Kawhi Leonard will be the poster boy of the risk-reward discussing this season, as a guy with top-5 upside coming off a nine-game season. Quadriceps tendinopathy was what derailed his 2017-18 season, which is a painful condition affecting the quadriceps tendon above the kneecap. There are two paths to treatment for quad tendinopathy, one being a non-surgical, rest and rehabilitation route, and the other being arthroscopic surgery. While the Spurs were extremely tight-lipped about what was going on with Kawhi last season, it would have been hard for them to suppress any reporting of Leonard undergoing a surgical procedure, so we can assume he went the non-surgical route. That suggests that the problem was less severe, and it’s important to note that with a well-planned rehab program most athletes are able to return to their previous level of activity without reoccurring symptoms. There are no guarantees here, but considering Leonard essentially took off the entire 2017-18 season, he should be good to go when his 2018-19 campaign begins. He has reportedly been crushing it at recent workouts, and a strong training camp and preseason would go a long way towards alleviating some of our concerns. That said, even if he is completely recovered from the quad issue, that wouldn’t necessarily shed the injury-prone label considering he’s missed significant time in four out of his seven NBA seasons. If he can just stay healthy, Leonard could easily have a career-year in Toronto playing in a contract season, but whether or not he can stay healthy remains a huge question mark. He’s been going in the 14-18 range on draft day, so he’ll be a make-or-break player for those that take the plunge.
Joel Embiid was dealt a handful of random rest days, missed a few games due to back, hand and ankle issues, and ended up spending the final eight games of the 2017-18 season on the sidelines as the result of an orbital fracture. In total, he made it through 63 games (career-high) and was named to his first All-Star team on his way to averages of 22.9 points (career-high), 11.0 rebounds (career-high), 3.2 assists (career-high), 1.0 3-pointer, 1.8 blocks and 3.7 turnovers per game on 48.3% shooting (career-high) from the field and 76.9% from the line, which was good enough for third-round value in 9-cat leagues. We all know what Embiid can do when he’s on the court, and he should be even better this year, but there’s no way we can truly consider 63 games a success – particularly when his final absence coincided with the Fantasy Finals in a lot of leagues. The reward here could be first-round production, while the risk could be dead roster space during the fantasy playoffs. If you want him, you’ll likely need to invest at Round 2.
Anthony Davis took another step towards shedding his injury-prone label during the 2017-18 season, making it through 75 games on his way to averages of 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 2.6 swats and 2.6 turnovers per contest on 53.4% shooting from the field and 82.8% from the charity stripe, which was good enough for the No. 1 spot in fantasy hoops. AD was outright ridiculous after the DeMarcus Cousins (Achilles) injury, pumping out insane averages of 30.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.0 steals, 3.2 blocks and just 2.5 turnovers per game on 51.4% shooting from the field and 83.5% from the line. He missed a ton of time through his first four years in the league, but he’s now made it through 75 games in consecutive seasons, so one more year of a clean bill of health and will stop putting him on the risk-reward list. The Brow is so far ahead of the pack in what he can bring to the stat sheet, that the only thing that makes him reasonably fair in fantasy hoops is his injury history, as he’s the closest thing we have to an actual cheat code when healthy. The risk is apparent, but he’s a guy who can single-handedly win you multiple categories, making it impossible to allow him to drop outside of the top-5 on draft day.
Stephen Curry missed most of the month of December after spraining his surgically-repaired right ankle, then tweaked that same ankle in early-March and missed another six games, and then in his first game back from that second absence JaVale McGee fell back into Curry’s left knee which resulted in a Grade 2 MCL sprain – thus ending his regular-season run after just 51 games played. He also sat out two games in November with extremely minor injuries against inferior opponents, which you could argue were “rest” days. On a per-game basis, Curry ranked No. 2 overall behind averages of 26.4 points, 5.1 boards, 6.1 assists, 4.2 triples, 1.6 steals and 3.0 turnovers per contest on 49.5% shooting from the field and 92.1% from the line, but he wasn’t available for the fantasy playoffs, which likely took a ton of teams out of the running in head-to-head formats. It’s true that Curry was never officially put in street clothes for rest purposes, but he did take his sweet time getting back from the ankle injury, and it was semi-concerning to see that surgically-repaired right ankle re-emerge as an issue. That said, his right ankle has largely held up in the five years since his first injury-riddled season, and numerous MRIs confirmed throughout the year that his ankle remained structurally sound. Still, Curry is entering his age-30 season, so injuries may start to become more of a thing, and the Warriors will have the depth to be able to comfortably rest him if even the most minor injury occurs. There’s no denying that Curry can be the difference-maker on a championship squad, but it’s also impossible to discount the fact that out of all the first-round targets, the stars in Oakland are the most likely to get hit with random rest down the stretch.
