NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 14: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 2021 in New York City. The Warriors defeated the Knicks 105-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Ranking 10 NBA stars returning from injury by playoff importance
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 15: Alex Caruso #6 and Lonzo Ball #2 of the Chicago Bulls react to a play during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 15, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
NBA star injury returns: Outside the Top 10
A few different categories of players do not make the cut for our top ten here. The first are stars who aren’t expected to return this season. Bradley Beal was unlikely to have much effect on the postseason anyways, but Kawhi Leonard would swing the Clippers from play-in to contenders. Alas, he almost certainly won’t be back this year. Damian Lillard likely rounds out this group as well.
Second, are those stars who should be back but play on teams outside of the playoffs. Gordon Hayward and the Charlotte Hornets are unlikely to make the playoff field, and Myles Turner, Jonathan Isaac, and Josh Giddey are varying levels of stars playing for lottery-bound teams.
Third, are players dealing with short-term injuries – out a couple of weeks. OG Anunoby of the Raptors is placed here, as are Brandon Ingram on the Pelicans, LaMarcus Aldridge of the Nets, Caris LeVert of the Cavaliers, and Cam Johnson of the Suns.
Finally, some role players on good teams don’t quite crack the list. Dillon Brooks will be essential for the Memphis Grizzlies in defending opposing wings, while James Wiseman could play rotation minutes immediately for the Warriors. Lonzo Ball just barely missed the cut as a key player for the Chicago Bulls expected back soon.
Without further ado, here are the ten NBA players returning from injury who are most important to the title picture.
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March 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Lopez returning gives the Bucks yet another boost, pushing them from the pack of title contenders into the top tier. If he can be available and most of his previous self, the Bucks should likely be the favorites to emerge from the Eastern Conference and defend their title. There are other more important players on the Bucks, but Lopez is nearly as indispensable as Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/14/nba-star-returning-injury-important/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 7 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 16: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during team introductions prior to the game against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on February 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NBA star injury returns: No. 7 – Anthony Davis</h2>
<p>In terms of star power, Anthony Davis is right there with any other player on this list. He is a legitimate two-way powerhouse, a defensive machine who can guard inside or on the perimeter.</p>
<p>Offensively he is relentless inside, has ball-handling, passing, and shooting (of a sort) in his bag. The Lakers clearly miss having him in the lineup, as they are instead forced to play Carmelo Anthony altogether for too many minutes for this point in his career.</p>
<p>The reason Davis is at No. 7 on this list and not higher is twofold. First, the Lakers have not been a title contender this season. The trade for Russell Westbrook doomed them from the start, but injuries and poor play have layered on top of each other. The Lakers sit at just 29-37, only three games away from falling out of the play-in entirely.</p>
<p>The other reason is that Davis himself has not been playing like an All-NBA two-way monster this year. Instead, he has been passive on offense, and his shot has looked more like his teammate Westbrook than of a smooth-shooting stretch big.</p>
<p>There is no guarantee that Davis’ return would meaningfully change the Lakers’ standing from a postseason afterthought to a fringe contender. This team is just bad this season, and it may be time to wave the white flag.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/14/nba-star-returning-injury-important/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 6 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">DENVER, COLORADO – OCTOBER 25: Michael Porter Jr. #1 of the Denver Nuggets plays the Cleveland Cavaliers at Ball Arena on October 25, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NBA star injury returns: No. 6 – Michael Porter Jr.</h2>
<p>Michael Porter Jr. was never supposed to be available at pick No. 14 in the 2018 NBA Draft. The No. 2 recruit in his high school class, Porter was on track to be a top-5 pick before he suffered a back injury and missed most of his freshman season at Missouri. That injury has lingered, costing him first his rookie season and now the vast majority of his fourth.</p>
<p>That injury was what pushed him down to pick No. 14 in the first place, however, so it was a factor the Denver Nuggets had to take into account when making their decision. When Porter has played, he has been lights out, a smooth shooting combo forward hitting 41.9 percent of his career three-pointers. Last season, he averaged 19 points per game as he grew into his offensive role.</p>
<p>That Porter did not show up this season, and after nine games, he left the lineup to address his back injury. Now, rumors are swirling that Porter hopes to return sometime this month, just in time to help the Nuggets with a playoff push.</p>
<p>Porter and Aaron Gordon are the perfect forward tandem, with each being elite in the areas that the other is not. In a Western Conference where few other forward pairings are this dynamic, a healthy Nuggets team could make a true play for the NBA Finals, with Porter acting as a lethal third option.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 19: Paul George #13 of the LA Clippers stands on the court during the third quarter of a NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on November 19, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NBA star injury returns: No. 5 – Paul George</h2>
<p>The odds of Kawhi Leonard returning this season are somewhere between “pigs flying” and “Nicolas Cage making a good movie again.” Paul George, his fellow All-Star wing, is much more likely to return from a right elbow injury.</p>
<p>The LA Clippers are well-coached and flush with the kind of wings you want when going to war in the NBA Playoffs. They have a couple of big centers in Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein to take on teams with big centers of their own – Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, DeAndre Ayton – but are comfortable downshifting to all-wing lineups as they did against the Utah Jazz last postseason, to great success.</p>
<p>Despite Leonard missing the entire season and George playing in just 26 games thus far, the Clippers are above water at 35-34 and in eighth place in the league. If George is able to make it back in the next couple of weeks, the Clippers would be favored against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-in game, and then given a great chance against whichever 2-seed they play in the first round – especially if it’s the Utah Jazz.</p>
