The Top 5 “What-If-They-Never-Got-Injured” NBA Players
The intensity of basketball is at the highest its ever been. Players are faster and stronger than what they used to be and players are living the lives they dreamed of. However, injuries happen…
Groups of young talented players and NBA stars had their careers cut short from serious injuries. These players not only were some of the most talented players in the world but also could have changed the landscape of the NBA if they were 100% healthy.
This is the Top 5 “What-If-They-Never-Got-Injured” NBA Players.
5. Brandon Roy
Brandon Roy was drafted #6 by the Portland Trailblazers in 2006. He was considered “one of the most versatile and talented young players in the NBA these days, and clearly a cornerstone of Portland’ss franchise” after he got drafted.
Roy won Rookie of the Year averaging 16.8ppg and shooting 45.6% in only his first year at 22-years-old. His stats and confidence continued to grow – he averaged close to 20ppg while shooting above 50% from the field. He even made the insane buzzer-beater that beat the Houston Rockets in November 2008.
However, injuries finally got to him. Roy missed 57 games in his Rookie Year because he had an impingement in his knee. In the 2007-2008 season, he injured his ankle before playing as a reserve in the All-Star game. Roy eventually underwent surgery on his left knee before the 2008-2009 season and then tore his meniscus in his right knee.
Roy never became the same after because he decided to retire after 5 years in the league at 27-years old. He did try making a comeback with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2012-2013 Season, but ended up playing only 5 games.
4. Grant Hill
Grant Hill was drafted #3 by the Detroit Pistons in 1994. He was considered “one of the best players of his generation between the years 1995 and 2000 or so. Was once arguably the most explosive offensive player in the NBA.“
Grant had a long NBA career playing 18 seasons. He was a 7x All-Star, 5x All-NBA, and inducted in the 2018 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Overall, he had a very successful career compared to a majority of other NBA players.
However, a good part of Hill’s career was recovering from injuries and trying to be the player he used to be -averaging 21.6ppg and shooting 47.6% from the field in his first 6 seasons.
Grant Hill had 5 seasons where he played 50 games or less and 1 season where he sat out due to an ankle injury. His ankles were a big issue throughout his career.
Hill was able to finish out his career as a great role player with Phoenix Suns. Although he was able to finish with a successful career, Grant Hill’s polished game was diminished due to injuries.
3. Tracy McGrady
Tracy McGrady was drafted #9 by the Toronto Raptors in 1997. He was considered “An extremely gifted All-Star small forward who has had a hard time finding playoff success despite his surreal offensive skills. Has prototypical size for the small forward position.”
T-Mac was considered one of the best players in the league. His ability to finish to the basket, strong jump shot and large frame made him an offensive threat. McGrady averaged over 25ppg, 6rpg, and 5apg in 7 straight seasons, with the best being in the 2002-2003 season — 32.1ppg, 6.5rpg, and 5.5apg at 45.7% FG.
Tracy played head to head with NBA greats such as Kobe Bryant and could have been considered one of the all-time greats, but a compound of back and knee injuries turned his career around.
2. Derrick Rose
Almost everyone knows Derrick Rose. He is the most relevant player on this list because he still plays in the NBA right now with the Detroit Piston.
Derrick Rose was drafted #1 by the Chicago Bulls in 2008. Rose’s “ability to create off the dribble and finish in traffic has translated seamlessly to the NBA level, as he is yet to find a team that can keep him out of the lane.” He took the NBA by storm, winning Rookie of the Year and the NBA MVP at 22, the youngest NBA MVP ever. Derrick Rose was near unstoppable… until he started to get injured.
During the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, Derrick Rose took a hop step going to the basket and ended up tearing his ACL. He was out for the rest of the playoffs and the rest of the 2012-2013 NBA season.
It did not stop there.
Rose tore his meniscus in his other knee leading him to only play 10 games that season, and ultimately destroying his young career.
Derrick Rose did have spurts of his former MVP self – scoring 50 points in 2018 with the Timberwolves and now averaging 18.1ppg, 5.6apg and shooting 49% with the Detroit Pistons.
1. Penny Hardaway
Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway – one of the most underrated players in NBA History.
Crazy draft day story: The Orlando Magic had the #1 pick in the 1993 NBA Draft and drafted the best player in the draft, Chris Webber. This was a great move because they were going to pair Chris with a young Shaquille O’Neal creating a dominant front-court duo. However, the Magic unexpectedly traded Chris to the Golden State Warriors for Penny Hardaway and 3 first-round picks. This came to a surprise around the league, but the Magic had so much hope for Hardaway.
Penny showed what he was made of – he was All-Rookie 1st team in his first year and All-NBA 1st Team in his second year. He even earned the spot over a prime John Stockton, who is considered one the greatest point guards ever.
Penny was earning respect throughout the league from All-Star Games to a Gold Medal in the 1996 Olympics. He was averaging 20+ppg, 6.5+apg and shooting over 50% from 1994 to 1997. Interestingly, Michael Jordan even wore Penny’s shoes instead of his own Jordan brand when he was playing baseball — that was the definition of ultimate respect for Penny Hardaway only after a few great seasons.
However, the few great seasons were the height of Penny’s career after injuries became a factor. Dr. James Andrews, a respected surgeon in sports, explained Penny’s injuries:
“It was very difficult to explain what was wrong with Penny Hardaway. He was a great guy, a competitive guy, but he had an articular cartilage injury, an injury to the smooth lining of the joint that allows the gliding of the joint. Back then we didn’t really have MRIs to make the diagnosis. Today? Now you would see that on an MRI. It’s still a nemesis and the hardest thing in treatment because the body doesn’t have a way to regenerate it. Mother Nature can’t just fix that. That’s the next step, the biologics, where we determine how to jump-start the healing process and let the body, not the procedure, do the work.”
Penny was never the same again. His knees forced him to miss hundreds of games, pushed him around to other teams, and ultimately ended a career that was so far from what he could have been.
