could suit up for. However, every concussion is different, and Young is too good of a player to ignore this injury. Garrison Matthews is the only Hawks guard who saw meaningful minutes that might be available on your waiver wire.
Zach LaVine, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls - Ankle
LaVine is expected to miss up to two weeks with an ankle sprain he suffered on 1/19. If you need a replacement, Patrick Williams has been starting in LaVine's place.
Isaiah Hartenstein, C, New York Knicks - Achilles
Hartenstein is day-to-day after suffering an injury on 1/20 against the Raptors. If he does miss additional time, Precious Achiuwa had a great relief performance against the Raptors and should be considered the de facto starter.
Tre Jones, PG, San Antonio Spurs - Leg
Jones suffered a leg injury in the 4th quarter of Monday night's game in Philly. As of now, the status of the injury is unknown, and this could be a pointless write-up, but it's always important to keep an eye out for starting PGs to stream and Blake Wesley looks to be that guy in San Antonio if Jones misses time.
Jabari Smith, SF/PF, Houston Rockets - Ankle
Just as the Rockets begin to prepare for the return of Tari Eason, they'll lose another young forward for a little bit. Smith tweaked his ankle late in Saturday's OT win against the Jazz and was subsequently ruled out for the second half of the Rockets' back-to-back on Sunday vs Boston. No official word from the team has been released on the injury's severity, but expect the Rockets to be conservative with last year's #3 overall pick. Keep an eye on Eason's return, or potentially Jae'Sean Tate as streaming replacements.
Ivica Zubac, C, LA Clippers - Calf
The Clippers announced on 1/16 that Zubac is expected to miss about four weeks with a right calf strain. The Clippers will likely look for more production from their stars, but someone will need to fill Zubac's role as the big man. Both Daniel Theis and Mason Plumlee should get extra opportunities, but I'd lean Theis when picking one or the other.
Jaime Jacquez Jr., SG/SF, Miami Heat - Groin
Jacquez missed Monday's game and was preemptively ruled out for Wednesday's game in Toronto. The official word from the team at this point was that he would definitively be missing these games, but nothing further. As we just saw with how the team handled Jimmy Butler, he may just keep being ruled out game-by-game until he's ready to return. With the Heat playing two more games this week, it's worth looking into Caleb Martin or Josh Richardson as streaming options.
Week 2: Jacquez remains out, with no word being provided by the notoriously tight-lipped Heat.
Cade Cunningham, PG/SG, Detroit Pistons - Knee
Cunningham sprained his knee during Sunday's game in Denver. The only official word the team has put out so far is that "serious damage looks to be avoided", but that could still equate to a lengthy absence. We'll have more info by next Monday, but keep an eye on this situation for the Pistons.
Week 3: Cunningham has remained out, but recently returned to basketball activities. I would expect this to be the last week he could potentially miss all the Pistons' games.
Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball
Desmond Bane, SG/SF - Ankle and Marcus Smart, PG/SG - Finger, Memphis Grizzlies
If the season-ending injury to Ja Morant didn't end the Grizzlies' season, surely this pair of injuries will. Bane and Smart suffered their injuries in back-to-back games, and both are expected to be reevaluated in six weeks, which puts their timeline at the end of February. I'd be shocked if the Grizzlies aren't thinking more about their lottery odds at that point, and am considering both of these essentially season-ending injuries in their own right.
Darius Garland, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers - Jaw
When it rains it pours, as the Cavs are finding out. On the same day the team announced Mobley's surgery, Garland fractured his jaw against the Celtics. He is expected to miss "a few weeks", which to me sounds like it will line up perfectly with the mini-break all teams get around New Year's Day. If you're desperate to fill his roster spot, Craig Porter should enter fantasy relevance, but won't be high on the pecking order without more injuries.
Update 1/16: Garland has been cleared to resume basketball activities, so it seems like he should be back before the end of January.
Ja Morant, PG, Memphis Grizzlies - Shoulder
This season came and went for Morant, who will only end up playing nine games this year. Morant tore a labral muscle in his right shoulder and is undergoing season-ending surgery. This season looks lost for the 13-23 Grizzlies, who are now officially on tank watch.
Chris Paul, PG, Golden State Warriors - Hand
The Warriors announced over the weekend that Paul will undergo surgery on his injured hand and miss 4-6 weeks. If I had to guess, he'll probably return after All-Star Weekend (Feb 16-18). Coach Steve Kerr has indicated Moses Moody will see additional minutes off the Warriors bench and is worth looking at for fantasy purposes.
Mitchell Robinson, C, New York Knicks - Ankle
One week after undergoing surgery, Robinson's recovery timeline has drastically changed. Initially only slated to miss around two months, an update on December 20 announced Robinson's 2023-24 campaign has ended due to this injury. Isaiah Hartenstein has taken over the starting role and with Jericho Sims scheduled to return at the beginning of 2024, Tom Thibodeau favorite Taj Gibson will be in the Knicks' rotation.
Gabe Vincent, PG/SG, Los Angeles Lakers - Knee
After missing nearly two months with a knee issue, Vincent returned to the Lakers' lineup for one whole game. He hurt the same left knee that's been bothering him all year, and the team announced he'll undergo surgery this week. He's expected to miss six to eight weeks minimum, but due to the recurring nature of this injury, I wouldn't be surprised if his absence is longer than that. It seems most likely that rookie Max Christie will rejoin the rotation in his wake.
Evan Mobley, C, Cleveland Cavaliers - Knee
Mobley was initially ruled day-by-day but on one of those days, the decision was made that arthroscopic surgery was the best course of action. Mobley underwent surgery on December 15 and is out for six to eight weeks as a result. The Cavs don't really have anyone else to replicate their twin towers lineup, but Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro are likely candidates to see increased minutes.
Update 1/16: Mobley is still on track for his 6-8 week timeline, which should see him return in early February.
The Tank Corner
Closed until later in the season. We'll get here when teams start trotting out G-Leaguers none of us have ever heard of.
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