USA TODAY International Edition
Preseason injuries put crimps in teams’ plans
From day- to- day ailments to long- term fractures and tears, the NBA has seen its fair share of players go down in the weeks leading up to the regular season. We rank the top five, based on injury severity and projected impact on team success.
1. KHRIS MIDDLETON, MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Middleton, the leading scorer ( 18.2 points a game) and the best returning three- point shooter ( 39.6%, 1.8 makes a game) for a young Bucks squad looking to get back in the playoffs, is expected to be out for at least six months after tearing his left hamstring in preseason workouts in late September. Barring any trades, Middleton, a 6- 7 shooting guard, is essentially irreplaceable, and with second- year man Rashad Vaughn, rookie Malcolm Brogdon and 39- year- old Jason Terry the most viable replacement options, a postseason spot is unlikely.
2. REGGIE JACKSON, DETROIT PISTONS
Expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks after having plasma injections to combat knee and thumb issues, Jackson saw his season put on hold, an unfortunate setback for a Pistons team poised to contend for a top- four seed in the Eastern Conference. Though he should be back by late November or early December, the Pistons — who play the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers in the first month of the season — will have to hope they can tread water and not fall too far behind during his absence.
3. BEN SIMMONS, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft suffered a broken foot during the final scrimmage of training camp, days before he had the chance to make his highly anticipated NBA preseason debut. There isn’t an official timetable for his return to the court, but you can expect the Sixers to err on the side of caution and not rush him back. Simmons or no Simmons, the Sixers were lotterybound again this season, but his injury was another bad break for a franchise eager to turn over a new leaf.
4. GORDON HAYWARD, UTAH JAZZ
The Jazz were expected to significantly improve upon their 40- 42 finish of a season ago, but reports indicate they will have to make do without Hayward, who suffered a broken finger in practice, for at least a month. The good news: The Jazz have depth, thanks to the offseason acquisitions of Joe Johnson, George Hill and Boris Diaw. The bad news for the team: Hayward has been Utah’s leading scorer for the past three years and has increased his scoring averages in each of his six seasons in the NBA.
5. ANTHONY DAVIS, NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
For most players, a sprained ankle with a 10- to 15- day timetable for return would be no big deal. But for often- injured Davis, who endured knee and shoulder issues last season and played in a career- low 61 games, it’s hard not to wonder what going down four games into the preseason is doing to him mentally. For a team already without Tyreke Evans ( targeting a return in December), Quincy Pondexter ( January) and Jrue Holiday ( out indefinitely), this was the last thing the Pelicans needed.