Kobe Bryant‘s scheduled season debut tomorrow is receiving most of the headlines, but he’s not the only player hitting the floor for the first time in 2013/14. Otto Porter, the No. 3 overall pick this past June, made his first appearance for the Wizards last night, hours before Ray McCallum, the 36th overall pick, finally got in a game for the Kings.
One of the major story lines last year was Andrew Bynum‘s lost season with the Sixers, who had acquired him via trade the previous summer. There’s fear the Sixers might be stuck with another new player who’ll miss his first season in Philadelphia, as Nerlens Noel continues to recover from a torn left ACL.
Noel is among several players who either signed a contract or were traded this past offseason and have yet to make their 2013/14 debuts. Not all of them are missing time due to injury, as we detail here:
- Chase Budinger, Timberwolves: Out after left knee surgery.
- Isaiah Canaan, Rockets: On D-League assignment.
- Robert Covington, Rockets: On D-League assignment.
- Carlos Delfino, Bucks: Out after right foot surgery. His absence helped prompt the Caron Butler trade.
- Devin Harris, Mavs: Out after toe surgery.
- Carl Landry, Kings: Out after left hip surgery.
- C.J. McCollum, Blazers: Out after right foot surgery.
- Nerlens Noel, 76ers: Out after left knee surgery. May miss the entire season.
- Greg Oden, Heat: His ballyhooed preseason appearance notwithstanding, he continues to rehabilitate his surgically repaired knees.
- Emeka Okafor, Suns: Out after neck surgery. May miss the entire season.
- Chris Smith, Knicks: On D-League assignment.
- Brandan Wright, Mavericks: Out with a broken left shoulder.