Fantasy Basketball Injury Report: Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal, Blake Griffin

Anthony Davis

In last week's column I attempted to make sense of Davis' shoulder and knee injuries and how they could affect him long-term. Shortly after the column ran the Pelicans released a detailed medical report by Davis' orthopedic surgeon that provided enough insight to reexamine the situation.

To start, Dr. Neal ElAttrache revealed the labrum tear in Davis' shoulder occurred to the posterior region of the fibrocartilage rim, allowing for the three-time All-Star to avoid surgery. He'll continue to follow a regular maintenance routine and isn't at risk while performing basketball-related activities. These findings are encouraging for Davis' long-term future and should erase any doubts that the Pelicans medical staff mismanaged an injury that occurred three seasons ago.

The information surrounding Davis' problematic knee isn't quite as positive but could have easily been much worse. Dr. ElAttrache's report states that Davis has suffered a stress reaction in his patella in addition to the previously reported tendinosis.

The patella or kneecap is considered a sesamoid bone, meaning it sits within the tendon of a muscle. As a result, the kneecap is mobile, moving within the conjoined tendon of the quadriceps muscle group. This mobility allows the patella to improve the moment arm of the tendon throughout the knee's functional range. However, for the patella to smoothly move and adequately complete this process, it's forced to come in contact with multiples aspects of the upper and lower leg bones. These compressive forces put the bone at risk for injury, especially when subjected to high repetitive loads. Any additional muscle limitation or muscular weakness can further contribute to the problem.

To treat Davis' injuries, Dr. ElAttrache first addressed the tendinosis using an "ultrasonic debridement" on the area. The technique is less invasive and involves inserting a small surgical probe into the damaged or diseased tendon. Once in place, the surgeon uses ultrasonic energy to break up and remove the problematic tissue.

In conjunction with the debridement, Davis' received a stem cell injection derived from bone marrow aspirate. These regenerative injections are similar to the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections that have gained popularity over the past few seasons. The stem cells are harvested from bone marrow, often from the hip, and introduced to the injury site with the intent to stimulate the body's natural healing response.

Davis isn't the first NBA player to utilize ultrasound debridement and stem cell injections. Former Laker and current Bulls center Pau Gasol underwent the technique on both his knees in the summer of 2013. Gasol reported success with the treatments and put together two All-Star campaigns and, until recently, didn't report a single issue with his knees.

This is an encouraging precedent for Davis, though the procedure shouldn't be viewed as a cure. Discovering any underlying biomechanical issues or functional limitations that contributed to both his tendinosis and stress reaction will be key in his long-term health. If New Orleans can pinpoint any potential issues, Davis should be good to go by training camp and ready to resume his ascension into the upper echelon of NBA talent.

Fast Breaks

Bradley Beal: While there's no true injury to report on Beal, those invested in the shooting guard should keep an eye on his availability throughout the week. The 22-year-old has battled stress-related injuries in his right fibula throughout his four-year career. On Sunday, on the heels of logging 46 minutes against the Timberwolves, Beal tweaked his right ankle and briefly left the game. While he did return after having the area retaped, it wouldn't be shocking if he's forced to sit for a game or two.

Blake Griffin: The Clippers will finally get back Griffin after he was medically cleared to return to basketball activity. The clearance allowed the All-Star forward to begin his four-game suspension Sunday and clears the way for an April 3 return against the Wizards. Griffin's delayed return from injury had more due to with his partially tore quadriceps tendon than his fractured hand, and fantasy owners should anticipate an adjustment period upon his return. Still he's worth a pick up if someone sent him to the waiver wire.

Nerlens Noel: The Sixers big man underwent an MRI on his injured right knee that revealed an isolated bone bruise with no ligament damage. The 21-year-old has missed three straight games since suffering the injury in a loss to the Pacers. Fortunately, the injury is opposite his surgically repaired knee, though the situation is eerily similar to Anthony Davis'. Noel has previously missed time with tendinitis in the knee and is now dealing with a bone injury to the patella. While surgical intervention doesn't seem to be in the cards at the moment, the injury should be handled carefully to avoid surgery all together. Look for Philadelphia to treat Noel conservatively, and don't be surprised if he misses additional time.

Zach Randolph: The injury-decimated Grizzlies will once again be without the services of Randolph after the veteran forward sprained his ankle in a loss to the Lakers. Randolph missed the last two games, both against the Spurs, Friday and Monday, making it nine of 12 games he has sat out. Z-Bo has become a risky and unreliable fantasy option. Chris Andersen and JaMychal Green will pickup the slack in the front court.

Deron Williams: The Mavericks season hangs in the balance, and their starting point guard is slated for an MRI. Williams is dealing with an abdominal strain that was significant enough that the team opted to send him back to Dallas for further evaluation. He did not play Monday, meaning he'll play two games at most this week, and that's assuming he's cleared to return when the team heads home. In the meantime, the Mavericks will rely heavily on Raymond Felton and J.J. Barea to pick up the slack. Barea appears to have the most fantasy upside, as he has averaged 14.8 points and 4.6 assists per game in Dallas' last five outings.

Stotts works as a Certified Athletic Trainer (MAT, ATC, PES, CES) and is a former winner of the Best Fantasy Football Article from the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.

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