Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope got tangled up with Russell Westbrook in the first half of last Wednesday’s game, injuring his Achilles tendon. He was able to walk off the court under his own power, but he appeared to be in pain as he limped to the locker room. He tried to get back out there after halftime and participated in warm-ups, but was eventually ruled out.
KCP missed the following two games before he returned to action on Tuesday. Nothing has been released regarding a possible MRI or further evaluation, and the Lakers were calling the injury an Achilles strain. The Inside Injuries algorithm calculated a grade 1 strain and a 2-3 week Optimal Recovery Time, which means KCP was not even close to healthy when he played on Tuesday. He’s a High Injury Risk, and his Below Average Health Performance also explains his inefficiency in Tuesday’s game. He hit just 2-of-8 shots with four rebounds and an assist. Fantasy owners shouldn’t trust him for the next week, and he’s going to be useless in DFS over the next week or two despite the fact that the Lakers are currently in a three game win streak.
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol revealed after last Monday’s game that he had been dealing with a nagging right (shooting) wrist injury.
“I can’t really bend it much,” Gasol said. “It’s been building up. I jammed it and it’s been a little swollen. I decided to play.”
Playing through the wrist injury on both Monday and Wednesday of last week was not a good idea. The Inside Injuries algorithm calculated a grade 1 wrist sprain, and with a three week Optimal Recovery Time, Gasol was not doing himself any favors play at a High Injury Risk. Gasol was sidelined in the first game of a back-to-back set on Tuesday, and it likely won’t be the only game he misses to the injury. At 37 years old, taking the full Optimal Recovery Time to heal is imperative. Gasol should not be trusted in fantasy lineups for at least the next two weeks.
We said in Week 13 that Otto Porter would end up on the sidelines if he didn’t take time off to heal his hip and back injuries, and sure enough he was ruled out of Monday’s game with a right hip strain. The Wizards have not announced how much time Porter is expected to miss, but the Inside Injuries algorithm has calculated a 3-5 week Optimal Recovery Time.
Had Porter taken the original 2-3 weeks to rest, he likely would not have ended up aggravating his hip. He’s now looking at an Optimal Recovery Time that is almost twice as long as his original timetable, and he shouldn’t be trusted in fantasy lineups if he tries to play through the injury for a second time.
Download the Inside Injuries app for more injury advice and fantasy analysis on every player in the NBA!
And follow Virginia @VZakas and Inside Injuries.
