2 min read • June 21, 2022
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Ahead of Thursday's Draft, Sports Injury Central's team of ProBasketballDocs – consisting of Dr. David Chao, former Bulls team physician Dr. John Hefferon, and current Rockets physician Dr. Walt Lowe - have evaluated six top prospects with injury questions and concerns.
Two-way forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. has dropped from a potential top-five projected pick to a high-30s pick because of a worrisome left ankle injury that has lingered far longer than normal.
Baldwin Jr. suffered a left high ankle sprain in December 2020 that prematurely ended his high school career.
He said in January that he was still dealing with discomfort and limitations from the sprain and there is no indication that he has recovered at this time as he continues to drop in mocks.
If one-and-a-half years of rest and rehab hasn't successfully healed the ankle injury then nothing is likely to change by the Draft or the beginning of the season, according to the Docs.
In only 11 games at University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin Baldwin Jr. scored 12.1 points and grabbed 5.8 rebounds on 34.4% shooting.
Lanky big man Chet Holmgren, a -185 favorite to go second overall on FanDuel Sportsbook, carries concern for two medical red flags.
The Gonzaga forward has a unique frame and skillset, but at 7-feet and 195 pounds he ranks at the low end of the BMI scale.
His slender build has sparked concern from analysts and former players about his future durability and ability to contend with other power forwards and centers, a concern the Pro Basketball Docs believe is valid.
On the medical side, there's concern for a potential connective tissue disorder or heart issues associated with his distinct size.
Holmgren's agents withheld medical information from select teams and Holmgren didn't undergo the NBA's heart screening, according to Basketball News' Matt Babcock, raising the Docs' concern level.
Holmgren was a stat-stuffer for Gonzaga, averaging 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks on 60.7% shooting and 39% from three.
Duke's second top wing prospect, A.J. Griffin, will hold a temporary SIC health score of 88 because of concerns and questions about his already full injury history.
Griffin has suffered a handful of lower leg injuries to both legs and multiple joints, including a February 2021 ankle sprain that ended his senior season and an October 2021 knee dislocation that held him out of Duke's preseason.
The most recent injury was a self-described left ankle “stinger” in the second round of the NCAA tournament, which Griffin returned from in the Sweet 16.
That designation is confusing as stingers only apply to head, neck, and shoulder injuries.
NBA teams will likely took an extra careful look at the three-and-d wing's medicals during the combine to adjudicate the nature of his last injury and ensure there's no structural complications related to his previous injuries.
Griffin is +185 to go in the top 10 on FanDuel Sportsbook, who have set his over/under at pick 11.5.
He averaged 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds on .493/.447/.792 shooting splits for the Blue Devils.
Dynamic Kentucky guard Tyty Washington suffered two lower leg injuries during his freshman season, including a left MCL sprain on February 12.
John Calipari started Washington in Kentucky's next game, against the advice of the Pro Basketball Docs, and Washington struggled to play effectively through injury. The 20-year-old guard's knee was more than likely healed by the NCAA Tournament and won't linger into his NBA career.
Washington is currently projected as a late-lottery to early-20s pick and is set at +2200 to go in the top 10 on FanDuel Sportsbook.
The 6'3" guard averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists on 45.1% shooting last season.
Wisconsin sophomore guard Johnny Davis projects as one of the best offensive players in this class and will start his career with a clean bill of health.
Davis suffered a right ankle sprain in the Badgers' season finale, but was able to return for their final three games. He is fully healthy and carries no apparent injury concerns.
Davis' over/under draft position is set at 10.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook. The 6'5" guard averaged 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds in 2021-22.
Dominant Duke wing Paolo Banchero carries a stellar SIC health score of 98 into the NBA Draft.
The projected top-three pick, who is currently a -220 favorite to go third overall and +240 to go No. 1 on FanDuel Sportsbook, suffered cramps in key games against Kentucky and Gonzaga early in the Blue Devil's season.
The issue prompted Duke to do a sweat test on Banchero that revealed he lost up to seven pounds of sweat per game.
This is not out of the ordinary and can be easily managed, according to the ProBasketballDocs, and illustrates how hard Banchero works.
Banchero averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on 47.8% shooting in his lone year at Duke.
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Told by multiple NBA execs that there were no major medical red flags with players in this year’s NBA Draft - which is both great news and also somewhat rare. One told me there is a little concern with AJ Griffin’s knee — which he injured prior to start of last season at Duke.
Paolo Banchero’s No. 1 overall pick odds have been moving drastically. The Duke forward is now +200, after Jabari Smith at -150, per @fdsportsbook.
The journey: 1. No. 1 player in your class 2. Injury steals your senior yr 3. Pick Dad over Duke 4. Same injury turns college season into a catastrophe 5. You’re now the biggest mystery of the '22 Draft Who is Patrick Baldwin Jr., and what will he become?cbssports.com/nba/news/2022-…