Kevin Durant missed his first game of the year on November, 8 with a minor thigh issue, then missed four games later that month with a sprained ankle, sat out three games in January with a calf strain, and then missed a crucial six-game stretch in March (during the fantasy playoffs) recovering from a rib cartilage fracture. In total, he made it through 68 games on his way to averages of 26.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.5 triples, 0.7 steals, 1.8 swats and 3.0 turnovers per game on 51.6% shooting from the field and 88.9% from the line, which was good enough for the No. 3 spot in 9-cat leagues. Like Curry, KD wasn’t outright rested Spurs-style as the games he missed were due to actual injuries, but the timing of his final absence was brutal in fantasy hoops. He also doesn’t have a great track record of staying healthy in Golden State, as he was limited to 62 games in his first season and 68 this past season. KD can obviously still put up ridiculous stat lines when needed, but the explosions don’t come as often when Golden State is at full strength, and the potential for random rest days seems even more likely with the offseason addition of DeMarcus Cousins. The wealth of talent in Oakland makes all of the Dubs risky early-round targets.
DeMarcus Cousins ruptured his Achilles 48 games into the 2017-18 season, thus ending his season with the most brutal injury one can suffer in basketball. He finished the year with averages of 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.2 triples, 1.6 steals, 1.6 swats and 5.0 turnovers per contest on 47.0% shooting from the field and 74.6% from the stripe, which was good enough for top-15 status in 9-cat leagues. He reportedly didn’t receive much interest as a free agent this summer, so he took matters into his own hands and called up the Warriors, offering to sign a short-term deal at a significant discount with the back-to-back defending champs. Warriors’ GM Bob Myers extended a one-year, $5.3 million offer, and Cousins happily accepted. The main emphasis for Boogie this season will be simply showing that he can still be effective and provide value on a winning team, but the statistics will fall secondary on a team that is trying to three-peat. Cousins might not even be ready for the start of the season, and with all the depth this star-studded team has, the random rest days figure to be plentiful in his first year back from the Achilles tear. It can’t be overstated how severe this Achilles injury is. Dominique Wilkins is literally the only guy who has been able to regain his form after an Achilles tear – but guys like Kobe Bryant, Wesley Matthews, Brandon Jennings and Elton Brand were never the same after the injury (Rudy Gay didn’t look great last season, either). Cousins has been consistently falling to Round 8, which negates some of the risk, but he might not even reach that value and there are still high-upside guys available in that range. History would suggest that the risk outweighs the potential reward here.
Jimmy Butler remained a first-round producer in his first season with the Timberwolves, pumping out averages of 22.2 points, 5.3 boards, 4.9 dimes, 1.2 triples, 2.0 steals (career-high) and 1.8 turnovers per game on 47.4% shooting (career-high) from the field and 85.4% from the charity stripe. Unfortunately, Tom Thibodeau ran him into the ground with heavy minutes, and after averaging 38.2 minutes per game through eight games in August he tore the meniscus in his right knee and was forced to undergo surgery, which resulted in him spending about 1.5 months on the sidelines and missing the fantasy playoffs. A lot of turmoil has followed this summer, with rumors leaking out that Butler is unsatisfied with the culture in Minnesota, and there have been rumblings that the Wolves may consider trading him this season rather than losing him for nothing as a free agent in 2019. Technically, Butler is in a good spot in Minnesota, although it’s unlikely that Thibodeau will lighten up on his workload, so the risk of him going down with an overuse injury at some point is very real. There’s also the uncertainty of where he will end the 2018-19 season, and uncertainty is never a good thing in fantasy hoops. When healthy, Jimmy Buckets is a top-10 producer, but his track record with staying on the court makes him a risky, second-round investment.
