Painful start: How will these star injuries change the NBA season?

The excitement of a new NBA season quickly gave way to the disappointment that comes with a wave of consequential injuries.

There's plenty of time to examine why the number of injuries is rising, and what, if anything, the NBA thinks it can do about it. For now, let's break down how the league's biggest early-season injuries will impact the season at large.

To give you an idea of how many rotation players are already sidelined, names like Kon Knueppel, Ivica Zubac, Ben Simmons, Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud, and Ariel Hukporti didn't even make this list, nor did stars who entered the season already injured, like Jimmy Butler.

Favorites take massive hit

We already dove into how Williams' catastrophic leg injury impacts Oklahoma City's title hopes. The Thunder may be the one team equipped to survive such a blow, but J-Dub's absence likely leaves them without the secondary scoring and size on the wing required for a championship run.

In Williams' last healthy season - only his third year as a pro - he served as the second-best player on a title team while earning All-NBA and All-Defensive honors. That type of player doesn't grow on trees, and Williams' hamstring issues were already the biggest reason OKC didn't repeat as champions last season. It's just incredibly difficult to replace his combination of size, three-level scoring, playmaking, and physicality. Ajay Mitchell is an impressive young player, but the chances of him rising to Williams' level are slim.

Making matters worse, the Thunder also lost Wallace, whose continued development was supposed to mitigate the loss of Lu Dort (whom the Thunder traded in the offseason).

The Thunder should still find themselves among the inner circle of contenders - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and the team's two-way role players are that good - but their margin for error is now dangerously thin. A disabled player exception could allow OKC to hunt for another rotation player, but ownership would have to be OK with blowing past the second apron.

Meanwhile, a splashier move, like trading Williams for a long-term downgrade who can help immediately, doesn't seem to be in general manager Sam Presti's nature. With the way Oklahoma City is constructed - three max contracts, only two mid-size deals (Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso), and a bunch of cheaper contracts - trading for an impact player would mean making some uncomfortable decisions.

Finally, it's worth noting that Holmgren, Caruso, Mitchell, Thomas Sorber, and Nikola Topic are also all on the team's current injury report. Welp.

Ant's MVP campaign ends early

If you want to understand why Edwards is one of a select few superstars affectionately referred to as a dog, just study his opening-week heroics. Despite tweaking his right knee on opening night - the same knee that troubled him in last spring's playoffs - and playing through pain in Minnesota's first four games, Edwards averaged 33.3 points on 59% true shooting while logging nearly 34 minutes per contest.

Even if he didn't look quite right physically, Edwards found a way, which was a big reason the Timberwolves got off to an encouraging 3-1 start that had many pegging them as legitimate contenders in a suddenly open Western Conference. Their only hope now is that they can stay afloat long enough for a healthier version of Edwards to carry them home in the second half of the season and beyond.

Much of the responsibility will fall on LaMelo Ball's shoulders, and we're about to find out how real this new, more disciplined version of the star guard is. With Edwards as the team's undisputed alpha, Ball seemed content to fit in, take over only when needed, cut the boneheaded decisions, and play some of the best defense of his career. Can he continue to do those things while now being looked upon as a leader for a team with serious aspirations? Or will he give in to some of his worst on-court impulses?

Between Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, and Terrence Shannon Jr., there's still plenty of talent in the backcourt, while Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels form the backbone of a second-ranked defense. The Wolves have enough to keep their head above water until Edwards returns. But they need Ball at his best.

Kawhi on the shelf again

Leonard technically isn't dealing with an injury, is pain-free, and this isn't the same knee he's had multiple surgeries on in the past. But any time a 35-year-old who's averaged only 55.5 games per season over the last four years is sidelined, it's a concern. Especially when that player is under contract for up to $165 million over the next three years and only played two games before the flare-up occurred.

This was always part of the risk in trading for and extending Leonard, and the Raptors knew that as well as anyone. All Toronto can hope for is that the two-time Finals MVP - who was one of eight players to receive MVP votes last season - eventually finds his rhythm and gets himself up to speed by the end of the season.

In the meantime, the Raptors should have enough to compete on a nightly basis, though it would help if Scottie Barnes tapped into the same downhill aggression he played with during the playoffs. Between Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, and early breakout player Ja'Kobe Walter, among others, Toronto's top-ranked defense shouldn't slip much. But their offense is suddenly faced with familiar questions about half-court creation, 3-point shooting, and star-scoring abilities.

