This past Thursday, exactly nine years after scoring 81 points against the Raptors, it was discovered that Kobe Bryant has torn his rotator cuff, and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The Lakers had high hopes only a few seasons ago after they acquired Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to play alongside Bryant and Pau Gasol, but those days are long gone. The Lakers now sit 12-31, good enough for 14th place in the West, and there is no real plan for the future. With Kobe out, fantasy owners should expect major contributions from Wayne Ellington and Wesley Johnson at shooting guard (and hopefully Jeremy Lin will get some additional minutes as well). Bryant’s injury is just one of many this week to players who are crucial to their team’s success. Let’s take a look at some of those injuries, as well as the players who will be returning from ailments in the near future, and their fantasy implications.
Out
Nicolas Batum, SG/SF, Trail Blazers – Day-to-Day (Wrist)
Batum left Thursday’s game against Boston with an apparent wrist injury. Batum has struggled mightily so far this season, and many people believe it is due to his injured wrist affecting his shot. If he aggravated the injury on Thursday, this could be devastating news for the Blazers. Batum is a talented two-way player when healthy, but if his injury lingers it could cost him a good chunk of the season. Batum was averaging 9.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists so far this year. Fantasy owners should look at Dorell Wright to add some playing time this week due to the injuries to Batum and Aldridge.
Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, Celtics – Day-to-Day (Ankle)
Olynyk also left Thursday night’s game between the Celtics and the Blazers with an ankle injury, and he is expected to be out until at least Monday. The Celtics are deep at the forward position, so expect Jared Sullinger or Tyler Zeller to grab some extra minutes this weekend. Olynyk will be evaluated sometime in the coming days to test out his ankle, but it doesn’t seem as though it is anything for fantasy owners to worry about.
Jrue Holiday, PG, Pelicans – Out 2-4 Weeks (Ankle)
Holiday missed much of last season with a stress fracture in his right tibia, and now he is dealing with another stress fracture in his ankle. Holiday has missed the past four games, and is now expected to be out until after the All-Star Break. This is a tough break for New Orleans, who is only four games out in the West. Fantasy owners should take a look at Nate Wolters to fill the void left by Holiday’s injury, as he is the only other point guard on the roster. Tyreke Evans, who has played point guard in the past, is expected to be the primary ball handler while Holiday is out.
Ryan Anderson, PF, Pelicans – Day-to-Day (Ankle)
Anderson was out of the lineup Friday when the Pelicans took on the Timberwolves due to soreness in his ankles. Anderson has struggled recently, shooting only 36 percent in his last 10 games, but maybe resting for a few games will help him regain form. With Anderson out, and Tyreke Evans filling in for Holiday, fantasy owners should look to add Dante Cunningham, at least for the weekend. He should see a big boost in playing time while New Orleans figures out how to deal with all of these injuries.
Hassan Whiteside, C, Heat – Day-to-Day (Ankle)
Whiteside missed Miami’s game Friday night against Indiana with an ankle injury. The injury does not appear to be serious, but Whiteside was still held out for precautionary reasons. He is still questionable for Sunday’s game against Chicago, but I believe he sees a good chunk of action in that game.
Returning
LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, Trail Blazers – Returned Friday
Aldridge has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his left thumb, and he was expected to miss anywhere from six to eight weeks. Instead, Aldridge has opted to delay surgery, and he will be playing Saturday night. This comes as a shock to everyone as it was rumored Aldridge would be out until sometime in March. If Aldridge can remain effective, this is huge for the Blazers. They have an eight-game lead on Oklahoma City in the Northwest right now, and missing Aldridge for two months would have seriously put that advantage in jeopardy. Now Aldridge can help Portland pick up some huge wins before the All-Star Break. Aldridge had been playing great as of late, averaging 23.5 points and 8.1 rebounds over his last 10 games. With Aldridge banged up and Robin Lopez expected to be on the shelf until early February, fantasy owners should expect Thomas Robinson to see some additional playing time. He got the start on Thursday night and put up nine points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks. It is still too early to tell if Aldridge will miss any time at all due to his injury, but as of today he will be playing. Let us all thank the Fantasy Gods.
George Hill, PG, Pacers – Returned Friday
George Hill has been out of action since December with a lingering groin injury, but he returned Friday night against the Heat. Hill came off the bench and scored 13 points in 20 minutes of action, and he didn’t appear to be limited by his injury. This is great news for Hill owners who expected Hill to fill much of the offensive void left by the absences of Lance Stephenson and Paul George this season. Hopefully his groin is fully healed, and he can start putting up the numbers fantasy owners expected out of him before this season. Indiana’s next game is on Sunday against Orlando, so expect Hill to see more minutes in his second game back.
Danilo Gallinari, SF, Nuggets – Returned Friday
Gallinari returned Friday night against Boston scoring only four points in 17 minutes off the bench. Gallinari struggled to find his shot, and went 1 of 7 from the field. It will take him a few games to get adjusted, and he may never be the same player again after suffering from two knee injuries, but Gallinari could be a huge weapon for the Nuggets for the remainder of the season. Fantasy owners should keep a close eye on his minutes moving forward, he could prove to be useful in the second half of the season.
Iman Shumpert, SG, Cavaliers – Returned Friday
Shumpert returned to action Friday night against Charlotte, and played very well in 10 short minutes off the bench. He scored eight points on 3-3 shooting, grabbed two rebounds, and dished out two assists to help Cleveland blow out the Hornets 129-90. Fantasy owners should still be cautious about starting Shumpert as it is not known how much he will play, but hopefully this game is a sign of things to come for the athletic wing.
Joakim Noah, C, Bulls – Returned Friday
Noah returned to the lineup Friday in Chicago’s win over the Mavs. Noah was dealing with an ankle injury that forced him out of the Bulls last four games. Noah scored six points, grabbed seven boards, and blocked two shots in his return. He was limited to only 23 minutes, but as his ankle starts to feel more comfortable he should see his minutes increase. I expect a bounce-back second half of the season from Noah, who has struggled on the offensive side of the ball this season.
Andrew Chambers is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Andrew, check out his archive and follow him @beardedsports8.