NBA: Meet the All- Injury Starting Lineup

Every professional athlete at some point in their career deals with injury. Injuries are a part of sports, and range in severity. Whether the injury is a sprained ankle or recovering from a torn ACL, it is likely to be somewhat of a setback for the player involved.

However, there are certain current athletes that seem to deal with injury-related questions more than others.

The players listed in the following slides have dealt with injuries throughout their careers, and continue to manage their NBA careers as well to this day.

So, lets meet the team!

Point Guard: T.J. Ford, Indiana Pacers

T.J. Ford has spent time with Milwaukee, Toronto and has been with the Indiana Pacers since 2008. Ford played in only 55 games during the 2003-04 season and missed the entire 2004-05 season with the Milwaukee Bucks due to a spinal cord contusion that was labeled as “career-threatening”.

Ford was traded to the Toronto Raptors before the 2006-07 season, where he contributed to the team in a major way, while staying away from serious injuries. However, during the 2007-08 season in a game versus the Atlanta Hawks, Ford suffered another serious injury (a stinger) that knocked him out for some time, and out of the rotation in Toronto.

In 2008 the Raptors dealt Ford to Indiana, where he did receive playing time and stayed away from any major injuries. After dealing with the spinal cord contusion and the stinger injuries, Ford has had to adjust his game, and as a current unrestricted free-agent, will have to answer questions about how his previous injuries are going to affect how long his NBA career lasts.

Shooting Guard: Marquis Daniels, Boston Celtics/Sacramento Kings

Marquis Daniels has spent time with Dallas, Indiana, and both Boston and Sacramento last season. Daniels, undrafted out of Auburn University, has seen his share of injuries. His first injury came in 2006-07 with Indiana, but most recently this past season when he suffered a bruised spinal cord as a member of the Boston Celtics, who were hosting the Orlando Magic.

Daniels, who missed the remainder of the season, was traded to the Sacramento Kings in a luxury-tax move. Daniels never appeared in a game for Sacramento this past season. Daniels is currently recovering from the injury and looking to get back to practicing basketball in preparation for the 2011-12 season.

Small Forward: Mike Miller, Miami Heat

Mike Miller has spent time with Orlando, Memphis, Minnesota, Washington and last season as a member of the Miami Heat, where he signed a new five-year contract worth $25 million. With the Washington Wizards, Miller played in 54 games, as he suffered a shoulder injury that caused him to miss the early part of the season.

After signing a large contract with the Heat, especially for a player that was entering his 11th season, Miller hurt his thumb in practice, had surgery and played in only 41 games this past season. Even during the season, Miller missed games due to short-term injuries.

Power Forward: Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls

Carlos Boozer has spent time with Cleveland, Utah and signed a big contract with the Chicago Bulls last year, and has seen his share of injuries occur during his NBA tenure so far. When Boozer was a member of the Utah Jazz (from 2004 until 2010), he played in only 84 games during his first two seasons in Utah due to a knee and hamstring injury.

Furthermore, after the Bulls acquired him, via sign-and-trade, Boozer played in only 59 games this past season after breaking his wrist in a home incident. This injury shadow seems to follow Boozer around and has been taking place right after he signs a large contract with a NBA team.

Center: Jeff Foster, Indiana Pacers

Jeff Foster has spent his entire NBA career with the Indiana Pacers and worked his way from the fourth center on the depth chart to a starter. However, recently, Foster suffered a back injury in December 2009 that required surgery, keeping him sidelined on the bench.

Foster played in only 16 games during the 2009-10 NBA season and in 56 games during the 2010-11 season. It has still yet to be seen whether Foster has completely recovered from the surgery and can contribute this coming season.