5 Biggest Injury Storylines of the 2021-22 NBA Season

1. Zion Williamson Misses Season With Foot Injury

The 21-year-old former No. 1 overall pick suffered a Lisfranc foot injury on May 4, 2021 and still has not returned to the court for regular season action. After Williamson suffered a setback in December, our team of Pro Basketball Docs foreshadowed that Williamson would miss the season. Although he’s avoided a second surgery, the foot remains a concern because he is still reportedly carrying extra weight. Once he’s down to a suitable playing weight, his foot issues should be behind him.

2. Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Steph Curry Get Healthy At Right Time

The eventual champions got a big boost to the lineup with the return of Klay Thompson, who missed the previous two seasons with a right knee ACL tear and a left leg Achilles tear. Thompson played in 32 regular season games, then hit his stride in the playoffs. Draymond Green missed nearly half the year with a back injury, but also did not miss a playoff game. Steph Curry missed the final 12 regular season games, but rejoined the lineup to start the playoffs and showed no ill effects on the way to the team’s fourth championship in the last six seasons.

3. Lakers Injury Woes Knock Them Out Of Playoffs

Lebron James missed 26 games while nursing a left knee injury and a left ankle sprain. The Lakers went 8-18 in those games and missed the playoffs by one game. Anthony Davis missed a combined 42 games with a left knee MCL sprain and a right midfoot sprain. Los Angeles went 16-26 without Davis.

4. Clippers, Down Kawhi Leonard, Suffer Injuries To Paul George and Norman Powell

With Kawhi Leonard still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered on June 14, 2021, the Clippers surprised many by making the play-in tournament. It took a long road to get there, as the team had to endure a three-month absence from Paul George after he suffered a torn UCL in his right elbow. The team acquired Norman Powell to help plug that gap, but he suffered a broken foot in his third game as a Clipper. Los Angeles eventually lost the play-in game after George tested positive for COVID-19.

5. Blazers Lose Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons

Portland ended the season with a 27-55 record, in part because Damian Lillard played just 29 games before undergoing season-ending abdominal surgery. Roughly a month-and-a-half after Lillard played his last regular season game, Jusuf Nurkic was also shut down with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. In late March, the team also decided to rest Anfernee Simons for the remainder of the season to help ease his left knee patellar tendinopathy.