Injuries to NBA stars are always something that concerns major teams and there are several players who have missed seasons due to injuries. Two weeks into the NBA 2019-20 season, players like Draymond Green and Gordon Hayward have got injured, potentially affecting their respective teams’ chances in the league.
5 Superstars who will be skipping the whole 2019-20 season as per current reports:
- DeMarcus Cousins (Los Angeles Lakers): DeMarcus Cousins first had a left Achilles tear while playing against the Houston Rockets for New Orleans Pelicans. This hindered the offers that he would have garnered from teams otherwise. He thus signed up with the Golden State Warriors for season 2018-19, tearing the left quadriceps and missing several playoff games. This affected his performance and eventually he signed up for the Los Angeles Lakers on a 1-year deal for NBA 2019-20. Yet, he again suffered an ACL tear during pre-season workouts with his new team. This will possibly keep him out of the league for the whole season.
- John Wall (Washington Wizards): Wall is one of the NBA’s swiftest point guards and the face of his team. He has made 5 consecutive All-Star appearances between the years 2014-18 and has missed the All-Star Game due to injuries, limiting appearances to only 31 matches. Wall had surgery done for his left heel early this year, missing the last part of the 2018-19 NBA season. He then suffered an infection due to this surgery prior to a ruptured Achilles tendon after falling at home. He will be out of the season at least till 1st May and with his team predicted to miss a playoff berth, fans will have to wait quite a while to see him back in action.
- Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors): Fans of the Golden State Warriors were left distraught when Klay Thompson suffered an ACL tear in the 2019 NBA Finals Game 6. Thompson’s injury comes at a time when he was in peak form and he is expected to be out for the rest of the season.
- Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors): Stephen Curry is out of the NBA 2019-20 season for now when his left hand broke in the match versus Phoenix Suns. The Warriors have already been impacted by the exits of Kevin Durant, Shaun Livingston and other players. With Curry and Klay Thompson both ruled out of the NBA 2019-20 season for the moment, the team has been affected badly. Curry has confirmed a second surgery for removing pins positioned in his hand from the first surgery he underwent. This will lead to swelling, making him a doubtful starter this season.
- Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets): Kevin Durant is one of the NBA’s top players and had an Achilles injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, missing Game 6 and undergoing surgery. He is still recovering from his Achilles tendon rupture and may not appear this season at all. He made an appearance prior to the beginning of the season on the show of his ex-teammate Serge Ibaka, named How Hungry Are You? Durant was asked about returning this season and stated that he was not expecting to play at all. The same thing was reiterated when he appeared on First Take on ESPN.
These are 5 NBA superstars who will be missing out on the 2019-20 season in all likelihood due to serious injuries. Their teams will naturally be affected badly in terms of performance and leadership alike.