Power Ranking Injured Star’s Impact on Next Season

Aug 6, 2013

Last season a lot of key players got injured and were lost for the rest of the season. All those players will be back next season and will all have a big impact on their teams. The question is which returning star will have the biggest impact next season.

Honorable Mention:

David Lee

I would say that David Lee coming back next season after getting injured will be big for the Warriors but I’m not. To tell the truth the Warriors play better without David Lee anyway, it’s a shame he was chosen over Stephen Curry in last years all-star game because that’s the teams real star. Now that they have added Andre Igudola the team is even more strapped for a playoff push next season. Lee is a good player but his impact just won’t be enough for the list.

Kevin Love

Nothing against Kevin Love he’s a great player but his impact won’t be enough for this list either. It’s not that he won’t change the team for the better or anything like that I just don’t see them improving at all. It looks like they had a big summer but realistically all the did was sign Kevin Martin and draft a few players. The Wolves won’t be that different from last year, so K-Love won’t be on the list.

5. Rajon Rondo

The Celtics won’t be as bad as it felt like when they first traded KG and Paul Pierce. They probably won’t make the playoffs or anything like that but I can see them at least getting around 30 wins. When Rondo went down last season, the Celtics finished out strong but ultimately needed him in the playoffs. He’s coming back to pretty much a new young team and will be the leader. I expect him to have a big impact on both ends and probably do some scoring also. He’s going to be the key piece now so Rondo will definitely have a big impact.

4. Danny Granger

The Pacers didn’t need Danny Granger last season, but his presence would have been nice. Granger was the undisputed leader for the Pacers but now that Paul George has broken out and Roy Hibbert continues to develop, things are changing in Indiana. Granger can score and that’s all that was missing from the Pacers last year. If he comes off the bench he’s getting 6^th man of the Year hands down, if he starts then he’s still going to do a damn good job at it. Either way Granger’s return will be huge for the Pacers and could ultimately be one of the factors that help them potentially win the East.

3. Kobe Bryant

The Lakers didn’t have a good season last year. Dwight Howard left, Steve Nash is old and Pau Gasol is looking like he’s on the decline. Kobe got hurt last season right when they needed him and I honestly thought he was going to play anyway. The Lakers are Kobe’s team and they are nothing without him. The Lakers won’t suck next year but they also won’t be a contender and we have Kobe Bean Bryant to thank for that.

2. Derrick Rose

I almost forgot how good Derrick Rose is but I didn’t and you shouldn’t either. Everyone on the Bulls was broke down by playoff time but now they’re all getting a well-deserved break. The Bulls were still a great team last year with D-Rose out but with him coming back they are going to be great. Rose will provide the offense while the supporting cast backs him up on the defensive end. Last year the Bulls weren’t a title contender, but this year Derrick Rose is back and they are definitely title contenders.

1. Russell Westbrook

Hand’s down Russell Westbrook’s injury made the biggest difference in the NBA. When Westbrook went down so did the Thunder. He gets criticized for not passing the ball to Kevin Durant but when he wasn’t there to run the offense, Durant and the Thunder looked bad. They got beat pretty bad and damn near could of gotten knocked out of the first round. With Westbrook playing the Thunder were 3 games away from a title two seasons ago, with him out they were gone second round. Westbrook coming doesn’t just affect his team but the entire Western Conference, when he went down the West became wide open before he got hurt it was OKC all day baby.