<p>Ty Lue has been able to get his team valuable reps all season without George and Leonard, and most expect next year for the Clippers to be among the West favorites. Could George and company start that train rolling out of its station early by returning and leading them to a surprise postseason push?</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 13: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets works out before the game against the Washington Wizards at Ball Arena on December 13, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NBA star injury returns: No. 4 – Jamal Murray</h2>
<p>There was a small window of time near the end of last season when the Denver Nuggets looked like the title favorites. Having traded for Aaron Gordon, the Nuggets were talent-packed and versatile, ready to take on any opponent, deployed around the league MVP. Then Jamal Murray tore his ACL, the rest of the backcourt started going down left and right, and the Nuggets instead limped to a second-round exit.</p>
<p>Murray has missed all of this season but is nearing his return. As one of the league’s best “tough shot makers” Murray is well suited to punish teams who shift coverage away from him to double Nikola Jokic.</p>
<p>Add in Michael Porter Jr., another shooter on the wing, and Aaron Gordon prepared to cut, and Murray will both have plenty of space to work with and a chance to score in bunches even if he is easing back onto the court.</p>
<p>The Nuggets are 40-28, just 1.5 games out of fifth and 2.5 out of fourth. They are a dangerous team and will be even more dangerous with Murray back in the lineup. He and Jokic have unbelievable chemistry together, and the last time we saw them in a postseason together, Murray was dropping multiple 50-burgers and the Nuggets went to the Conference Finals.</p>
<p>Murray will need time to ramp back to his normal self, and next season’s Nuggets team should be in an even better position. A healthy Murray and Porter this season, however, could make for an exciting postseason for Nuggets fans.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/14/nba-star-returning-injury-important/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 13: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers in action against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at American Airlines Arena on May 13, 2021 in Miami, Florida, NBA Trades: 3 more trades to continue the Trail Blazers’ roster overhaul. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NBA star injury returns: No. 3 – Ben Simmons</h2>
<p>It all seems so bizarre on the surface. A player who sat out the entire season, who was last seen avoiding the ball late in a Game 7, is going to rejoin an eighth-place team a month before the end of the season (or less) and suddenly turn them into a title contender. Except… perhaps he is.</p>
<p>Millions of gallons of proverbial ink have been spilled on the topic of Ben Simmons and his fit with the Brooklyn Nets. Suffice it to say that it’s excellent, one of the best fits in the league.</p>
<p>Offensively, he can handle the ball or, hopefully, screen for his All-Star teammates in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Defensively, he can fly all over the court and be a perimeter stopper of sorts, with the versatility to slide down to guard bigger players as well.</p>
<p>Simmons has to be his old self when he returns, of course, and there is at least some risk that he won’t be. Yet if he is, the Nets will have a true third wheel, with razor-sharp-shooters like Patty Mills and Seth Curry mixed in.</p>
<p>The Nets are in eighth place; it makes a title run seem unlikely, if not impossible. Yet the Nets are still hyper-talented and could provide a scare to anyone they face in the play-in or the playoffs. They are understandably confident and ready to win now. Who knows better than Brooklyn how the future hope can disappear?</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/14/nba-star-returning-injury-important/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">PHOENIX, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 10: Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns watches a play during the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Footprint Center on February 10, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns beat the Bucks 131-107. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NBA star injury returns: No. 2 – Chris Paul</h2>
<p>Smaller guards don’t age well. That’s what we’ve always been told. Indeed it proved true for players such as Isiah Thomas way back when, or more recently the Deron Williams and Jameer Nelsons of the world. Yet Chris Paul, all 72 inches of him, is continuing to put up All-NBA campaigns, despite turning 37 during this year’s postseason.</p>
<p>The hope is that Paul can return for those playoffs after suffering a thumb fracture in February. The initial timetable places him getting back right at the start of the playoffs. He is critical to what the league-leading Phoenix Suns do, orchestrating the offense and being a wily pest on defense.</p>
<p>Phoenix is 53-14, the league’s best record by 7.5 games. Paul is at the heart of it, averaging 14.9 points and a league-best 10.7 assists per game. He has continued to find a few free throws per game despite the decrease in calling “foul-drawing” moves, of which Paul is a master.</p>
<p>With Paul, the Suns are likely the title favorites. Without Paul, they are simply a good team, one that continues to rack up wins but will not win it all without him.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 13: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on December 13, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NBA star injury returns: No. 1 – Draymond Green</h2>
<p>The Golden State Warriors are the modern NBA’s dynasty team, winning three titles and making five-straight NBA Finals. Then Klay Thompson went down, and it’s been two seasons in the wilderness. Klay is back, Stephen Curry is healthy, and the Warriors are ready to make another run at history.</p>
<p>To do so, they absolutely need a healthy Draymond Green. He was the league’s best defensive player through 34 games and the Warriors were at the top of the league. Then he went down with a nerve issue in his back just before Thompson returned, and the Warriors have wobbled a bit since.</p>
<p>With Green back on the court, the Warriors are the most dangerous team in the field. Curry, Thompson, and rising-star Jordan Poole are a deadly offensive attack, and with Green orchestrating the offense, they could be unstoppable.</p>
<p>Defensively, he will anchor a unit that will deploy Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., and Andre Iguodala around that trio. Andrew Wiggins is a two-way starter capable of pairing with Green in a variety of combinations, too.</p>
<p>This doesn’t even touch on the three young lottery picks – Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman – all of whom could be playing rotation minutes by the playoffs. Kuminga and Moody are doing that right now, and are developing in leaps and bounds.</p>
<p>Draymond Green, fully healthy and in shape, pairs with Curry and Thompson and a deep roster of supporting players to become truly deadly in the playoffs and a real threat to win it all.</p>
<p>As he returns in the next few days, the Warriors could be vaulted into the stratosphere if everything comes together, making his injury return the most important in the league.</p>
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