The Doctor’s Room will examine between four and six NBA injuries to prominent players on a weekly basis, detailing their specific ailments, prognosis, and expected return dates.
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NBA Injuries Update
Trae Young
Ailment: right ankle sprain
Diagnosed: December 27
Expected return: Unknown (pending imaging)
Fantasy benefactors: Kevin Huerter, DeAndre Bembry
Uh oh. Trae Young left Friday’s game early with the help of his teammates, and he was clearly in a lot of pain. The most concerning development is that it is the same ankle he twisted a few weeks ago, and judging by the look of things, we are likely looking at a multi-game absence. The fact that the Hawks ruled out his return just 10 minutes after leaving speaks volumes. Young will most likely miss today’s date with the Bulls, and the fantasy community is praying for a very short time on the shelf. He is leaving behind averages of 29.0 PPG, 3.5 3PG, 4.4 RPG, 8.5 APG, and 1.3 SPG.
Marvin Bagley
Ailment: left foot injury (unknown)
Diagnosed: December 26
Expected return: day-to-day (pending a visit with a foot specialist)
Fantasy benefactors: Nemanja Bjelica, Trevor Ariza, Dewayne Dedmon
Marvin Bagley left Thursday’s fixture in the third quarter with his left foot issue and was even spotted on a walking boot, although he didn’t have a limp. The Kings haven’t offered a diagnosis, but coach Luke Walton said he would visit a specialist on Saturday. He missed Friday’s practice and won’t play today. Bagley was averaging 13.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 0.9 BPG before going down again. Injuries have limited him to nine games in the 2019-2020 season.
Danilo Gallinari
Ailment: left ankle soreness
Diagnosed: December 9, played five games through the injury, out since December 20
Expected return: next week
Fantasy benefactors: Darius Bazley
Gallinari first suffered the left ankle sprain on December 9 but played five games through the ailment. He has been out since December 20, though. He has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game, and he won’t even travel with the team. According to coach Billy Donovan, holding him out is a precautionary measure, and he said that there are no concerns about his long-term availability in the Thunder. He was averaging 18.0 PPG, 2.8 3PG, 5.7 RPG and 2.2 APG.
Short-term Injuries
DeAndre Ayton
Ailment: right ankle sprain
Diagnosed: December 17
Expected return: day-to-day
Fantasy benefactors: Aron Baynes
What is it with ankle injuries in the NBA? Anyway, it has been an extremely rocky season for DeAndre Ayton’s owners. He played one game and then was tagged with a 25-game suspension for PEDs. After serving his time away, he returned on December 17 but has been out with a right ankle sprain since. He has been practicing and could return for today’s date vs. the Sacramento Kings, but coach Monty Williams wants to make sure he doesn’t re-aggravate the ailment. Ayton put 18.0 PPG, 11.5 RPG and 2.5 BPG in two games between his suspension and his ankle issue.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Ailment: left knee sprain
Diagnosed: December 13
Expected return: late December
Fantasy benefactors: Gorgui Dieng
Karl-Anthony Towns already received the “questionable” tag for today’s game vs. Cleveland. He has missed the last five but is very close to returning and today may be that day. He will likely be a game-time decision, but if he doesn’t come back today, he may very well suit up for the Timberwolves’ next game. The universal first-round pick was killing it before going down, averaging 26.5 PPG, 3.6 3 PM, 11.7 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 1.3 BPG.
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