The NBA's Long-Term Injury List is Already an All-Star Graveyard

The NBA season is barely underway, and the long-term injury report already looks like a Western Conference All-Star ballot.

Keith Smith just dropped the current list of players expected to miss at least four weeks, and it is an absolute graveyard for fantasy basketball dreams and preseason futures tickets.

"Keith Smith tweeted the full list of 15 players out for at least four weeks."

We are not just talking about end-of-the-bench rotation guys. The list includes franchise cornerstones like Anthony Edwards, Paolo Banchero, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jalen Williams, all parked on the sideline for a month or more.

Taking Edwards and Banchero off the floor removes two of the most electric young stars in the league right as the season is trying to build momentum. It completely flips the math for their respective rosters, forcing role players to suddenly pretend they can create their own shot with the clock winding down.

Then you have the usual suspects. Seeing Kawhi Leonard, Kristaps Porzingis, and Ben Simmons on a long-term injury list is like seeing a traffic jam in Los Angeles. If they were not on there, you would assume the simulation was broken.

For anyone trying to set a daily lineup or handicap a Tuesday night slate, this is a logistical nightmare. You are suddenly asking guys to step up and play meaningful rotation minutes while the heavy hitters are in street clothes.

The sheer volume of missing talent means we are going to see some very weird box scores over the next month. Keep an eye on the prop markets, because the usage rates for the guys left standing are about to go through the roof.