The 2022-23 NBA season is on the horizon and we are counting down the days at this point. It promises to be another fascinating campaign full of twists and turns as 30 teams eye the biggest prize in the sport.
The unfortunate side effect of playing sports of any kind at the professional level is that injuries are inevitable. It is part and parcel of the game and every year, it seems like a couple of big stars go down with injuries, which is a shame.
6 NBA Stars Are Making A Comeback After Missing The Whole Of Last Season
You hate to see a player go down hurt, no matter who it is and we saw more than a few miss out on the whole of last season. Not all of them were down to just injuries though, but the good news is that 6 of them are indeed returning this season and we couldn’t be more excited.
NBA stars who are returning after missing all of last season:
– Kawhi Leonard
– Zion Williamson
– Ben Simmons
– Jamal Murray
– John Wall
– James Wiseman
Glad they’re back 🙏 pic.twitter.com/3oX8ZBNUi6
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 4, 2022
Kawhi Leonard and Jamal Murray both suffered ACL injuries in 2021, with the former suffering a tear in his right knee during the Western Conference Semifinals while the latter suffered one on his left, towards the end of the regular season. It was a big blow to their respective franchises and while there were rumors of them returning for this past postseason, they ultimately didn’t.
As for Zion Williamson, he suffered a Jones fracture in his right foot in the offseason last year, and while he was initially expected to return in time for the start of the season, his recovery proved to be very slow and Zion would miss the entire campaign. James Wiseman was another who was supposed to be back at some point last season but suffered a setback in his rehab from a torn meniscus, which meant he had to sit out while the Warriors won the championship.
Ben Simmons was probably the one who came closest to playing last season, as the reason he didn’t play for the Sixers was that he wanted out, as head coach Doc Rivers and star teammate Joel Embiid had taken shots at him after they lost to the Hawks in the playoffs. Simmons would get his wish earlier this year as he was traded to the Nets, but a back injury prevented him from playing in any game for them. John Wall was the only one here who wasn’t dealing with any injury, as he and the Rockets just came to an agreement that he would sit out for the whole season, as they wanted to give their youngsters more playing time.
All of these guys are set to make a comeback and their returns are crucial for their teams. The Clippers are only a threat if Kawhi is healthy and they also acquired Wall to be the elite playmaker that this iteration of the team has never had. They both looked good on their return in the preseason as well, which is great news. Murray’s return, meanwhile, provides some much-needed help for Nikola Jokic, and Zion will be looking to help the Pelicans take that next step after they made the playoffs despite his absence last season. Wiseman is perhaps the least important player for his team from this group, but the former 2nd overall pick will be hoping to play his part and help the Warriors defend their crown. We are glad all of them are back and hopefully, they manage to stay on the court this time around.