Jazz frontcourt in shambles

Utah's remade frontcourt was supposed to be the backbone of a team that had postseason aspirations for the first time in five years. So much for that. With Nurkic sidelined since early October and Lauri Markkanen day-to-day with a wrist injury, Jackson's knee injury puts the Jazz in an incredibly tough position. Even reserve center Jaxson Hayes is dealing with a shoulder issue.

It would help if third-year big man Kyle Filipowski found his footing and his way back into the rotation, but regardless, the Jazz are suddenly looking at a situation where they'll need a lot from Mo Bamba. They'll also need to lean on the kids again, with Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, and rookie Darryn Peterson thrust into the spotlight, only this time on a Jazz team actually trying to win.

Magic can't catch a break

The Magic dodged a bullet when Suggs' injury was deemed less serious than initially feared, but Orlando remains snakebitten.

Banchero's overall impact remains a contentious topic, but the 23-year-old was off to the best start of his career, which makes his latest injury such a bummer. Franz Wagner can fill Banchero's role as a No. 1 option, and some would say he'll do the job more effectively, but losing Banchero is still a significant talent drain.

While Wagner can somewhat make up for the loss of Banchero, Suggs will prove more irreplaceable over the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately for the Magic, they've grown accustomed to life without the feisty guard, who's averaged only 53.6 games per season over the last five years. Suggs' combination of playmaking, IQ, and elite guard defense is hard to replicate, and the Magic just never look as organized without him. Last season, Suggs' team-leading on/off differential of plus-10.1 per 100 possessions ranked 16th among the 279 players who logged at least 1,000 minutes, according to Cleaning The Glass. Orlando needs more from Desmond Bane and the recently extended Anthony Black.

The Magic, boasting one of the league's most expensive rosters, were always going to be in tough just to make the playoffs in a reloaded Eastern Conference. At 1-2, with 13 of their next 18 games on the road and without the services of Banchero and Suggs, they can only hope they aren't buried by Christmas.

Since mortgaging a fair chunk of their future for Desmond Bane, the Magic have rarely gotten to see the team they envisioned. Bane, Banchero, Wagner, and Suggs have only played 21 of a possible 85 games together, and that's before taking into account the chunk Banchero is about to miss. Ideally, the Magic would find out what they have before making another franchise-altering decision. They may never get the chance.

Duren sidelined early

After a summer standoff, this certainly isn't how Duren and the Pistons wanted to start his new $200-million contract.

Compared to some of the other injuries already discussed, a hamstring strain doesn't sound that bad. But as we've seen throughout history, including with Jalen Williams last year, a tweaked hammy can be a tricky ailment to manage and overcome within a season.

Cade Cunningham and Co. should keep the team afloat, while Paul Reed is a fine backup option, particularly on the defensive end. But the East isn't as forgiving as it was last year, when Detroit won a conference-leading 60 games. The Pistons need Duren in the middle and playing at his All-Star best to reach their lofty goals. However long it takes for his hamstring to fully heal, they'll give it to him.

Hali's return didn't last long

All the same concerns about hamstrings apply to Haliburton, who was a late addition to this unfortunately growing list. The fact Indiana's star guard has been sidelined again feels most cruel. Haliburton was overcome with emotion when he made a triumphant return to the court last week following a long layoff due to an Achilles injury. A timeline for his latest ailment has yet to be determined, but the Pacers will be in tough without him.

The 2-2 club has won its minutes with Haliburton on the court by 5.4 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com. By comparison, Indiana has lost its Haliburton-less minutes this season by a team-worst 4.9 points per 100 possessions. It's no wonder why, as the two-time All-Star is averaging 21.8 points and 9.5 assists on 52/37/87 shooting splits to start the year.

Between Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and some two-way depth, the Pacers won't be completely lost without their leader. But few players around the league can elevate the offensive talent around them like Haliburton. It also doesn't help that reliable reserve guard T.J. McConnell is dealing with a hamstring issue of his own (while Ivica Zubac is iffy with an ankle injury).

Joseph Casciaro is theScore's lead NBA reporter.