NBA Player Injuries 2010-2011 Season

[Khalid80]

Warriors' Curry misses 2nd game in row with sprained ankle

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Warriors guard Stephen Curry missed his second straight game Wednesday against Memphis because of a sprained right ankle.

Curry originally was hurt in Golden State's final preseason game and aggravated the injury in the season opener against Houston before rolling on it in last Friday's 109-91 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

"A lot of the swelling went down and now it's just a matter of trying to continue the rehab and strengthening of it," coach Keith Smart said. "We're going to give him some more time off before rushing into it. We have to err on the side of caution right now just because we're talking about playing the long haul and getting ourselves ready for the long push later on."

Reggie Williams started in Curry's place.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/03/warriors-curry.ap/index.html

[Khalid80]

LeBron (shin) held out of practice, but should play Friday

MIAMI (AP) -- LeBron James was held out of Miami's practice on Thursday with a deep bruise on his right shin, which has bothering him for about a week.

The NBA's two-time reigning MVP expects to play Friday when the Heat visit New Orleans.

James says the shin has bothered him since getting bumped during Sunday's game in New Jersey. He played through it against Minnesota on Tuesday, finishing with 20 points and 12 assists.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says the decision to not have James practice on Thursday was "precautionary, so he can play the back-to-back.'' After the game in New Orleans, Miami returns home Saturday to face the Nets.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/04/heat-lebron-james-sore-shin.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

[robzing]

oberto

oberto has just retired!

http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2010/11/fabricio-oberto-has-retired/

[Khalid80]

Sixers' Iguodala leaves game with strained Achilles' tendon

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Philadelphia 76ers forward Andre Iguodala left Friday night's game against Cleveland with a right Achilles' tendon strain and will not return.

It was not known when he was injured. Iguodala scored seven points in the first half and was not on the court for the start of the third quarter.

He entered the game averaging 14.4 points.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/05/sixers-iguodala.ap/index.html

Sixers' Iguodala to miss game against Knicks


PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Philadelphia guard Andre Iguodala will miss the 76ers' game Sunday against New York because of an injured right Achilles' tendon.

Forward Andres Nocioni is expected to be available despite a sprained left ankle.

Philadelphia lost to Cleveland on Friday night to drop to 1-5.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/06/sixers-iguodala.ap/index.html

[Khalid80]

Magic's Nelson sidelined with sprained left ankle

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The Orlando Magic will be without starting point guard Jameer Nelson against Charlotte because of a sprained left ankle.

Nelson was hurt late in Friday's win against New Jersey. He had a season-high 20 points and six assists in the game. Nelson made the trip to Charlotte, but was ruled out before the team arrived at the arena Saturday.

Chris Duhon was to start against the Bobcats, with Jason Williams backing him up.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/06/magic-nelson.ap/index.html

[Khalid80]

Yao leaves game with strained tendon in leg

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Houston Rockets center Yao Ming left Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards with a strained tendon in his left leg. The team said his return is questionable.

Yao played the opening 6:14 of the game and did not return for the remainder of the first half. He did not score and grabbed one rebound. The injury-prone Yao sat out the entire 2009-10 season after undergoing surgery to repair his broken left foot.

The Rockets have been limiting Yao's minutes early in the season and before the game coach Rick Adelman said no decision has been made on increasing his playing time. "He is coming off a 15, 16 month layoff. He's not the Yao from two years ago," Adelman said.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/10/yao-injury.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

[Khalid80]

Yao expected to miss week with ankle sprain

HOUSTON (AP) -- Rockets center Yao Ming has a mild left ankle sprain and is expected to be out at least a week.

Yao was injured in the first quarter of Houston's 98-91 loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. An MRI taken Thursday in Indianapolis confirmed the injury. Yao will return to Houston to begin rehabilitation while the team finishes its road trip.

The Rockets have been closely monitoring Yao's minutes this season in his return after sitting out all of last season following surgery to repair his broken left foot.

