NBA Injuries

The New York Knicks are building some momentum with back-to-back wins this week, but they will be without a rotation player for the foreseeable future.

According to the team, forward Obi Toppin will miss the next 2-3 weeks after imaging revealed a non-displaced fracture in his right fibula on Thursday.

Toppin has come off the bench while appearing in all 25 games this season and is averaging 7.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game. The 6'9" forward has shown improvement in his three-point shooting, connecting on 35.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. However, his efficiency has dropped dramatically as his field-goal percentage of 42.1 is down from 53.1 percent in 2021-22.

The eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft, the Dayton product has yet to demonstrate the ability to produce consistently for the Knicks. He's scored in double figures just seven times this season, which is the same as his number of games with at least 20 minutes. In his career, he's averaging just 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 159 games.

While the Brooklyn native isn't much of a contributor, his absence will be a blow to New York's depth. Veteran point guard Derrick Rose and forward Cam Reddish had already been removed from the rotation. Without Toppin available to spell star power forward Julius Randle, more minutes will be available in the frontcourt for Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims.

At 12-13, the Knicks are still in last place in the Atlantic Division and ninth in the Eastern Conference. But after holding back-to-back opponents to under 90 points, New York appears to have found a formula for success.

The Knicks will look to stay hot when they visit the Charlotte Hornets (7-18) on Friday.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a calf strain, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The forward was injured during Monday's game against the Washington Wizards, with Josh Robbins of The Athletic reporting Towns was unable to put any weight on his right leg. The team quickly ruled him out for the rest of the game.

According to Wojnarowski, Towns had scans on Tuesday to reveal the extent of the injury, although he is expected to return sometime in January.

Towns has played more power forward this season after the Timberwolves acquired three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert at center.

The result has been decreased numbers for Towns, averaging 20.8 points per game after scoring at least 24 per game in each of the last four years. His 8.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game would also be the worst of his career.

The 27-year-old has been productive in other ways, averaging 5.3 assists per game, and is a consistent offensive weapon with at least 20 points in 14 of 21 games this year. His only game in single digits was when he left early because of an injury on Monday.

It represents a significant loss for a squad that has struggled to gel this year, sitting 10th in the Western Conference with a 10-11 record.

Naz Reid and Kyle Anderson will see more minutes at the 4 with Towns unavailable, although the Timberwolves will need its top scorers Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell to step up offensively to overcome the loss of a three-time All-Star.

Gobert will also be under more pressure to control the paint defensively without Towns alongside him.

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro said he will return from an ankle injury "soon" and added he will "hopefully" be able to take the floor for Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards, per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.

The ankle concerns represented another setback for Herro after he dealt with various ailments last season on his way to 66 games, which was still a career-high mark since the Heat selected him with a first-round pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

The 22-year-old Kentucky product enjoyed a career-best season when healthy and averaged 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from deep for a Miami squad that finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference.

He won the Sixth Man of the Year and was once again expected to be a primary contributor entering the 2022-23 campaign. He has responded by averaging 19.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 10 games this season.

Unfortunately for the Heat, injuries have been a theme in the early portion of the season.

Jimmy Butler, Victor Oladipo, Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent were among those who missed Monday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, so a return for Herro would be a welcome development.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is sidelined once again, as he will miss Tuesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies because of a right foot contusion. Head coach Willie Green told reporters that Williamson is considered day-to-day.

The 22-year-old missed two games with a hip injury before returning to the lineup against the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 30.

Williamson missed the entire 2021-22 season because of foot surgery and complications during his recovery. It continued the theme of his young NBA career, as he was limited to 24 games as a rookie and played just 61 games in his second year.

When he's healthy, the Duke alum has been a force for the Pelicans. He shot 61.1 percent from the field in 2020-21 and averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists to earn his first selection to the All-Star Game. Through 11 games this season, he's shooting 56.6 percent with averages of 23.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

New Orleans has grown accustomed to his absence, though, and it is more equipped to be successful without him on the floor this season. Veteran shooting guard C.J. McCollum, who was acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers midway through last season, has emerged as the Pels' most dependable player.

With Williamson unavailable, second-year forward Naji Marshall is likely to be inserted into the starting lineup.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant is hopeful Kawhi Leonard will be able to return from his knee injury soon.

"He's an all-time great," Durant told reporters after Saturday's win over the Clippers. "He's been through injuries before. He knows how to deal with his body. He knows his body better than anybody. The league is better, though, when Kawhi Leonard is playing. Definitely helped, it was easier not having him on the floor tonight as far as we need wins, but would love to see him back soon."

The five-time All-Star missed the entire 2021-22 NBA season because of a partially torn ACL in his right knee, and he's played sporadically during the early stages of the current campaign as the team tries to manage his recovery.

"He's frustrated," Clippers head coach Ty Lue told reporters after an Oct. 31 win over the Houston Rockets. "He wants to be out on the floor and then not being on the floor, and then now he can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor said it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness and what he is going through."

When healthy, Leonard has averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals across two appearances this season. He has not played since Oct. 23.

