Injuries on the NBA
Injuries in the National Basketball Association have become far too familiar in the modern era as (and despite) athletes evolving into bigger, faster, stronger specimens. Basketball involves constant movements, including running, jumping, pivoting, and continual changes of direction, repeatedly putting pressure on the lower half of the body.
In this age of legal gambling, NBA odds are often fluctuating based on injury reports and the relatively new concept of load management. Bettors must be aware of player statuses before placing their NBA picks, perhaps more than ever.
Types of Basketball Injuries
Leg Injuries
The most common types of injuries in basketball all occur in the lower extremities. The legs, knees, feet, and ankles suffer the most, with ankle sprains appearing most often on the medical logs. These vary in severity, with mild sprains sidelining players for as little as a week and severe sprains sitting them down for multiple months.
There are a wide array of knee injuries and ailments that NBA players deal with regularly. Knee soreness can be vague (an excuse for load management), but it can also be serious and certainly worth monitoring so it doesn’t worsen.
Torn ACLs Injuries
Torn ACLs aren’t exclusive to the NFL as it once may have seemed, either. Marquis names like Klay Thompson and John Wall have been forced to miss significant playing time with the injury that routinely shelves their gridiron counterparts. Same thing for achilles injuries, derailing full seasons for Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins, among others.
Other Injuries
Of course, the injury bug doesn’t discriminate as the upper half of the body isn’t immune either. Just take Joel Embiid, for example. The two-time MVP runner-up has twice been forced to wear a mask in his career thanks to orbital bone fractures, though he played through the pain and inconvenience each time.
The 76ers’ center also dealt with a torn ligament in his thumb during the 2022 postseason. While he continued to suit up, he wasn’t his dominant self and played a huge part in his team getting eliminated in the second round for the fourth time in his career.