If there were any positives to Gordon Hayward’s gruesome leg injury in the opening game of the season, they were that it happened early enough to give the Celtics time to make rotation and roster adjustments, and it allowed for Hayward to hold out hope for a possible return in the playoffs.
Elsewhere in the Association, injuries have taken a steep toll on teams and bettors:
DeMARCUS COUSINS – The plan was simple. The league was going small, so the Pelicans would go in the opposite direction and pair Cousins with Big Extraordinaire Antony Davis. Olajuwon-Sampson 2.0, only with more range to suit the new NBA. Cousins’s Achilles tear suffered last week has forced the Pels to burn that blueprint, however, and now the New Orleans front office will spend every waking minute trying to figure out how to salvage their season and hang on to a playoff spot that looked solid only a week ago. Bettors who have been cashing on Pelican over plays (28-21) need to re-evaluate as New Orleans moves forward without Cousins, who averaged more than 25 points this season and had triple-doubles in two of the last three pre-injury games.
MIKE CONLEY – The Grizzlies pushed the envelope a little too far with their core hoping to make another playoff run, but it blew up in their faces when Conley – who has been fighting injuries for years – was lost for the year with his own Achilles issue. Memphis had steadfastly refused to consider trading their two-headed franchise players Conley and Marc Gasol, but with not much young talent in the pipeline the future looks bleak. The only winner here could be former coach Dave Fizdale, who reportedly had issues with Gasol and may have been nudged out the door in an effort to placate the big center. Bettors need to stay clear of the Grizz until they figure things out.
JOHN WALL – After taking the Celtics to seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals last May, the Wizards were brimming with confidence this season. Washington is still a solid bet to get to the playoffs, but after four relatively injury-free seasons, Wall and his ailing left knee are raising red flags. Wall has missed eight games this season and the team is wrestling with how much to play him going forward. Don’t be shocked if he begs out of the All-Star Game to rest the knee. Washington has been a bad cover team this season, and bettors need to keep a close eye on Wall’s status moving forward.