Kyrie Irving missed six games from the start of the season until February due to issues with his quad, ankle and shoulder, and then eventually underwent season-ending knee surgery in March, finishing his introductory season in Boston with averages of 24.4 points, 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 triples, 1.1 steals and 2.3 turnovers across 60 games on 49.1% shooting from the field and 88.9% from the stripe. This wasn’t the first year that knee issues forced Uncle Drew to miss a large chunk of time, as a fractured left kneecap forced him out of the 2015 Finals and resulted in him missing the first few months of the of the 2015-16 season, and it was that same left knee that took him out again this past season. The positive spin here is that the screws that were put into Irving’s knee back in 2015 were identified as the source of his issues, and when they removed them in his most recent procedure it was revealed that his kneecap had completely healed and was structurally sound. The bad news here is that Irving warrants the injury-prone label and that re-occurring knee issues are nothing to shrug at. Partner that with the fact that Irving will need to figure out how to share the rock with Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum this upcoming season and the risk becomes evident. He is, however, entering his prime at 26 years old, and he could easily establish himself as a first-round product if he can just manage to stay healthy. Buyer beware.
LaMarcus Aldridge bounced back in a big way following a less-than-stellar 2016-17 campaign, returning to the top-20 equation behind averages of 23.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.5 turnovers per contest on 51.0% shooting from the field and 83.7% from the stripe. With Kawhi Leonard (quad) unavailable for most of the season, LMA saw his usage rate rise to 29.4, and he thrived operating as the No. 1 option on offense. However, the Spurs traded Leonard for DeMar DeRozan, so there’s just no way LMA will see the same sort of opportunity this upcoming season. Aldridge’s usage will likely look a lot more like it did through his first two years in San Antonio (mid-20s), which could result in his value topping out in the top-50 range. He’s also on the downward end of his career at 33 years old, so there’s a reasonable amount of uncertainty here, which is always a negative in fantasy hoops. With the potential for him to flop, he’s a fairly risky early-round target.
Kristaps Porzingis was a top-20 producer through the first 48 games of the 2017-18 season, hitting career-highs across the board with averages of 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 triples, 2.4 swats and 1.9 turnovers per contest on 43.9% shooting from the field and 79.3% from the stripe, but unfortunately his season ended in February when he tore the ACL in his left knee. The timing of this injury couldn’t be worse as an ACL tear often involves a lengthy timetable, and there have been whispers that he could miss the entire 2018-19 season. Even if he’s able to get out there at some point, it likely won’t be until January and it could be a few months after that until he regains his footing. As a frame of reference, Zach LaVine tore his ACL at roughly the same time during the 2016-17 season, didn’t make it back to the court until mid-January, and never looked quite right. Back-to-back sets will assuredly be out of the question for Porzingis, and random rest days here and there will also likely be a thing. Now, a lot of the risk here will be negated if you can snag him around Round 10, but that would also entail committing to carrying dead roster space for around three months without a clear idea on the upside. He’ll be more attractive in leagues that offer an IR-spot, but the risk of him not doing much this season is very real.
Gordon Hayward’s 2017-18 campaign lasted just five minutes and fifteen seconds, as he fractured his left leg in gruesome fashion during the first game of the season, and was never able to make it back to the court after that. Hayward’s absence accelerated the development of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, so the team that he’ll be stepping onto this upcoming season will be a bit different to the one he joined as a free agent last year. There’s some concern as to how the shots will be distributed with Kyrie Irving, Tatum, Brown and Al Horford all vying for touches, and it’s currently unclear exactly what the starting lineup will look like. That said, the Celtics added Hayward for a reason, so it’s not like he’ll suddenly become irrelevant in Boston due to the impressive development of the younger guys. Keep in mind, Hayward was an All-Star during his 2016-17 campaign in Utah, contributing averages of 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 triples, 1.0 steal and 1.9 turnovers per game while working with a relatively modest 27.6 usage rate. It’s also not like Tatum or Brown are usage rate monsters, and if there’s anyone who can successfully workout this conundrum, it’s Brad Stevens. Hayward will come into the 2018-19 season healthy, but as with all players coming off major injuries there will likely be a bit of a mental hurdle for Hayward to clear, so it could take him a while to really get going. The uncertainty here is the primary reason for why Hayward will be a risky, early-round target.
