Week 22 Fantasy Basketball Injury Report: Lillard, Zion Out For Season
The NBA needs to call some new podiatrists because the vast majority of the worst injuries in the league are affecting players’ feet. Zion Williamson and T.J. Warren have not and will not play this season because of difficult foot fractures with tricky and frustrating recoveries. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis and Stephen Curry are still weeks away from a return due to their foot injuries. New injuries this week include Ja Morant, who tweaked his knee and is expected to miss approximately two weeks. With the fantasy basketball championship just around the corner, it's pivotal to maximize your roster and take advantage of the injuries that have plagued the NBA.
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Week 22 Season-Ending Announcements
PG Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers (Abdomen)
Partially as a result of his injury, but also because the Portland Trail Blazers cannot find a way to win games, Damian Lillard has been shut down for the season. He was definitely not playing great this season, only scoring 24 PPG and shooting an NBA career-low 40.2% from the field (32.4% from downtown). The Blazers have lost three of their last five games by 30 or more points and have skidded down to a 27-45 record this season. As a result, there is absolutely no reason for Lillard to return. This announcement doesn't change much about the Blazers, but you might keep fishing around their bench for players who are seeing increased minutes. It can be any player’s night to erupt on the Blazers because their season has come to an end. For instance, Ben McLemore has scored in double figures for four consecutive games and has scored 21+ points over his last two. Because their season is over, the Blazers bench is worth taking a look at. Ben Mclemore should be on everyone’s radar for the rest of the season.
PF/C Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans (Foot)
Zion Williamson has also been shut down for the season. Williamson has not played a single regular-season game after sustaining a fractured foot in the offseason. There was hope he could return by the new year but the Pelicans kept delaying a potential timetable until ultimately calling his season over. This comes after Williamson played 61 games last season, scoring 27 PPG on 61.1% shooting from the field along with 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. Zion is one of the most dominant bigs in the league, but he hasn’t been healthy in a long time. Images surfaced throughout the regular season showing that Zion had clearly gained weight throughout his recovery. Reports suggested that he ballooned up to 315-320 lbs, approximately 30-35 lbs more than his listed NBA weight of 285 lbs. Regardless of the reasons why his injury recovery hasn’t gone well, Zion’s third NBA season has never gotten started. In sharp contrast, the second and third overall selections behind Zion in the 2019 NBA Draft are having career years. Ja Morant is scoring 27.6 PPG on 49.3% shooting from the field, along with 5.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. RJ Barrett is averaging 19.9 PPG and 5.8 rebounds in his third season for the Knicks.
SF T.J. Warren, Indiana Pacers (Foot)
This was a disappointing outcome for me, as I was really hoping we’d see Warren get some action this season. However, things are not looking very bright for the veteran wing. Warren only played four games in 2020 but erupted in the Bubble, ultimately wrapping up the 2019-2020 NBA season scoring 19.8 PPG while converting 53.6% of his shots from the field. Similar to Damian Lillard and Zion Williamson, Warren was shut down by the Pacers who are out of postseason contention.
Week 22 Fantasy Basketball New Injuries
PF John Collins, Atlanta Hawks (Foot & Finger)
Collins sustained a right finger sprain and is also undergoing non-surgical treatment for his foot. The Hawks reported that he would be re-evaluated in approximately a week. Collins’ absence has opened up the floor for more offense from Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter.
PG Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant injured his knee and will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks. The Grizzlies continue to roll without him in the lineup. Desmond Bane has been on fire while Morant has been out. Tyus Jones has also done an excellent job filling in as the starting point guard. He could be a waiver wire gem.
Bane has averaged 22 points per contest shooting 51.6% from the field over his last 10 outings. The sophomore guard selected with the No. 30 overall selection in the 2020 NBA draft continues to excel and step up while Morant is out. This season, Morant has missed a few weeks here or there. Whenever that happens, Bane is the immediate beneficiary. Tyus Jones is also seeing an uptick in minutes now that Ja is out. He should be seeing added time for the last two weeks of the regular season while Morant remains out.
Week 22 Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates
SG/SF Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers
Paul George has started doing some four-on-four light scrimmaging as he attempts to make a comeback for the postseason. The Clippers are 36-38, currently 4.5 games ahead of the Lakers with the eighth seed in the West. This is encouraging news for the Clippers, who lost PG-13 on Dec. 22 after injuring a crucial ligament in his elbow.
SF Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Kawhi Leonard is also aiming to return by the season’s end. Reports indicate that Kawhi is in pretty good shape, but that the Clippers are exercising extreme caution with their superstar small forward. At the moment, the Clippers are without Leonard, Paul George, and Norman Powell. These injuries have provided opportunities for guys like Nicolas Batum and Amir Coffey to step it up. Over the last 10 games, Batum has seen an uptick in minutes but hasn’t shot great from the field. The same can be said about Amir Coffey who is averaging 8.7 PPG, slightly higher than Batum’s 8.3 PPG. Marcus Morris has been a consistent presence for the Clippers' offense. Morris has scored in double figures in seven of his last 10 games and has recorded three 22+ point games through this stretch. He’s also producing 4.5 rebounds per contest making him a solid option while the team's best wings remain out. When he played for the KInicks in 2019 when the team was in a serious rebuilding phase, Morris scored 19.6 PPG, shooting 44.2% from the field. He is now the team’s best available scoring forward, producing a similar 15.9 PPG while converting 43.9% from the field this season.
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