Yao, a seven-time All-Star, is averaging 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds while averaging 18.2 minutes a game for the struggling Rockets, who are 1-6.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/11/yao-ming-injury.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

[Khalid80]

Spurs rookie Anderson out two months with fracture

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Spurs rookie James Anderson has a stress fracture in his right foot that is expected to keep him out for two months.

Anderson has averaged 7.0 points while developing into a 3-point shooter off the bench for the Spurs. The former Oklahoma State star scored seven points Wednesday night in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Anderson has made 10 of 20 from behind the 3-point line and was averaging nearly 18 minutes a game. He is scheduled for surgery next week.

Anderson's absence will likely mean a larger role for rookie Gary Neal, who is averaging 6.7 points and also has 3-point range.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/11/spurs-james-anderson.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

[Khalid80]

Warriors' Lee to have surgery on injured elbow

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Golden State Warriors forward David Lee needs surgery after an infection developed in a cut on his left elbow.

Lee has flown home to Oakland from the Warriors' road trip to undergo surgery Friday night.

The former All-Star forward cut the inside of his left elbow in a nasty collision Wednesday with New York's Wilson Chandler, who lost teeth on the play and left a fragment of a tooth in Lee's arm.

After Lee's elbow swelled and kept bleeding overnight, he went to an emergency room Thursday morning for antibiotics, missing Golden State's loss at Chicago that night.

The team won't know how long Lee will be sidelined until after the surgery, but Lee will miss Saturday's road trip finale at Milwaukee.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/12/david-lee-surgery.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

[Khalid80]

Wall leaves game against Bulls with sprained left foot

CHICAGO (AP) -- Wizards point guard John Wall has left Washington's game against the Chicago Bulls with a sprained left foot.

Wall's foot appeared to be bothering him during the third quarter and the Wizards announced the injury early in the fourth.

Wall, the top overall pick in the NBA draft, had 13 points and five assists.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/13/wizards-john-wall-injured.ap/index.html

[Khalid80]

Wizards' Yi injures right leg against Bulls, leaves game

CHICAGO (AP) -- Wizards forward Yi Jianlian has left Washington's game against the Chicago Bulls with a right leg injury.

Yi was helped off the court during a timeout with 5:51 left in the third Saturday night. It was unclear how he was injured.

The 7-foot Yi had five points and two rebounds in 13 minutes.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/13/wizards-yi-jianlian-injury.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

[Khalid80]

Jazz guard Raja Bell out with groin injury

SALT LAKE CITY(AP) -- Rookie Gordon Hayward will start for the Jazz on Monday night against Oklahoma City in place of Raja Bell, who has a groin injury.

"I want to give him a chance to play a little bit, get some experience," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said of Hayward, who will be making his first NBA start. "He has athletic ability, but this game will screw with your head a little bit. You're in constant learning mode."

Hayward's most extensive action came in a loss to Phoenix on Oct. 28 when he played 25 minutes and scored six points and added six rebounds.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/15/jazz.bell.groin.injury.ap/index.html

[Khalid80]

Suns' Lopez sidelined with knee sprain

PHOENIX(AP) -- Phoenix Suns center Robin Lopez is expected to miss several weeks with moderate sprains of two ligaments in his left knee.

Lopez sprained his knee in the second quarter of Phoenix's win over the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night when teammate Jared Dudley fell into him while driving to the basket. An MRI revealed sprained medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments.

Lopez started the Suns' first nine games, but struggled while trying to recover from a back injury last season that damaged nerves in his right leg and hampered his explosiveness. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while playing just 17 minutes per game.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/15/suns.lopez.out.ap/index.html

[Khalid80]

Blazers' Oden to have second microfracture surgery

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Trail Blazers center Greg Oden, the former No. 1 draft pick whose short career has been marred by injuries, will have microfracture surgery on his left knee and will not play this season.

