This article is part of our NBA Injury Analysis series.
The Memphis Grizzlies re-signed Mike Conley to the biggest contract in NBA history, investing $153 million in the veteran point guard. The team also spent an additional $94 million on forward Chandler Parsons, who has appeared in just six games due to knee injuries. Unfortunately, Conley now has joined Parsons in street clothes after a back injury last Monday.
Conley suffered at least one fracture in his lower back after taking a charge from Charlotte's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The exact number of fractures in his back remains undisclosed but reports do suggest multiple breaks.
The spine is divided into multiple segments and comprises 33 individual vertebrae. Each vertebra is designed to bear weight, articulate and protect the spinal cord. This is accomplished by multiple bony projections, including the spinous and transverse processes. These protrusions also serve as an anchor for the various ligaments and muscles of the back. When Kidd-Gilchrist slammed into Conley and sent him to the hardwood, the transverse processes of the point guard's lower back absorbed the stress from the impact and broke. The damage was considerable but would have been much worse if the processes had not shielded his spinal cord and intervertebral discs.
Fortunately, Conley's injury won't require surgery. Instead, he will simply have to wait for the bone to mend. Still the location of the fractures could play a role in his recovery though specifics remain vague. For example, the psoas major muscle of the hip originates at the transverse processes
The Memphis Grizzlies re-signed Mike Conley to the biggest contract in NBA history, investing $153 million in the veteran point guard. The team also spent an additional $94 million on forward Chandler Parsons, who has appeared in just six games due to knee injuries. Unfortunately, Conley now has joined Parsons in street clothes after a back injury last Monday.
Conley suffered at least one fracture in his lower back after taking a charge from Charlotte's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The exact number of fractures in his back remains undisclosed but reports do suggest multiple breaks.
The spine is divided into multiple segments and comprises 33 individual vertebrae. Each vertebra is designed to bear weight, articulate and protect the spinal cord. This is accomplished by multiple bony projections, including the spinous and transverse processes. These protrusions also serve as an anchor for the various ligaments and muscles of the back. When Kidd-Gilchrist slammed into Conley and sent him to the hardwood, the transverse processes of the point guard's lower back absorbed the stress from the impact and broke. The damage was considerable but would have been much worse if the processes had not shielded his spinal cord and intervertebral discs.
Fortunately, Conley's injury won't require surgery. Instead, he will simply have to wait for the bone to mend. Still the location of the fractures could play a role in his recovery though specifics remain vague. For example, the psoas major muscle of the hip originates at the transverse processes of the third lumbar vertebrae. This muscle's primary function is hip flexion, though it does play an additional role in hip rotation and forward bending of the spine. If Conley's break is to this area, he could be functionally limited at both the back and the hip.
The Grizzlies plan on reevaluating Conley in a month and are preparing to be without his services for six weeks. However, history suggests a quicker return to action is possible, and this estimated timeline could be a bit more fluid. Multiple NBA players, including Jason Thompson and Hedo Turkoglu, have suffered transverse process fractures. The average missed time for these and other examples is roughly six and a half games or approximately two to three weeks. Athletes in other sports have also returned with minimal time missed as NFL quarterbacks Tony Romo and Cam Newton each were back in action two weeks after sustaining similar injuries.
The award-winning Grizzlies medical team will carefully manage Conley's case and. provide as much time to heal as necessary. In the meantime, rookie point guard Andrew Harrison has joined the starting lineup and averaged 12.7 points, 1.7 made three-pointers, 5.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game over the team's last three games. He's worth a roster spot in all formats, especially for fantasy owners who are now forced to stash Conley. Rookie Wade Baldwin has also moved up the depth chart and could be worth a speculative add in deeper leagues.
Turf Burns
Steven Adams: The Oklahoma City center left Sunday's win over New Orleans with a left ankle sprain. His status for Monday is uncertain, but it would be surprising if he suited up. Fortunately, the injury occurred opposite the ankle he injured during the preseason and Adams should miss minimal time if the sprain is mild. Enes Kanter will see a boost in fantasy value if Adams does miss time.
Reggie Jackson: The Pistons guard made his season debut over the weekend, scoring 18 points in 22 minutes of action. His minutes are expected to be restricted for the foreseeable future, but he's a must-add if he's still available on the waiver wire. Jackson's return negatively impacts Ish Smith's value, as Smith will now join the Detroit second unit.
Nikola Jokic: The Nuggets big man has missed Denver's last two games and is likely to miss more time with a sprained left wrist. The primary concern with the injury appears to be the associated swelling in the area that is limiting Jokic's range of motion. Symptoms like swelling easily can be treated but will continue to linger until the underlying cause has effectively healed. As a result, fantasy owners should expect this injury to impact Jokic for the immediate future, even if he does return later this week.
Paul Millsap: The All-Star forward remains out with a left hip injury that he tried to play through. He suffered the injury in a fall against his former team the Jazz but was clearly hampered in Atlanta's next two games. He shot a combined 7-of-22 from the field as the soreness persisted. The team has not stated how long Millsap will remain out and will continue to lean on Mike Muscala. With a three game slate on tap, Millsap will be a risky play in weekly formats.
Dirk Nowitzki: The former MVP is sidelined indefinitely as a strained right Achilles continues to limit his mobility. Nowitzki has appeared in just five of Dallas' first 19 games and isn't expected back soon. It might be hard to send Dirk to the waiver wire given his track record, but it may be time to consider other options.
Dion Waiters: The Heat revealed Waiters will miss the next two weeks with a torn pectineus muscle. The pectineus is just one of multiple muscles that make up the adductors, more commonly referred to as the groin. Pectineus strains likely occur more frequently than we realizes though they are just reported as groin strains. Look for Waiters to be back sometime in mid-December with the now healthy Wayne Ellington seeing an increase in minutes.
Nick Young: Young's bounce back season has been a major factor in the Lakers surprise resurgence. However, injuries have cooled off the veteran guard and forced him to the sideline. He missed one game with a sprained toe before suffering a moderate calf strain two games later. The injury looked remarkably similar to Dallas' J.J. Barea who also suffered a noncontact calf injury earlier this season. Like Barea, Young is expected to miss between two and four weeks, making him droppable in most fantasy formats.
