NBA Notebook: Bucks lose Lopez for the season

A whole lot of consequential injury news broke around the league this week. We're here to keep you updated on all the implications in today’s edition of our NBA Notebook. Let’s dive in!

BROOK LOPEZ HAS BACK SURGERY

The Milwaukee Bucks announced on Thursday that Brook Lopez, who had missed all but the first game of the season, will be having back surgery. While the team has not officially ruled Lopez out for the rest of the season, that seems an inevitability at this point.

The Bucks’ decision not to retain PJ Tucker in the offseason now looks particularly bad. Not only is Tucker currently boosting the fortunes of a serious Eastern Conference rival in the Miami Heat, but the Bucks' forward rotation is now paper-thin.

Without Lopez, Giannis becomes the starting center for the Bucks and vacates his power forward position to Bobby Portis full time. While Portis became a fan favorite and had his moments in last year's playoffs, I would not personally feel comfortable pinning my playoff hopes on him duplicating that performance. And when one of Portis or Giannis have to sit? Relying on the newly signed DeMarcus Cousins is a dicey proposition.

With the Bucks missing another major rotation piece, grabbing the Brooklyn Nets at +250 to win the title is looking like a value bet.

BAM ADEBAYO OUT WITH THUMB INJURY

Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat has suffered a torn UCL in his right thumb and will undergo surgery, with a recovery timeline ranging anywhere from 6-8 weeks. The Heat have looked dangerous to start the season, but the criticism of their roster was that they were thin, and would likely be a better playoff team than in the regular season for that reason.

Adebayo missing serious time compounds that issue, as the Heat are now relying on an aging trio of Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, and PJ Tucker to take on more responsibility in his absence. The Heat also have an upcoming seven-game road trip out West, and despite being fifth in the East standings are only two losses ahead of the 11th spot. 

In the cutthroat East playoff race, they could slip all the way out of the Play-In during Bam’s absence.

LEBRON’S FALSE POSITIVE

Lakers fans are breathing a sigh of relief today. LeBron James entered NBA health and safety protocols earlier this week and was forced to sit out as LA played the Sacramento Kings. It was feared he might miss several games, with 10 days being the minimum absence even if a vaccinated player is asymptomatic. Instead, he will be returning to action Friday night against the Clippers.

That’s because after returning one positive COVID-19 test, James has now returned eight straight negative PCR tests, indicating that his initial positive test was a false one. 

Luckily this episode will be remembered as a minor hiccup, and not the catastrophe it might have been when the news first broke.

TAMPERING INVESTIGATION METES OUT MILD PUNISHMENT

After a long, drawn-out investigation, the probe into the tampering accusations levied at the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat came to a close this week. In the end, it was proven that the Bulls and Heat both engaged in tampering to land Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry, respectively. The consequences for doing so? Mild even might be too strong a word. Both teams will relinquish a single future second-round pick.

I don’t get the impression that either the Bulls or Heat will feel particularly chastised by this pronouncement. The Bulls are currently playing like one of the best teams in the NBA in no small part due to Lonzo, and Lowry has made the Heat look like dark horse contenders in their own right. Making them forfeit just a second-round pick for moves that so greatly improved their teams is tantamount to the league office saying "we don’t mind that you did this, just don’t make it so obvious next time."

MICHAEL PORTER JR. HAS SEASON-ENDING BACK SURGERY

As feared last week, Michael Porter Jr. did indeed need to have season-ending back surgery. It marks his third such surgery since MPJ began playing basketball in high school, and it’s not hyperbole to say his basketball career is in jeopardy.

Also in jeopardy are the Denver Nuggets' title aspirations, as they’ll need Jamal Murray to make a fast and furious comeback from his ACL injury in order to make anything happen in the Western playoffs.

Above all else, we’re hoping that Porter’s surgery and rehab go well. Back surgery is no joke.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BREAK MARGIN OF VICTORY RECORD

In one of the most bizarre games of basketball you will ever see, the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Oklahoma City Thunder last night by a margin of 73 points. That’s not a typo. The final score was 152-79.

The previous record was 68 by the Cleveland Cavaliers over the Miami Heat in 1991.