Injury Impact: Eric Gordon, Odds and Ends
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Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire
The New Orleans Pelicans’ fleeting playoff hopes took yet another blow Tuesday night, as starting shooting guard Eric Gordon fractured his right ring finger. He underwent surgery Wednesday and is expected to miss the next four to six weeks, according to a release from the team.
Assuming Gordon doesn’t experience any setbacks in his recovery, owners can’t realistically expect him back until after the All-Star break, making him a possible drop candidate if your league doesn’t have an IR spot. After all, he just narrowly missed an appearance on my list of five players owned in far too many leagues last week, as his production has tapered off significantly since Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans have worked their way back into the Pelicans’ rotation.
Holiday figures to be the biggest beneficiary, fantasy-wise, of Gordon’s injury. The oft-injured floor general has been coming off the bench since the beginning of December, averaging 15.4 points, 5.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 triples and 1.3 steals in 27.3 minutes a night over that 21-game span. Assuming he works his way back into the starting lineup while Gordon is sidelined, he should begin topping 30 minutes a night regularly, which will lead to a slight uptick in fantasy production.
Evans likewise stands to benefit from Gordon’s absence. In the 10 games prior to aggravating his right knee on Jan. 13, Evans averaged a whopping 18.2 points on 44.4 percent shooting, 7.7 assists, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.6 triples in 35.6 minutes a night. Since then, Evans missed New Orleans’ Jan. 18 contest against the Charlotte Hornets and averaged just 12.5 points, 6.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.0 triples and 0.5 steals over the other two. If Evans’ owner is underwhelmed by his recent production or is fearful of his balky knees, take advantage and buy him at market price, as he’s likely to provide top-40 value until Gordon returns.
Beyond Holiday and Evans, Norris Cole may begin receiving a few more minutes each night, but he’s only an option for owners in deeper leagues for now. Dante Cunningham and Alonzo Gee could likewise get a bit more burn, but they’re not viable fantasy targets in leagues with fewer than 16 teams. The Pelicans may also need to trot out Ryan Anderson more frequently now to add another complementary floor-spacer alongside Anthony Davis, but considering the trade rumors swirling around him at the moment, he’s a risky investment for owners looking to shake up their roster.
Odds and ends
Goran Dragic, PG, Miami Heat: Last Thursday, an MRI revealed Dragic had a Grade 1 (mild) calf strain, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. In theory, that gave owners reason to believe his absence wouldn’t last more than a few games. However, Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald reported Tuesday that Dragic still has “no set timetable to return,” saying it still “hurts when he gets on tiptoes.” Skolnick added that Dragic “wanted to play” in Tuesday night’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, but the Heat medical staff told him “to be careful because a calf injury can easily worsen and linger.” Owners can only hold out hope that he returns soon.
Ian Mahinmi, C, Indiana Pacers: Mahinmi lasted just 11 minutes against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday before suffering a sprained left ankle and leaving the contest for good. According to Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star, Mahinmi’s ankle was “swollen badly” and “looked like a softball was growing out of the side of his foot.” If he’s forced to miss any time, Myles Turner would be worth a look, as the rookie big man has averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks a night over his past three games.
Markieff Morris, PF, Phoenix Suns: Just as Morris had begun playing well again, he suffered a strained right shoulder Tuesday against the Pacers, per Buckner, which ended his night after just 12 minutes. While the severity of Morris’ shoulder injury is currently unclear, the Suns have to hope it isn’t serious, as their backup power forwards are likewise banged up. Mirza Teletovic, who started the second half Tuesday in place of Morris, suffered a sprained left ankle and couldn’t continue. Jon Leuer, meanwhile, was a late scratch due to back spasms. If all three aren’t able to go Thursday against San Antonio, P.J. Tucker, T.J. Warren and Alex Len figure to get extra burn.
Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers: According to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the Clippers are hopeful Griffin will be able to return during their current five-game road trip. Head coach Doc Rivers said Griffin “is looking a lot better,” but he expressed skepticism about the big man being ready to return Thursday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, per Ben Bolch of the Times. The main takeaway: Griffin’s return should come within the next few games, making this your last chance to buy even remotely low on him.
All statistics are current through games played on Tuesday, Jan. 19.