A Lisfranc injury ended Udonis Haslem’s 2010–11 regular season with the Miami Heat, although he returned after six months and played in the playoffs. Although recovery time after injury varies from person to person, full recovery for elite athletes typically takes seven to 11 months, according to Amiethab A. Aiyer, associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine. .
Reports of Lisfranc’s injuries within the NBA are sparse compared to those in contact sports such as rugby or soccer, where they have been studied more closely, Aiyer said. In both sports, studies show that most players return from Lisfranc injuries within 11 months, but experience “some declines in those first two seasons”.
“For other sports for which literature is available, including rugby and the NFL, where it happens much more frequently, there is a fairly good chance – close to 90% or more – of a return to play in a year,” Aiyer said. “Some studies show no real difference between pre-injury play and post-injury play, but there is certainly evidence for [potential] refuse to return.
As Holmgren begins his rehabilitation, he can look to other NBA high draft picks who missed their early seasons through injury and came back with somewhat mixed results.
Perhaps the starkest example of recent star potential wasted by injuries, Oden was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the first pick of the 2007 draft despite questions about his durability. That summer, the former Ohio State All-American underwent an exploratory procedure after suffering swelling in his right knee and had to undergo microfracture surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2007-08 season. .
A series of knee injuries constantly sidelined the 7-footer, who then suffered season-ending injuries in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 campaigns. Oden played three seasons for the Trail Blazers and the Miami Heat, appearing in 105 games and averaging 8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. He is currently director of basketball operations at Butler under former Buckeyes coach Thad Matta.
Like Oden, injury issues followed Griffin from college to the pros, where he was the Los Angeles Clippers’ No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft. Months later, in the Clippers’ final preseason game, Griffin winced as he returned to the ground after a dunk. It was later revealed that Griffin had suffered a broken left kneecap, delaying his rookie debut for what was thought to be only several weeks. Instead, the former Oklahoma star missed the entire season after tests showed his knee wasn’t recovering properly.
Despite the setback, Griffin, who was considered a rookie in the 2010–11 season, was voted into the 2011 All-Star Game and went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Although injuries plagued Griffin’s career in the following years – he missed the rest of the 2019-20 season with a nagging left knee injury – he received his sixth All-Star Game selection in of the 2018-19 campaign. Griffin, who now plays for the Brooklyn Nets, averaged 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last season.
Arguably the NBA’s most dominant star to miss his first season through injury, Embiid has been one of the league’s best big men since being taken on by the Philadelphia 76ers with the third overall pick in the 2014 draft – despite having surgery on a broken bone in his right foot six days prior.
The injury forced him to miss the first two seasons of his career after a long recovery that led to a second foot surgery, more than a year after the initial procedure. Embiid finally made his 76ers debut in October 2016, recording 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in a loss to the Thunder.
The 7-footer has since become one of the best big men in the league, earning All-Star selections each of the previous five seasons. Embiid was one of the toughest defensive players in the NBA, but he also won the league scoring title last season averaging 30.6 points per game.
The first overall pick in the 2016 draft, Simmons missed his first season with the 76ers after twisting his right ankle in the team’s final scrum of training camp. Tests revealed Simmons had fractured a bone in his right foot and he was officially ruled out for the year after further tests showed an incomplete recovery later that season.
When he debuted the following season, Simmons averaged 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game en route to NBA Rookie of the Year. The following season, he earned the first of three All-Star selections.
Simmons has established himself as one of the best defensive players in the league, although his offensive shortcomings have come under increasing scrutiny and contributed to his move from Philadelphia to Brooklyn in February. Hampered by back problems at the end of last season, Simmons has yet to make his debut with the Nets.