Rudy Gobert was limited to just 56 games during his 2017-18 campaign, and it was again knee issues that forced him to miss time. He missed 11 games with a right knee bone bruise in November, and then just one month later he strained the PCL in his left knee and was required to spend 15 straight games on the sidelines. He also missed a month during the 2015-16 season due to an MCL sprain in his left knee, so, unfortunately, he doesn’t have the best track record with that left knee. That said, he did make it through 82 games during his 2014-15 campaign, and suited up for 81 during the 2016-17 season, so him getting hurt has been an every-other-year occurrence. There aren’t many guys who can rack up the swats like Gobert, which is why he’ll cost you a top-20 pick in competitive leagues, but there aren’t any guarantees he’ll stay healthy, either.
Knee and hip issues limited Hassan Whiteside to just 54 games during his 2017-18 campaign, and he finished the year with averages of 14.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.7 turnovers per game on 54.0% shooting from the field and 70.3% from the stripe, which was good enough for fourth-round value on a per-game basis in 9-cat leagues. Excluding the free throw percentage, his numbers were down across the board, and him missing time in March (during the fantasy playoffs) was a deathblow to a lot of his owners. He consistently spent the fourth quarter of action watching from the sidelines, with head coach Erik Spoelstra preferring to go with Kelly Olynyk, which limited him to just 25.3 minutes a night. He will be coming into the 2018-19 season healthy, but he could see a further decline in minutes with Bam Adebayo another year older and Olynyk more comfortable with Coach Spo’s system. A trade could help him, but the Heat have been shopping him for a while now to no avail, so that seems like an unlikely outcome. Whiteside still put up solid numbers and has shown he only needs around 25 minutes a night to post early-round value, but health concerns and fourth-quarter benchings remain an issue.
The Grizzlies are awful and they didn’t do much this summer to improve their standing in the Western Conference. It seems likely that the ineptitude in Memphis will result in them being one of the early teams to be mathematically eliminated from the post-season, which presents some increased shutdown risk to the veterans on the roster – Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. Conley again had his 2017-18 campaign wrecked by injuries, this time it being an Achilles/heel issue that limited him to just 12 games played, and he hasn’t truly had a healthy season since 2012. Gasol actually made it through 73 games, but with almost no help around him, he shot a career-low 42% from the field on his way to averages of 17.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.2 dimes, 1.5 triples, 1.4 blocks and 2.7 turnovers per contest, which equated to fourth-round value in 9-cat leagues. While Gasol has been relatively healthy throughout his career, he’ll be entering his age-34 season and playing for a bad team, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see a few more random rest days this year. Conley is very deserving of the injury-prone label and isn’t coming at much of a discount with a 39.8 ADP, making him an extremely risky early-round target. Gasol has been regularly going in the third-round, an evaluation he never reached last season, so that really feels like playing with fire. I’d say the risk outweighs the reward with both of these guys.
John Wall was a massive disappointment during the 2017-18 season, only making it through a career-low 41 games on his way to averages of 19.4 points, 3.7 rebounds (career-low), 9.6 assists, 1.5 triples, 1.4 steals, 1.1 blocks and 3.9 turnovers per game on 42.0% shooting from the field and 72.6% (career-low) from the stripe, which equated to fifth-round value on a per-game basis in 9-cat leagues. It was knee trouble that did him in, and while he initially tried to fight through the pain – opting for a PRP injection and missing nine games early in the year, he was eventually forced to undergo surgery in January and spent the next two months on the sidelines. This was the first time since the 2012-13 season (coincidentally another year which was ruined by knee issues) that Wall failed to crack the top-30, and he just didn’t look quite right all year long. However, he’s had a full summer to rest up, and he’ll likely come into the 2018-19 campaign highly motivated to put last year’s unfortunate season behind him. If you want him, you’ll need to grab him around Round 2 and hope for the best.