Oden hasn't played since last December because he needed surgery to repair a fractured left patella. The Blazers say this operation, announced Wednesday night and scheduled for Friday in Vail, Colo., will repair damaged cartilage and is unrelated to the patella injury.

Oden, the first name announced in the 2007 NBA draft, missed his rookie season because of microfracture surgery on his right knee. The procedure stimulates cartilage growth.

Blazers trainer Jay Jensen said the latest problem with Oden's left knee became apparent about two weeks ago when he experienced some pain and fluid in the joint. Soon thereafter, an MRI revealed the damage.

"We sat there and it was like we'd been kicked in the stomach," Jensen said, choking up. "It felt like hearing someone close to us had died."

Oden was having arguably the best season of his career when he broke his left kneecap during a game last December against the Houston Rockets. He was averaging 11.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks as a starter.

The 7-footer often has been compared to former Portland center Sam Bowie, whose career was beset by injuries after the Blazers famously selected him in front of Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft.

The Blazers picked Oden instead of Kevin Durant, who went to the Oklahoma City franchise and has blossomed into one of the NBA's best players.

Another Portland big man, Bill Walton, was selected by the Blazers with the No. 1 pick in the 1974 draft, but he was dogged by a broken nose, foot, wrist and leg over his first two seasons before helping the team to the NBA championship in 1977.

"Some things you just can't explain," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said.

It had been expected that Oden would play this season, but at the start of fall practice he said he wasn't close. When asked at the time if he could return by Christmas, Oden shrugged his shoulders and threw up his hands.

The former Ohio State star has played in only 82 games over parts of two seasons, averaging 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds.

McMillan said he spoke to Oden on Wednesday.

"As you can expect, the young man is devastated by not having the opportunity to play this season. ... It's like `Here we go again' for him."

Jensen said Oden has a hole in the articular cartilage on the end of a bone in his knee. It is unclear what caused the damage.

Jensen also said he was as perplexed as anyone as to why Oden was injury-prone. The 22-year-old had MRIs on both knees prior to the 2007 Draft, which one onlooker called "pristine," the trainer said.

Asked whether he would be able to come back after the latest blow, Jensen said: "I believe in Greg Oden."

The Blazers announced last month they would not offer Oden a contract extension. He was the first No. 1 pick since Kwame Brown not to get one at the end of his rookie contract.

Oden will be a restricted free agent next summer and the Blazers will be able to match any offers for him.

In Oden's absence, the Blazers largely have relied on center Joel Przybilla, but Przybilla also was injured last December and required knee surgery. The Blazers have since started veteran forward Marcus Camby in the middle.

The Blazers were further hurt at the position at the start of this season when Jeff Pendergraph, who was backing up Camby, injured his knee and required season-ending surgery.

Przybilla already has returned to practice and has said he expects to be back by Thanksgiving.

The Blazers also announced Wednesday that All-Star guard Brandon Roy would miss the next two games because of a sore left knee. Roy recently underwent an MRI exam and team doctors determined there is no immediate need for surgery. He will be evaluated again next week.

A three-time All-Star, Roy left the Blazers' game at New Orleans on Saturday with a pronounced limp after playing 22 minutes.

Roy, who leads the team with 18.1 points per game, had expressed concern about his knees after playing significant minutes early in the season.

The Blazers host Denver on Thursday and Utah on Saturday.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/17/greg-oden-surgery/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

What a bummer

[Khalid80]

Blazers' Roy (knee) to miss next two games

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will miss the next two games because of a sore left knee.

Roy had an MRI exam and team doctors determined there is no immediate need for surgery. He will be evaluated again next week.

A three-time All-Star, Roy left the Blazers' game at New Orleans last Saturday with a pronounced limp after playing 22 minutes.

Roy, who leads the team with 18.1 points per game, had expressed concern about his knees after playing significant minutes early in the season.

The Blazers host Denver on Thursday and Utah on Saturday.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/17/brandon-roy-injured.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2