Getting the 31-year-old L.A. native back to full strength is essential if the Clippers are going to emerge as a championship contender. He owns two previous NBA titles, one with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 and another with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

L.A. uses a variety of wing players to fill the void whenever Leonard is sidelined. Norman Powell takes on the biggest role, but Luke Kennard, Terance Mann and Amir Coffey are among the other players who also see more consistent minutes.

Leonard and Paul George can be one of the NBA's best two-way tandems when both are in peak form, but that hasn't happened much over the past couple of years because of injuries.

The Clippers will be a team to watch if the bad luck with health dissipates at some point in 2022-23.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is set to return from a one-game absence on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers, but it sounds like he's not fully recovered from his sore left foot.

James told reporters that he will play Wednesday, but he still needs more rest to help his foot heal, putting his status for back-to-back games in question:

James missed the Lakers' game against the Utah Jazz on Monday because of foot soreness. He also reportedly was recovering from an illness that affected him in the previous week.

In his 20th season, James had gotten off to a strong start. He leads the team with 24.3 points and 7.1 assists per game while also averaging 8.9 rebounds. His efficiency has plummeted, however, as he's shooting just 44.7 percent from the field and 21.0 percent from three-point range.

James was once known for his durability, but he's been slowed by injuries recently. The 18-time All-Star played in only 56 games last year because of knee, ankle and abdominal injuries. He missed 27 games in 2020-21 with an ankle injury. Since signing with Los Angeles in 2018, he's appeared in 60 games in a season only once.

The Lakers are off to a slow start this season with a 2-8 record, so any missed time for James is far from ideal. But on Wednesday, he will give the team its best chance to stop a three-game losing streak when he takes the floor against the Clippers.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Wednesday's game at the Oklahoma City Thunder because of left knee soreness.

The two-time NBA MVP missed Milwaukee's 108-94 win over the Thunder last Saturday for the same reason. He was originally considered questionable, so the team erred on the side of caution.

Antetokounmpo is poised to be an MVP contender once again. The Bucks are 9-0 despite Khris Middleton missing time from his offseason wrist surgery, and the Greek Freak is a big reason why.

Through nine appearances, he's averaging 31.8 points, 12.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists.

Antetokounmpo is crucial to Milwaukee's hopes of winning a second title in three seasons. The roster is collectively strong enough to where it can manage without him for a game or two in the regular season, though.

In the aforementioned Thunder game, Bobby Portis took Antetokounmpo's place in the lineup and finished with 12 points and 21 rebounds.

As long as Giannis' knee trouble doesn't portend a more serious problem, the Bucks shouldn't be panicking.

Zion Williams remains a game-time decision for Friday night's matchup with the Phoenix Suns as he recovers from a right posterior hip issue and a lower back contusion, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:

"I'm feeling better. That was a hard fall. I've taken a lot of falls, but damn," Williamson told reporters on Thursday regarding a hard fall he took during a Sunday loss against the Utah Jazz. "But I'm feeling a lot better each day. Just got some ones in with [Pelicans assistant coach Corey Brewer]. Feel great. Just me and the team will talk about further progression."

Williamson, who said he lost his balance in the collision with Jordan Clarkson, initially downplayed the fall before realizing it was going to impact his play.

"At first I was just like, damn, that kind of hurt," Williamson said. "But I stood up and I was like, 'All right, I'm gonna be straight.' But then I tried to make a quick move and I was like, 'Nah, I need to go chill.'"

The Pelicans held Williamson out of Tuesday's 113-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, a game that Herb Jones and Brandon Ingram also missed. The 3-1 Pelicans have dealt with a number of injuries to start the season, but they have gotten off to a strong start nonetheless.

Ditto for Williamson. After missing the entire 2021-22 season, he's responded by averaging 22 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and two steals per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field.

The new-look Williamson, who came into this season appearing to be in the best shape of his career, hasn't missed a beat. Any injuries are going to be of particular interest and concern, however, given his issues staying healthy throughout his young NBA career.

So if the Pelicans hold Williamson out of Friday's game for precautionary reasons and he next sees the court on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers, it will be hard to fault the team for taking the careful approach.

The Memphis Grizzlies announced forward Ziaire Williams is expected to return in four-to-six weeks from a knee injury that was diagnosed as patellar tendinitis.

The Grizzlies bet big on Williams as a key piece of their present and future. They traded Jonas Valanciunas in a three-way deal with the New Orleans Pelicans and Charlotte Hornets to acquire the No. 10 overall pick that was used to select the Stanford big man in the 2021 draft.

A small forward, Williams was clearly not going to play the same role as Valanciunas in Memphis. The 21-year-old was inconsistent in his only season at Stanford. He averaged 10.7 points on 37.4 percent shooting and 4.6 rebounds per game in 20 appearances for the Cardinal.

Williams also struggled out of the gate as a rookie. He averaged 8.1 points per game on 45.0 percent shooting in 62 regular-season appearances.

The Grizzlies clearly believe in Williams' ceiling, but his absence right now will slow down his developmental track. They still have so much depth and star power, led by Ja Morant, to be a force in the Western Conference this season.

Until Williams is able to return, Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins will rely on Dillon Brooks and John Konchar as his primary small forwards.