Top NBA Rookies Already Have Injuries

I don’t know about you, but whenever an NBA rookie sustains an injury during the off-season and/or training camp — it’s usually a serious indication of how the season is going to go. (Can anybody say, Greg Oden?)

I might be jumping the gun a bit with Blake Griffin. The guy is a beast, an overall talent that is sure to make an impact in the NBA. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft was told late last month to rest his strained right shoulder for three to four weeks. Though he’s losing out on practice time, the L.A. Clippers don’t believe the injury will inhibit Griffin once the season starts.

Tyler Hansbrough on the other hand, isn’t so lucky. He’s been spotted wearing  a large black walking boot to protect a right shin injury that could keep him sidelined at the start of training camp. Hansbrough was the Indiana Pacers‘ top pick in the draft, and the team hopes that he will recover in the next two months. The injury was sustained sometime in the spring, while Hansbrough was leading North Carolina to the NCAA championship.

Injuries can be potentionally harmful for any rookie’s development as a player. Griffin has the capability of coming back strong from his shoulder injury. But Hansbrough has much more to prove, especially since many analysts predict that he will have a hard time transitioning to the NBA.

Hansbrough Highlights:

Griffin Highlights:

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