{"id":123847,"date":"2025-02-16T06:30:53","date_gmt":"2025-02-16T11:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=123847"},"modified":"2025-02-16T05:07:17","modified_gmt":"2025-02-16T10:07:17","slug":"notable-nba-injury-returns-to-watch-for-in-western-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/16\/notable-nba-injury-returns-to-watch-for-in-western-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"Notable NBA Injury Returns To Watch For In Western Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For many players, the All-Star break comes at an opportune time. These players are dealing with aches and pains from the season, and a little rest can help them return feeling rejuvenated. Other players have missed time though due to an ailment, and the break can help them further heal. Here are some notable NBA injury returns to watch for in the Western Conference once regular season action returns. These are players that are in the middle of a playoff race.<\/p>\n<h2>Notable NBA Injury Returns To Watch For In Western Conference<\/h2>\n<h3>Nuggets &#8211; Russell Westbrook<\/h3>\n<p>At the beginning of the season, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/westbru01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Russell Westbrook<\/a> got off to a rough start and many wondered if he was officially washed. Those thoughts proved to be premature as the 36-year-old point guard excelled after entering the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/30\/christian-braun-benched-speaks-on-it\/\" target=\"_self\">Nuggets starting lineup<\/a>. Unfortunately, the 2016-17 MVP has missed the last seven outings with a left hamstring strain. Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette reported that head coach Michael Malone stated that Westbrook could return right after the All-Star break.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Michael Malone says he thinks Russell Westbrook will be good to go after the All-Star break.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Vinny Benedetto (@VBenedetto) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VBenedetto\/status\/1889832481572135141?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Rockets &#8211; Jabari Smith Jr., Fred VanVleet<\/h3>\n<p>The third overall pick of the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2022\/06\/24\/2022-nba-draft-recap\/\" target=\"_self\">2022 NBA Draft<\/a>, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/westbru01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jabari Smith Jr.<\/a> hasn\u2019t played since January 1. He has been out with a fractured hand, but as per Chris Haynes, he is aiming for a February 21 return. A starter in all 33 of his appearances, it will be interesting if he returns in that fashion being how well <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/easonta01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tari Eason<\/a> has done in that role in his absence.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Sources: Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (fractured hand) \u2014 who\u2019s been out since Jan. 3 \u2014 targeting return of Feb. 21 vs. Timberwolves. His agent Wallace Prather comments on client\u2019s impending return. <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/haynesbriefs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#haynesbriefs<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Sponsored by <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Nuna_USA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Nuna_USA<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nG1qf8lGCB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/nG1qf8lGCB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChrisBHaynes\/status\/1889725074225459601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 12, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Turning 31 years old on February 25, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/v\/vanvlfr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fred VanVleet<\/a> has been on the shelf for the last seven contests due to a right ankle strain. An All-Star with the Raptors in 2021-22, the 6-foot point guard is hopeful to be back when regular season action returns for Houston. The team is also <a  href=\"https:\/\/bleacherreport.com\/articles\/10152934-nba-rumors-fred-vanvleet-rockets-have-mutual-interest-in-contract-extension\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reportedly interested<\/a> in extending him on a multi-year deal (has a team option for next season).<\/p>\n<h3>Timberwolves &#8211; Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo<\/h3>\n<p>Exiting a Knicks team where he thrived with three All-Star nods, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/randlju01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Julius Randle<\/a>\u2019s numbers have dipped in his first year with Minnesota. The 30-year-old has been sidelined for eight straight outings with a right adductor strain. On February 5, it was announced that he would be <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/timberwolves\/news\/julius-randle-injury-update\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">re-evaluated in two weeks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Another player switching from New York to Minnesota, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/divindo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Donte DiVincenzo<\/a> was slowly regaining form after a disappointing start. He hasn\u2019t played since January 15 though. A left great toe sprain has kept the 28-year-old out of action. At the time of injury, DiVincenzo was said to be <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.startribune.com\/timberwolves-guard-donte-divincenzo-wont-need-surgery-on-injured-big-left-toe\/601210763\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">re-evaluated in three weeks<\/a> which means an update should be coming shortly.<\/p>\n<h3>Mavericks &#8211; Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II<\/h3>\n<p>Injuries galore for Dallas\u2019 big men. It took just one game after the shocking <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/doncilu01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luka Doncic<\/a> trade for <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davisan02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Davis<\/a> to get hurt. Turning 32 on March 11, he will miss the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/15\/celtics-most-all-star-appearances\/\" target=\"_self\">All-Star Game<\/a> with a left adductor strain. Davis got injured on February 8, and according to ESPN\u2019s Shams Charania, he could miss up to a month.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis is expected to miss multiple weeks with a left adductor strain, sources tell ESPN. His absence could stretch to a month. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WnZUuqZKrw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/WnZUuqZKrw<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ShamsCharania\/status\/1888776138878513639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 10, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Even more recently injured is <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gaffoda01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Daniel Gafford<\/a>, who sprained his right MCL on February 10. The initial timeline has him missing at least six weeks. That would keep the 26-year-old on the sidelines until late March.<\/p>\n<p>An All-Rookie Second Team member last season, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/livelde01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dereck Lively II<\/a> hasn\u2019t appeared in a game since January 14. He fractured his right ankle that day and had started each of his last 25 outings prior to getting hurt. It was expected that he would miss 2-3 months, and Lively II has already missed one.<\/p>\n<h3>Warriors &#8211; Jonathan Kuminga<\/h3>\n<p>Nobody seems to agree on what the ceiling of <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kuminjo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jonathan Kuminga<\/a> is. The 22-year-old has been out since January 4 though and missed 21 straight games with a right ankle sprain. He is expected to take part in team practices during the All-Star break and could return as regular season play is restarted.<\/p>\n<p>Photo credit: \u00a9 Jerome Miron-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For many players, the All-Star break comes at an opportune time. These players are dealing with aches and pains from the season, and a little rest can help them return feeling rejuvenated. Other players have missed time though due to an ailment, and the break can help them further heal. Here are some notable NBA [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5060,"featured_media":123966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,30,20,25,31,21,62],"tags":[240,1453,4840,1553,1244,49820,4297,510,4745,53],"class_list":["post-123847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-mavericks","category-nuggets","category-warriors","category-rockets","category-timberwolves","category-nba","tag-anthony-davis","tag-daniel-gafford","tag-dereck-lively-ii","tag-donte-divincenzo","tag-fred-vanvleet","tag-jabari-smith-jr","tag-jonathan-kuminga","tag-julius-randle","tag-nba-injuries","tag-russell-westbrook"],"modified_by":"Kenny Kluska","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5060"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123847"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":123969,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123847\/revisions\/123969"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}