Willie Cauley-Stein returns after missing 4 games with a back injury
By Tyler Watts
Willie Cauley-Stein returned to the Sacramento Kings rotation against the Nuggets. Continue reading for more info on his injury and health going forward.
Willie Cauley-Stein had scored 17 points in three consecutive games and was just coming off perhaps his best performance of the season against the Brooklyn Nets. His seven assists were a season-high and WCS looked fantastic, but things crashed down quickly. Cauley-Stein suffered a back injury, and he was on the sidelines for four consecutive games.
After missing ten days, WCS returned to the lineup on March 11 in Denver. Trill started on the bench but wound up playing 30 minutes and producing an adequate 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the thin air. Not bad after missing that much time with a lower back strain. Now that Cauley-Stein is back, is he out of the woods?
Going forward
WCS has missed multiple games twice with back injuries. He lost three games in early December and now four contests in March. Both times the injury description was a lower back strain, and that makes one a little bit concerned. Players who hurt a different body each time seem unlucky, but chronic injuries are often debilitating. With each subsequent back injury, my fear for Cauley-Stein will grow just a tiny bit. Monitor his status the rest of this season and hope that no further back injuries pop up down the stretch.
Final thoughts
Willie Cauley-Stein missed four straight games with a back injury before returning and playing 30 minutes on Sunday. The Kings play the second of a back-to-back on Monday at the Oklahoma City Thunder. If WCS suits up, that is a fantastic sign for his future health. Hopefully, he returns to the starting five and provides us with a few monster slam dunks on Monday evening.
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