This article is part of our NBA Injury Analysis series.
The NBA All-Star break is over and team will now shift their focus to the trade deadline and the final third of the regular season. More than 50 players entered the break recovering from injury and hoping extended time off might be enough to get them back on the court. It worked for some, while others are no closer to returning than they were before the league convened for New Orleans.
Kevin Love and J.R. Smith
Love was unable to play in the All-Star game due to lingering soreness in his left knee. After seeking multiple medical opinions, it was determined surgery would be necessary to fix the issue, and Love underwent a debridement procedure last Tuesday.
Debridement procedures are common in the NBA and are utilized in cases that require removal of a foreign body or irritant from normal, healthy tissue. Debrided material can include bone spurs, loose cartilage or built up scar tissue. Nearly every joint from the ankle to the elbow can undergo the arthroscopic procedure though knee debridements remain the most commonly employed.
According to the Cavaliers, Love's debridement was needed to remove "loose bodies" from the joint. The term is a bit vague and could mean a variety things but Love's injury history might provide a bit of insight. During the 2012-13 season Love underwent a similar procedure while with the Timberwolves for what was described as scar tissue. It is reasonable to believe that Love's recent procedure was for a comparable issue as scar
The NBA All-Star break is over and team will now shift their focus to the trade deadline and the final third of the regular season. More than 50 players entered the break recovering from injury and hoping extended time off might be enough to get them back on the court. It worked for some, while others are no closer to returning than they were before the league convened for New Orleans.
Kevin Love and J.R. Smith
Love was unable to play in the All-Star game due to lingering soreness in his left knee. After seeking multiple medical opinions, it was determined surgery would be necessary to fix the issue, and Love underwent a debridement procedure last Tuesday.
Debridement procedures are common in the NBA and are utilized in cases that require removal of a foreign body or irritant from normal, healthy tissue. Debrided material can include bone spurs, loose cartilage or built up scar tissue. Nearly every joint from the ankle to the elbow can undergo the arthroscopic procedure though knee debridements remain the most commonly employed.
According to the Cavaliers, Love's debridement was needed to remove "loose bodies" from the joint. The term is a bit vague and could mean a variety things but Love's injury history might provide a bit of insight. During the 2012-13 season Love underwent a similar procedure while with the Timberwolves for what was described as scar tissue. It is reasonable to believe that Love's recent procedure was for a comparable issue as scar tissue can return if the stresses on the joint remain consistent.
Furthermore, the loose body within the knee could be the causes of Love's lingering back spasms this season. It's common for an athlete to develop hip or lower back weakness or pain if they present with a limited range of motion in the knee. Removing the loose bodies should help return Love's knee to a fully functional range and could potentially lessen the stress on his back.
Still, the All-Star forward will need four to six weeks to recover from the operation, and a late-March, early April return seems most likely. Love's personal history doesn't help provide any insight into his recovery rate since his previous debridement occurred in conjunction with hand surgery. Clippers forward Blake Griffin missed 18 games earlier in the season for a similar procedure though Cleveland may opt to take a more conservative approach with Love. As a result, fantasy owners in one-year leagues will need to decide if it's worth rostering Love for the remainder of the year. If your league's playoffs fall within Love's window of recovery, consider moving on, especially if you don't have an injured reserve spot at your disposal. The Cavs will likely ease Love back into the fold when he's cleared to return, making it difficult for him to produce at his normal levels. Channing Frye has replaced Love in the starting unit and is worth a pickup in all formats.
Love's teammate, J.R. Smith, is reportedly healing nicely, but it doesn't appear as if that will drastically alter his timeline. Smith hasn't played since December 20 when he fractured the thumb on his shooting hand. He was originally ruled out three months, which means he's likely still multiple weeks away from returning. Smith was going to be re-examined during the break, so pay close attention to any info that trickles out over the next few days. Until that time, don't go rush to add Smith just yet.
The Clippers point guard is nearing a return from a thumb injury of his own. Paul has missed 13 games recovering from surgery to repair a torn ligament on his left hand and was expected to miss six-to-eight weeks. Paul is currently sitting at five weeks post-op and has been an active participant in practice. He still hasn't been cleared for contact, but it sounds like he's been able to maintain his conditioning. The timetable hasn't changed but look for Paul to be back in action by early March.
While Isaiah Thomas has been dominating the Celtics backcourt, he will welcome the return of his running mate. Bradley appeared in just one game since January 6 due to lingering pain in his right Achilles. However, Bradley has progressively improved and has targeted a Friday return against the Raptors. He'll likely be on a minutes restriction for his first few games back, limiting his initial fantasy appeal. He will also carry an elevated level of injury risk as Achilles injuries can be easily irritated. Slow play the situation and consider other alternatives in daily leagues for the immediate future.
The Sixers big man has missed 11 games with multiple issues in his knee. It's been indicated a bone contusion on his left knee is the primary problem, though the team also revealed he has a small meniscus tear in the same knee. It's possible to play with a meniscus tear if the location of the damage is in a favorable spot. This would require the Philadelphia medical team to provide continual maintenance on the area to address any related pain or swelling. However, Embiid told reporters in New Orleans that he is currently not exhibiting any of these symptoms and would be able to return if this remains true following the team's first post-break practice. Given his history of injuries and the Sixers tendency to protect their young players, fantasy owners shouldn't be overly confident in Embiid's availability for the remainder of the year. However, use him while you can and hope he remains asymptomatic.
Like Bradley, a nagging injury has limited Lin for some time now. Collectively, the Brooklyn point guard has missed 43 games with a twice-aggravated strained left hamstring. He has returned to practice and is expected back on Friday when the Nets travel to Denver. Unfortunately, the nature of Lin's injury has prevented him from maintaining his conditioning and it could be several weeks before Lin is back in top shape. Furthermore, hamstring injuries are fickle ailments as evident in Lin's multiple setbacks. Look for him to be brought along gradually. His presence will eat into the minutes of Isaiah Whitehead and Spencer Dinwiddie. Tread carefully with Lin but consider stashing him if you can afford to play the long-game.
