NBA Quick Shots (Oct. 20th): Minnesota's Al Jefferson Out Indefinitely

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Al Jefferson Out Indefinitely

Jefferson is dealing with Achilles tendinitis, and his availability for the rest of the preseason is likely in doubt, while his regular season prospects are uncertain as well.

This does not bode well for the Minnesota frontcourt, which is already dealing with a likely lengthy loss of Kevin Love (below).

They should still be drafted, but be careful how high you take them.

Kevin Love Scheduled For Surgery on Tuesday

Love will have surgery on his broken hand, and should miss the initial expected time (6-8 weeks).

Ryan Gomes figures to get the first crack at serious minutes, while Oleksy Pecherov also has decent value going forward. If Al Jefferson is out for an extended period of time (and he could be), both of these players are worth drafting.

T.J. Ford Out With Strained Hamstring

So much for starting thing off the right way. The oft-injured Ford was planning on taking on a bigger role this year, but with an injury before the season even started, it's hard to love his prospects.

For now, we only know that he'll miss a game or two of preseason action, but hamstring issues can linger, and given Ford's spotty injury past, this makes him look like an even bigger risk than he initially was.

Dwayne Wade Back Returns to Practice

Wade has returned to practicing after missing some time with a calf injury. Teams regularly take precautions like this to be sure of their star's availability for the regular season.

Don't be shocked if Wade sits out most of the remainder of Miami's preseason games. We doubt this will affect him for the start of the NBA season, however.

For more NBA news and fantasy help, go to www.robertsroundballreport.com

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