Best NBA Players Coming Back from Injury for 2024-25
An injury can destroy your season in the NBA — both in real life and fantasy. This happens in every sport, but in a game with only five starters and where the superstar power is at its peak, this is especially true in the NBA. The usage rates are through the roof, so losing a key player could effectively be the reason why a team can miss out on a playoff spot, like the Grizzlies did last year.
Here, we take a look at five players who have missed time during the 2023-24 season, either significant periods or key parts of the campaign, but should be healthy for next season. Those players have the ability to improve a team’s playoff chances dramatically.
Players like Kristaps Porzingis are not included in this list. We decided to limit the piece to players who will be ready for the start of the regular season in October, and Porzingis will not be ready to return to the Celtics until late November or early December at absolute best. Porzingis underwent successful surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and a dislocated posterior tibialis tendon after the 2024 NBA Finals and is expected to return near the end of the calendar year.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at five players who missed significant time in the 2023-24 NBA season but should be ready to go in time for the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
Randle was limited to just 46 regular-season appearances in 2023-24, a career-low mark excluding his rookie year in which he played just one game in 2014-15. He suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery and kept him sidelined since January 27. The star power forward was productive when available, however, as he averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the. field and 31.1 percent from three-point range. Those numbers are far from eye-popping, especially in terms of his efficiency, but Randle has been one of the most consistent forwards in the league over the last five years, averaging at least 19.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in each of those. campaigns, and he averaged a double-double twice in that span.
Randle’s role as the Knicks’ starting power forward is all but secure, but he will have to adjust to a new lineup under head coach Tom Thibodeau. The Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges in the offseason, and the former Villanova standout should join Jalen Brunson, Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby in the starting unit. There’s also a chance Randle plays center, and if that’s the case, Josh Hart or Donte DiVincenzo could move into the starting unit. The addition of Bridges will limit some of the opportunities Randle will have on offense, but that’s a good thing, as New York will have another proven scoring weapon while avoiding over-reliance on the Brunson-Randle duo. Expect Randle to be a reliable contributor, and if he stays healthy, he should hover around the same numbers he’s posted over the last few seasons, scoring around 20 points per game and approaching a double-double on a regular basis.
Simmons has dealt with several injuries over the past few years, and there’s a strong chance that his NBA career will be remembered as one of the biggest “what ifs” in league history. The 27-year-old has played in just 57 regular-season games over the last three seasons, but when available, he’s shown he can still be an active defender and a great playmaker. He was limited to just 15 appearances (12 starts) in 2023-24, but his averages of 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game are nowhere near the 16/8/8 lines he used to hover around his first three years . in the league.
Simmons still hasn’t been cleared for full-contact practices since early September, but he’s been trending in the right direction, and according to general manager Sean Marks, the 28-year-old expected to be fully available before the start of training camp. . Fantasy managers who haven’t given up on Simmons need to be careful, because a return to health doesn’t mean a return to the type of player he once was in his prime with the 76ers. Don’t expect Simmons to take over the offense right away, and even if the Nets finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, Simmons likely won’t be an offensive starter. That’s not who he is, and that’s not who he’ll ever be. Simmons should be a reliable contributor across the board and should leave a mark on the court when healthy, but as a player who has had several major injuries in a short span, he comes with considerable risk.
Most of the things that could have gone wrong with Morant in 2023-24 have gotten worse. Due to a 25-game suspension followed by major shoulder surgery, Morant appeared in just nine games last season, during which he averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals over 35.3 minutes. When it comes to injuries, the Grizzlies have been the league’s unluckiest team by a landslide, and that has reflected in a 27-55 record. Still, Memphis should contend for a playoff spot — at a minimum — now that Morant is back on the court to lead the franchise.
Injuries can happen to anyone, and Morant is expected to be fully healthy when the 2024-25 regular season begins. The biggest concern with him over the past two years has been the disciplinary side of things, but if he can get back on track, there’s no doubt Morant is one of the most electrifying players in the league — and a significant reason why the Grizzlies should to be considered playoff contenders. Dillon Brooks is no longer on the roster, but Morant will be surrounded by quality players in Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson and the ninth pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, Zach Edey. Make no mistake though. This is Morant’s team, and the Grizzlies will only go as far as Morant can take them. However, as a player capable of averaging 25 points, eight assists and six boards per game, the sky is the limit for both the star point guard and the Grizzlies as a whole.
Marcus SmartMemphis Grizzlies
Morant wasn’t the only high-profile absence the Grizzlies had to deal with in the 2023-24 season, as they enjoyed Smart’s veteran leadership for just 20 games, a span in which he averaged 14.5 points, 4.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 2.1 threes. -pointers and 2.1 steals in 30.3 minutes per game. Smart’s last game with the Grizzlies came on Jan. 9, and his return to the Memphis lineup will be a strong addition because of the value he can bring to the table, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Smart will do the same thing he was asked to do with the Celtics: shoot open threes, guard the opposition’s best player and make an impact on the defensive end of the floor by doing the little things that are necessary to win at the highest level . . Morant and Smart played together for just six games, but the Grizzlies went 3-3 in those matchups, with two of those losses coming against the Kings and Clippers, two playoff contenders in the West. Morant will be asked to carry the load on offense, but Smart’s contributions will be key to lifting Memphis to victory in close contests. If Smart stays healthy and is able to shoot the three with an increase in efficiency — as he hasn’t shot more than 34 percent from deep in his last four years in the league — he could also experience a boost in fantasy just by playing. next to Morant.
Williamson does not qualify as a player who missed an extended period of time during the 2023–24 season, as he appeared in a career-high 70 regular-season games for the Pelicans before their exit in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. against Thunder. However, Williamson missed time at a critical stretch when he was unavailable for the Game 1 win over the Kings and the four games against Oklahoma City after suffering a hamstring injury. He’s ready to be ready for training camp, and recent images have shown Williamson is “in the best shape of his life,” so there’s a strong chance he could improve on the 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and career-high 5.0 assists he averaged. 2023-24.
All the stars seem to be lining up for the 2024-25 season to be Williamson’s best in the NBA by a wide margin. The Pelicans have a true point guard in Dejounte Murray, and that should ease the playmaking load on Williamson’s shoulders — even though it resulted in his career high in assists. Williamson can do what he does best, which is attack the paint and bruise opposing defenses with his rare blend of athleticism and strength. He shot a career-worst 57.0 percent from the field last season, but if the star forward can focus on scoring and reclaim his spots on offense, an increase in his scoring and efficiency numbers could happen, even if it means making sacrifices. amount in other categories. Williamson has all the tools to be a consistent first-round pick in most fantasy drafts every year, and the 2024-25 season could be the one where he puts it all together, as long as he can find a way. to stay healthy.
