Jeff Stotts runs InStreetClothes.com, focusing on sports injuries. He will provide short- and long-term updates on various injuries around the league. As Week 10 of the Fantasy season comes to a close, he takes an in-depth look at key injuries around the league.
Rudy Gobert (Knee)
The big man is again sidelined with a knee injury. After missing 11 games earlier this season with a tibia bone contusion in his right knee, Gobert is now out with a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) sprain and bone contusion in his left knee.
The PCL crisscrosses with its better-known counterpart, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The cruciate ligaments, along with the collateral ligaments, stabilize the knee. The PCL works primarily to prevent knee hyperextension while also acting as the central axis for knee rotation. The PCL is stronger than the ACL and is more difficult to injure on its own. However, an isolated PCL injury can occur and is marked by swelling, pain, and instability.
The Jazz estimate Gobert will miss at least a month. Derrick Favors, back from a two-game absence for a concussion and facial laceration, should see a bump in Fantasy value during that time. It is also worth noting this is the second significant knee injury of Gobert's young career. He missed 18 games during the 2015-16 season with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, meaning he has now sprained two of the four stabilizing ligaments in his left knee.
One of the league's top team continues to churn out wins despite a myriad of injuries. It starts with Stephen Curry, who is still recovering from a right ankle sprain. Plagued by ankle injuries in the early stages of his career, Curry has since been a surprisingly durable player since. However, he has missed Golden State's last six games and is expected to remain sidelined through the Christmas Day showdown with Cleveland. Curry is reportedly progressing nicely through his rehab protocol, but the team's continued on-court success will allow the Warriors' medical staff to proceed with caution. Fantasy owners anxiously awaiting his return should remain patient and remember Curry's odds of staying in the lineup improve if his ankle is 100 percent.
Joining Curry in street clothes is teammate Draymond Green. Green has missed five of Golden State's last six games, including four straight, with left shoulder soreness. While the specifics surrounding the injury are vague, the injury is significant enough to sideline Green for the longest stretch of his professional career. Fortunately, Green will return to action Friday night against the Lakers. Fantasy owners will happily welcome Green's versatility back to the lineup but should anticipate him being eased back into things. Don't be surprised if he receives a game or two off for rest purposes over the next few weeks.
Zaza Pachulia has also missed time with a shoulder injury that is simply been dubbed "soreness." The big man missed a game on December 4 but aggravated the injury in the team's next outing. He has since been inactive for the last five games. Like Green, Pachulia should be back in the lineup soon. However, he will remain a high-risk, low-reward Fantasy option in deeper leagues for the immediate future.
Danilo Gallinari (Glute)
The Clippers will be without Gallinari for another considerable stretch after he aggravated a previous injury. The forward missed 13 games earlier this season with a left glute strain. He returned to action but then suffered what was initially ruled a contusion to the same area. Further testing revealed a partial tear in his gluteus maximus and Gallinari is expected to remain sidelined until January.
While it is a bit humorous to have a professional athlete sidelined with a torn muscle in his rear-end, the muscles that make up the glutes play an integral role in motion at the hip and influence the knee. The gluteus maximus is the biggest and strongest of the group and is responsible for externally rotating and extending the hip. The gluteus medius and minimus work together to internally rotate the hip and bring the hip outward in a motion known as abduction. If these muscles are unable to adequately perform their job, undue stress is diverted to the patellofemoral joint at the knee. Considering Gallinari has previously torn the ACL in his left knee, insuring adequate healing is key to his long-term health.
A six week-absence seems likely for the forward, putting a possible return around mid-January. He will return with an elevated level of risk so make sure you have reliable insurance policy still on hand.
Fast Breaks
- Joel Embiid: The Sixers' big man continues to battle discomfort in his lower back. While Embiid's knee and foot have been the primary culprits behind his injury woes since entering the league, don't forget it was a back injury that ended his collegiate career. Embiid did not take part in Kansas' 2014 NCAA Tournament appearance after suffering a stress fracture in his back. Embiid's exact injury was a spondylolysis, an injury that involves a part of the vertebrae known as the par interarticularis. While there has been no indication Embiid's current injury is as severe, his previous injury does help justify Philadelphia's conservative approach. Look for Embiid to remain out for the next few games.
- Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker: LaVine and Parker continue their respective recoveries from ACL tears sustained last season. LaVine's progress has been recently slowed by a fit of back spasms, but he remains in line for a January return. Parker has begun practicing with Milwaukee's G-League team, the Wisconsin Herd, and is targeting a February return. Both players will likely be on minutes restrictions upon returning, but Fantasy owners looking for a mid-season boost may want to consider adding either player now before they are scooped up by an opportunistic opponent.
- Chris Paul: The Rockets will be without Paul on Friday after he sustained a left adductor strain in the team's loss to the Lakers. The injury will prevent him from playing against the Clippers, a game that will now be missing Paul, Blake Griffin, and Patrick Beverley. Remember, an adductor strain is more commonly known as a groin strain, meaning Paul's lateral movement will be negatively impacted. Reports suggest the injury is mild and a return on Christmas Day is possible.
