As the NBA season started just last week, there have already been several stars who have been sidelined with an ongoing league-wide injury bug. Although Houston Rockets Center Steven Adams blames the upcoming release of GTA 6 for this massive spike in injured stars, the fact remains: Some of the league’s best talent is out, and this could change a lot around the NBA this season.
First is Minnesota Timberwolves guard-forward Anthony Edward. This was a massive offseason for the Timberwolves as they teamed up Anthony Edwards and the existing core in Minnesota with All-Star guard LaMelo Ball, creating possibly the most talented and highlight-reel backcourt in the NBA right now. But after a post-game evaluation, Anthony Edwards has to have arthroscopic surgery in his right knee, which has sidelined him for at least 2 months, drastically changing the dynamic in Minnesota as he was the clear-cut number one option and star of the team.
Jaren Jackson Jr., forward for the Utah Jazz, has torn his MCL, which will sideline him for at least 6 weeks to possibly 8 weeks to recover. His defensive impact will definitely change the direction the Utah Jazz go, as he is the front piece for their defense, being a former Defensive Player of the Year winner, as Utah was looking to find possible playoff success again after around 5 years, and his impact and injury may hold them back another season from reaching that goal.
Another forward out this season already is Orlando Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero. He’s out with an ankle sprain that will put him out for at least the next month, and although the superstar of the team, his time absence isn’t overly detrimental.
But the injury to one of his fellow Magic co-stars, Jalen Suggs. Suggs suffered a non-contact knee injury, which turned out to be a knee contusion is out indefinitely. Suggs is the premier defender on the Orlando Magic, being the first Orlando Magic guard to ever earn an All-Defensive selection and the first Magic player to make any All-Defensive team in 11 years, so losing someone as impactful as him and Paolo at the same time puts a lot of early risk on Orlando’s season.
But the biggest two injuries fell onto the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jalen Williams suffered an injury that I could never even wish on my worst enemy. It was a brutal fall he took, which led to him landing incorrectly, leading to his entire foot being turned the opposite direction. He suffered a Fractured fibula and dislocated his ankle, sidelining him for the rest of the season and putting zero timeline on his return. Same as fellow Thunder teammate Cason Wallace, who in the same exact game tore his labrum in his left shoulder and is also sidelined with no timetable, highly unlikely to return this season at all. These two injuries to starters on the Oklahoma City Thunder have completely changed the possible outlook of their season as they contend for an NBA Championship.
