Josh Smith Injury Update – Fantasy Impact

Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks was on of the most popular picks in 2008 fantasy basketball. His owners right now aren’t too overjoyed as their star forward is out up to four weeks with a high ankle sprain.

First of all, that four week prognosis may be a bit optimistic. High ankle sprains usually take longer to heal, so don’t be surprised to see Smith out for about six weeks. Then again, Smith is young so he may be able to heal faster.

When he returns, you should keep a close eye on him. So much of his game is dependent on his unbelievable athleticism that if he doesn’t return at 100%, you could see his numbers dip substantially. However, at some point this season, you can expect Smith to get back to 100%.

With Smith sidelined, it appears as if the Hawks will elevate Zaza Pachulia into the starting lineup. Pachulia is a candidate to pickup off of a fantasy basketball waiver wire because he has a history of producing when given sufficient minutes. Playing next to Al Horford up front, don’t be surprised to see Pachulia rack up double-doubles while Smith is sidelined.

Last season, Josh Childress would have stepped up and taken some of Smith’s minutes. But with Childress now playing in Greece, those extra minutes will likely be taken by Maurice Evans and Solomon Jones. Evans is a small forward who can put up decent stats if given time, although he’s not too much of an exciting fantasy basketball prospect.

Jones, on the other hand is interesting. He’s a third-year player who is very much unknown, however in his last two games he’s averaging 9.5 rebounds per game. A power forward, Jones could see 20 to 25 minutes per game with Smith out if he continues to provide rebounding and a bit of scoring. If you want to find the sleeper that may emerge due to the Smith injury, look no further than Solomon Jones.

Until Smith is able to return, you can get your high flying fix by watching this Josh Smith mixtape video: