Injuries

How much do injuries matter?

On the surface, quite a bit. What would the Celtics look like without Kevin Garnett? Or the Devils without Martin Brodeur? Or the Colts without Peyton Manning? These are franchise players who can singlehandedly lift a team.

For our winter Detroit teams, only the Red Wings have franchise-level talent with Zetterberg and Datsyuk, and neither player has been out for any significant length of time. With that said, neither has actually performed to their franchise-level ability either, but that's another story. So, as the injured Pistons and Red Wings slowly regain their health, will they actually start winning some games?

In the Pistons case, probably not. If Tayshaun taught me anything, it's that chemistry matters more than talent. Tayshaun is superior to Jonas Jerebko in every NBA-skill category except perhaps haircut. Yet, the team is infinitely better with Jerebko on the court. Part of the problem may be Tayshaun's rust. Last year, coming off his Olympic summer, Tayshaun was riding high and seemed to raise his game with the arrival of Allen Iverson (the only Piston who benefitted from that trade). As the losses piled up, though, Tayshaun's numbers dipped, and he never recovered. With Tayshaun out with the low-back injury, Jerebko picked up his minutes and made a mark with his athleticism and energy. The team rarely wins, but it's not due to poor play from Jerebko.

Now, Jerebko may not be a big drop-off from Prince, but what about Chucky Atkins? He's stepped in for Will Bynum. And is there any replacement for Ben Gordon? My guess is that Gordon and Bynum have been out so long that they'll have a difficult time re-integrating into the team. Kuester, already overwhelmed with the low attendance and extended losing streaks, will have to balance minutes for everybody. Both Bynum and Gordon have the potential to dominate on the offensive end. When hot, they can be a formidable back-court. But, man, this team is so guard-heavy. Will Bynum and Gordon's play be that much better than what Stuckey and Rip are currently providing? I doubt it. This team really needs help in the front-court. Barring some massive trade (like Stoudemire), I don't see any relief coming any time soon.

As for the Wings, my prediction is that they'll improve dramatically when Homer and Franzen return. I say this due to their impact on the powerplay. Now, the Wings only played three games with both Homer and Franzen on the ice, but the power play converted 26.7% of the time. Since those three games, the power play percentage dropped to 16.6%. That's significant. Those two guys could bring the Wings an extra goal per game, something they desperately need.

So, injuries... how much have they hurt? They've hurt the Wings significantly because nobody can fill the role that Homer and Franzen provide. As for the Pistons, the impact is less tangible. They just rearranged their guard merry-go-round