Tyreke Evans didn’t go down with any major injuries during his 2017-18 campaign, but unfortunately, he was essentially shut down in January as the Grizzlies shopped him ahead of the trade deadline, and despite not finding any suitors they never really brought him back into the rotation. He finished the year with averages of 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.2 triples, 1.1 steals and 2.3 turnovers across 52 games on 45.2% shooting from the field and 78.5% from the line, which was good enough for fourth-round value on a per-game basis. Considering that Evans hasn’t made it through 75+ games since 2014, I’m not ready to make the assertion that he’s put his injury woes behind him, although last year was encouraging. He’s now in Indiana and it’s unclear if he’ll start or operate in a sixth man type role, but it’ll be tough for him to match last year’s 28.6 usage rate playing on a significantly more talented team. That said, the upside is there and a lot of the risk will be negated by his 102.5 ADP, so he could end up being a nice, late-round, value pick.
Darren Collison was impressive in his first season in Indiana, returning fourth-round value on the year behind averages of 12.4 points, 5.3 assists, 1.4 triples, 1.3 assists and just 1.2 turnovers per contest on 49.5% shooting from the field and 88.2% from the stripe. Unfortunately, he missed a month of action mid-way through the year after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and struggled to regain his form, contributing post-break averages of 11.2 points, 5.6 dimes, 1.5 triples, 1.0 steal and 1.2 turnovers per game, which was only good enough for seventh-round value. He’ll have some increased competition for touches with the addition of Tyreke Evans, but if he can manage to stay healthy, he should be in the top-50 conversation.
A slew of injuries limited Devin Booker to a career-low 54 games during his 2017-18 campaign, and he finished the year with averages of 24.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.7 triples and 3.6 turnovers per contest on 43.2% shooting from the field and 87.8% from the line. His numbers were good enough for fourth-round value in 9-cat leagues on a per-game basis but was a headache to own with all the missed games, and getting shut down in mid-March (during the fantasy playoffs) was a major blow to all of his owners in head-to-head formats. The Suns aren’t much better this season, so Booker will remain a shutdown risk if another tanking effort ensues. That said, we can expect further improvement from the 22-year-old wing in his fourth NBA season, and it’s worth noting that he only missed 10 games through his first two years in the league. He’ll be a bit of a risky second-round investment, but if all goes well, he could be a difference maker in fantasy hoops.
Blake Griffin again had a tough time staying on the court this past season, missing a full month early in the year with a left MCL sprain and then sitting out the final eight games of the year with an ankle issue. The former Rookie of the Year hasn’t had a healthy season since 2013, and he didn’t do much to dispel the injury-prone label last year. Arthroscopic surgery to his right knee cost him 18 games during his 2016-17 campaign, a partially torn left quadriceps forced him out for nearly four months during the 2015-16 season, and a random staph infection in his elbow cost him 15 games during the 2014-15 season. The positive here would be that none of these injuries have been related, but the fact remains that he’s a huge injury risk. He’ll also be playing for Dwane Casey in Detroit, so I’m somewhat concerned that his lackadaisical effort on the defensive end of the floor could result in some unfortunate benchings (cc Jonas Valanciunas). There’s top-20 upside to Griffin’s game, but the injury concerns and unfamiliarity with his new coach will make him a risky, early-round investment.
Kris Dunn looked like a completely different player in his first season with the Bulls, churning out seventh-round value in 9-cat leagues behind averages of 13.4 points, 6.0 assists, 4.3 boards, 2.0 steals, 0.5 blocks and 2.9 turnovers per game on 42.9% shooting from the field and 73.7% from the stripe. However, he had a tough time staying healthy, missing the first four games of the year with a dislocated finger, then going down for an 11-game stretch mid-season with a bad concussion, and then he was eventually shut down in mid-March with a toe injury. That said, all these issues were freak injuries and unrelated, so it wouldn’t be fair to give the injury-prone label to the 24-year-old guard just yet considering he made it through 78 games his rookie year. He will need to share the rock with Zach LaVine, Jabari Parker and Lauri Markkanen this upcoming season, but his minutes should be safe with the lack of talent behind him. If he can stay healthy and improve his efficiency, he could easily work his way into the top-50 equation, and there’s not a ton of risk here given his current ADP of 104.9.
Zach LaVine didn’t make his 2017-18 debut until January as he recovered from a left ACL tear, and then was shut down by March due to tendinitis in that same left knee, finishing the year with averages of 16.7 points, 3.9 boards, 3.0 dimes, 1.8 triples, 1.0 steal and 1.8 turnovers across 24 games on 38.3% shooting from the field and 81.3% shooting from the stripe. He had a few flashes, notably popping off for 35 points in his first matchup against his former team, but on the whole, he never looked quite right and turned out to be more trouble than he was worth for those who stashed him. He’s healthy now and could be in for a career year, but it’s concerning that he dealt with soreness in that surgically repaired knee last season. He certainly on the radar as a bounce-back candidate, but there will be some risk in spending a mid-round pick on a guy who has been limited to just 71 games in total over the past two years.
Patrick Beverley was required to undergo both a microfracture and meniscus repair procedure this past season, ending his 2017-18 campaign after just 11 games with averages of 12.2 points, 4.1 boards, 2.9 dimes, 2.2 triples, 1.7 steals, 0.5 swats and 2.3 turnovers per game, which equated to seventh-round value in 9-cat leagues on a per-game basis. He’s healthy now and was quoted saying he feels he’s in the best shape of his life as he enters a contract year, but he’s not in a great situation fantasy-wise with Milos Teodosic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lou Williams and Avery Bradley all vying for minutes in the Clippers’ backcourt. The odds are in his favor of starting, but it could take him a while to feel comfortable playing on the surgically-repaired knee, and there’s a good chance this could devolve into a value-killing timeshare situation. There’s not much risk here since he won’t cost you much more than a late-round pick, but the potential reward might not be that high, either.
Paul Millsap was forced to undergo wrist surgery in November, which forced him to spend a little over three months on the sidelines and he finished his introductory season in Denver with averages of 14.6 points, 6.4 boards, 2.8 assists, 1.0 trey, 1.0 steal, 1.2 blocks and 1.9 turnovers across 38 games on 46.4% shooting from the field and 69.6% from the stripe. Those numbers were good enough for seventh-round value on a per-game basis, but with how much time he missed, he turned out to be more trouble than he was worth. He’s had a tough time staying on the court over the past two years, and with Millsap entering his age-33 season, the injuries are more likely to remain an issue. He doesn’t really rack up the steals like he used to and could see a further decline in his usage with the continued development of Gary Harris, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, so it could be tough for him to return to the top-40 equation. The injury history and concern for touches will make him a risky, mid-round target.
Lonzo Ball only made it through 52 games his rookie season, finishing his 2017-18 campaign with averages of 10.2 points, 6.9 boards, 7.2 dimes, 1.7 triples, 1.7 steals, 0.8 swats and 2.6 turnovers per contest on 36.0% shooting from the field and 45.1% from the line, which was good enough for seventh-round value on a per-game basis. He missed six games starting on Christmas with a sprained shoulder, then he suffered a left knee sprain mid-January that cost him a full month of action, and he was eventually shut down for the final eight games of the year due to discomfort in that same left knee. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in July, so hopefully, he’ll be able to put the knee issues behind him, and he’s expected to be 100% by training camp. However, he’ll now have to compete for minutes with Rajon Rondo in Los Angeles in addition to sharing the rock with LeBron James, so his situation actually got a bit worse from a fantasy perspective. If he can stay healthy, improve his percentages and fend off Rondo for the starting spot, he could have a nice season, but those are a lot of ifs, making him a risky, mid-round target.
Nikola Vucevic fractured his left hand in December and wasn’t able to make it back to the court until after the All-Star break (a two-month absence), but on a per-game basis he was a third-round stud behind averages of 16.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 triples, 1.0 steal and 1.1 blocks per contest on 47.5% shooting from the field and 81.9% from the stripe. The hand fracture was a freak injury, and Vucevic has been relatively healthy throughout his career, so it wouldn’t be fair to give him the injury-prone label. However, it could be tough for him to match last year’s 29.5 minutes per game with rookie Mo Bamba nipping at his heels for playing time, and there are no guarantees he’ll finish the year in Orlando. He will be in a contract year, so he’ll have some extra incentive to prove his worth on the court, but him being a veteran on a bad team with a promising rookie behind him will all be things working against him. It’s always risky to burn a mid-round pick on someone with so much uncertainty.
