Al Horford and the Most Devastating Early Injuries in the NBA

There is nothing like a devastating injury to completely derail an NBA season for most teams.

The wrist injury to Kobe Bryant could have been one of those injuries but the LA Lakers star has fought through the pain and is off to a great start to the season.

The injury to Atlanta's Al Horford, though, is one of those devastating injuries, as the Hawks likely can't compete without him.

Here's a look at some of the most devastating injuries in the NBA so far this season.

Brook Lopez

Brook Lopez started the injury parade as he was the first star to go down this season.

The New Jersey Nets are without Lopez for up to eight weeks and are off to an awful 2-9 start without him.

It also severely hampers their attempt to acquire Orlando's Dwight Howard as well and that could lead to Deron Williams also not re-signing with the team.

Manu Ginobili

The San Antonio Spurs are 7-4 on the season but only 4-3 since Manu Ginobili broke a bone in his left hand.

They aren't completely dead without him, but if they play like a .500 team in the six-plus weeks they will be without him, it could severely impact a possible playoff run.

Baron Davis

Baron Davis has been out all year and the main reason he makes this list is that the New York Knicks need a point guard badly and it may prove to be too late if they wait for him to return.

Eric Maynor

Losing Eric Maynor for the season with a knee injury could be a big blow for the Oklahoma City Thunder if rookie Reggie Jackson can't slide in comfortably to the backup point guard spot.

Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry's ankle injury isn't just devastating from the standpoint that he's out of the lineup right now; the most devastating part is that this keeps happening and is a cause for concern going forward.

Zach Randolph

Eight weeks without Zach Randolph could be brutal for the Memphis Grizzlies. They are already off to a 4-6 start to the season and winning consistently could become a big issue without their best player.

Eric Gordon

The New Orleans Hornets lost their two best players coming into the season in Chris Paul and David West, so it would at least be nice to see what Eric Gordon can bring to the table, but his sore right knee has limited him to only two games and the Hornets have dug themselves a big hole at 3-7.

Al Horford

The loss of Al Horford pretty much diminishes any chance of Atlanta possibly making a playoff run in 2012.

They lose a double-double per night and a majority of the team's toughness without him.

If there was one guy they likely couldn't lose, Horford would be the guy.