This article is part of our NBA Injury Analysis series.
The three days following a game-free Christmas Eve have wreaked havoc on the NBA and fantasy rosters. More new injuries and illnesses were reported on Dec. 26 than any other day this season, sending owners scrambling to the waiver wire.
Eric Bledsoe
In Phoenix, the turmoil associated with a potential coaching change and the Markieff Morris saga took a turn for the worse as Bledsoe crumpled to the floor Saturday in a loss to the Sixers. A subsequent MRI revealed a torn meniscus in his left knee, one that will require surgery.
The menisci are two fibrocartilage discs situated between the bones of the upper and lower leg. They are distinctively designed to absorb high degrees of stress while retaining their elasticity. As a result, each meniscus is capable of being both a shock absorber and a stabilizer.
Treatment and recovery for a meniscus tear is dependent on the location of the tear and the type of tear involved. Once these factors are determined via MRI, the surgeon has two options: if the tear occurred in a very specific region, a repair can be performed. While a repair preserves the damaged cartilage, it does require a lengthier recovery window, generally three to six months.
More often a meniscectomy, or removal, is performed. A player with a meniscectomy can often return to activity within six weeks. However, this accelerated timeline comes with an increased risk for long-term issues like osteoarthritis and other complications.
Early reports have Bledsoe missing six weeks, suggesting
The three days following a game-free Christmas Eve have wreaked havoc on the NBA and fantasy rosters. More new injuries and illnesses were reported on Dec. 26 than any other day this season, sending owners scrambling to the waiver wire.
Eric Bledsoe
In Phoenix, the turmoil associated with a potential coaching change and the Markieff Morris saga took a turn for the worse as Bledsoe crumpled to the floor Saturday in a loss to the Sixers. A subsequent MRI revealed a torn meniscus in his left knee, one that will require surgery.
The menisci are two fibrocartilage discs situated between the bones of the upper and lower leg. They are distinctively designed to absorb high degrees of stress while retaining their elasticity. As a result, each meniscus is capable of being both a shock absorber and a stabilizer.
Treatment and recovery for a meniscus tear is dependent on the location of the tear and the type of tear involved. Once these factors are determined via MRI, the surgeon has two options: if the tear occurred in a very specific region, a repair can be performed. While a repair preserves the damaged cartilage, it does require a lengthier recovery window, generally three to six months.
More often a meniscectomy, or removal, is performed. A player with a meniscectomy can often return to activity within six weeks. However, this accelerated timeline comes with an increased risk for long-term issues like osteoarthritis and other complications.
Early reports have Bledsoe missing six weeks, suggesting he will be undergoing a meniscectomy. While he is in the hands of the highly ranked Suns medical staff, extra precaution will be necessary in Bledsoe's recovery. He has twice had the menisci in his opposite knee surgically addressed and can ill-afford to place excessive stress through the currently "healthy" leg. Rookie Devin Booker will join Brandon Knight in the starting lineup and could be a nice stopgap addition.
Blake Griffin
The Clippers forward will miss an extended period of time after suffering a partially torn quadriceps tendon in his left knee during the team's win over the Lakers on Christmas day. The injury is a significant setback for Griffin, who is averaging a career-best 23.2 points per game.
The quadriceps is a muscle group that plays a role in multiple joint motions and a variety of dynamic and explosive movements. Comprised of four different muscles, the quad is involved in both knee extension (straightening of the leg) and hip flexion (bending the hip). As a result, extra care must be given during the rehab process to prevent a muscle imbalance from developing.
Sadly, Griffin's past injuries will play a role in his recovery and could delay his return. The patella (kneecap) is a sesamoid bone embedded within the quadriceps tendon. The portion of the tendon above the kneecap is referred to as the quadriceps tendon while the portion below the kneecap is known as the patellar tendon. As the knee moves, the patella also moves in order to alter the mechanics of the quadriceps muscle. Correspondingly, one of the quad muscles works to stabilize the kneecap during this process.
A partially torn quad tendon could easily disrupt the biomechanics of the joint and put undue stress on the kneecap, a major issue for a player that missed the first season of his career with a patella stress fracture. Griffin also tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee during the summer of 2012, another injury that will have to be considered during his recovery.
Finding a recent NBA comparison of Griffin's specific injury is difficult as partial quad tendon tears are relatively uncommon. A majority of the quadriceps injuries in the league occur in the muscle belly and not the tendon. Furthermore, tendon tears are more likely to occur in the patellar tendon region than the quad tendon portion.
Former All-Star Carlos Boozer missed 44 games during the 2008-09 season with a quad tendon strain that ultimately needed surgery, though the extent of the damage was never publicly revealed. Last year, Carmelo Anthony limped through a majority of the season with a partially torn patellar tendon before ultimately opting for surgery. Dwyane Wade has also previously undergone surgery to address an incomplete patellar tendon issue.
The Clippers will reevaluate Griffin's injury after two weeks of treatment but that doesn't guarantee he will be back at that time. Even if he avoids a surgical repair, a debridement could be needed at some point down the road to clean up any resulting scar tissue or debris. While every injury responds differently, the recoveries of players with similar injuries do not provide much reason for optimism for Griffin owners.
Griffin is too valuable to drop outright though don't be surprised if his absence is longer than the currently allotted two weeks. Josh Smith took Griffin's place in the starting lineup over the weekend but played just under five minutes. Paul Pierce saw an increase in minutes and could have some short-term value.
Fast Breaks
Alec Burks
The Jazz backcourt took another hit over the weekend when Burks took a violent fall in a loss to the Clippers. The impact left Burks with concussion-like symptoms and an ankle injury that was later revealed to be a fractured fibula. The broken bone will not require surgery, hinting it's non-displaced. The team has ruled him out indefinitely, and Trey Burke should see his offensive responsibilities increase.
Stephen Curry
The reigning MVP briefly left the Warriors' Christmas day win over the Cavaliers with a mild calf strain. The injury isn't overly concerning but it is worth mentioning that it is on the same side as his surgically repaired ankle. While a direct connection may not be apparent, a weakened calf could have a negative cascade affect on his ankle stabilizers. Keep utilizing Curry as you normally would and hope this minor inconvenience remains just that.
Joakim Noah
Noah will miss between two-to-four weeks after suffering a sprained left shoulder. He will not perform any basketball-related activities during the first two-week stretch of his rehab, making it very likely his return comes on the latter end of the expected recovery window. Taj Gibson has been the biggest beneficiary following the injury, averaging over 33 minutes per game since Noah went down. Gibson is averaging 11.7 points, 9.0 boards and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 68 percent from the field in those three games. Rookie Bobby Portis should also be a consideration in deeper formats.
Jahlil Okafor
The rookie forward has missed one game and is expected to miss a second Monday while he nurses a sore right knee. He should be considered day-to-day until more details are provided.
Deron Williams
D-Will is nursing a mild hamstring strain and has not played in Dallas' last two outings. The team has downplayed the severity of the strain but did not provide any insight as to how long he will be sidelined. Teammate Devin Harris just missed three games with a similar injury, so an additional game or two off should be expected. J.J. Barea has started in Williams' place and rewarded those that gambled on the diminutive guard. In his last two games, Barea has scored a combined 58 points on 22-of-34 shooting, including an eye-popping 12-of-15 from three-point range. He's a streaky shooter but Barea could be a nice low-cost option for the next few games.
