Hopes were that Dirk Nowitzki would be back in action this month following surgery in October, but Dirk has told reporters he does not expect to be back soon, indicating he has “a long way to go.” He said swelling has kept him from returning, although he has avoided any setbacks. As of now, expect an early January return, maybe around January 12, which is the start of a 4 game road trip for Dallas.
Wilson Chandler – Is probably to return on December 14, or at least sometime soon thereafter.
Andrew Bogut – He recently indicated he is not close to returning to action. He also said he has serious swelling which means he cannot undergo major activity or strain. He’s probably not worth holding onto in most leagues.
John Wall – Every time I do an injury recap, I get a question about Wall. Information has not been very forthcoming, until now; the Wizards explained that Wall’s timetable was set at 8-12 weeks about 10 weeks ago, so we could see Wall back this month. January is probably more likely, but at least we have some details to work with.
Danny Granger – His knee rehab is going well, but there is no timetable for his return.
Chauncey Billups – His left foot is sore, and he is in the midst of missing some time to heal. He will probably be back by Christmas. This injury is unrelated to what kept him out for so many months, which leaves one to wonder if Billips is too old and brittle to bother with.
Paul Gasol – He has missed four games and is likely to miss another one as he deals with tendinitis in both of his knees. He hasn’t lived up to expectations this year, and D’Antoni doesn’t seem to love him, and now this, and all of a sudden I’m wondering if he is a Sell candidate. I’m not selling quite yet, but it’s been a frustrating season for his owners thus far.
Steve Nash – Speaking of D’Antoni, he revealed that Nash could return during the Lakers’ four-game road trip this week. Any window to grab Nash is rapidly closing.
Beno Udrih – He should be close to returning from his ankle sprain. Act accordingly
Eric Gordon – Hey, look who may be back before the new year: rumor has it Gordon has been making good progress with his rehab and may return by the end of the month. I’ll believe it when I see it, but my teams would certainly benefit from his return.
Amar’e Stoudemire – People were expecting Stat to return by Christmas for the game against the Lakers, but that now appears unlikely.
Andrew Bynum – Finally, we get to everyone’s favorite no-show. Bynum will be re-evaluated on December 20, and we should no once and for all if he should be owned or dropped. The good news is the swelling has gone down, the bad news is even if he is given the green light on the 20th, we’re still looking at a mid-to-late January return. Word has it that the team is not optimistic that he will return.
