NBA Week 19: Milwaukee Bucks in business as the hunt for Victor Wembanyama continues | NBA News

As NBA Week 19 approaches, we take a look at the players worth watching and the teams that may be struggling ahead of the playoffs and game picture.

Zion, Curry and Durant receive new injury updates

As the NBA recovers from a frenzied All-Star weekend that saw Team Giannis win 184-175 over Team LeBron, it’s the perfect time to reevaluate the injuries of some of the biggest stars.

At the top of the list is Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry, who has been nursing a leg injury since last month.

General Manager Bob Myers was able to provide insight into the progress of his recovery.

“I’m here at the establishment, [Curry] is here in rehab,” Myers said. “Steph is so uniquely disciplined and driven without anyone telling him. His level of discipline to come back is his. He wants it. He wants to be back. He will be back as soon as possible.”

From the sound of things, it looks like the signs are positive. But will Curry be back in time to help his team cross the play-in line?

For the New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson, the answer is no. It looks like Williams has aggravated an existing hamstring injury, and it’s unclear if he’ll be back anytime soon.

Things are looking much more promising for Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, who has been out of action since mid-January with a medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain in his right knee.

Recently, Durant was able to announce a target return date, hoping to be back after the All-Star break, which will excite fans wanting to see him pair up with Devin Booker.

Bucks set to usurp Boston boys

Sure, the Celtics have won seven of their last nine games, but right now the Bucks are the best team in the league, and there’s no two ways to do that.

For starters, they haven’t lost since Jan. 22, beating top teams like the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies. Their talisman Giannis Antetokoumpo was not there for those wins, although he dazzled against the Chicago Bulls.

A lingering knee injury and, more recently, a sprained wrist kept the “Greek Freak” out of action. Latest rumors suggest he will travel to New York on Monday for further testing.

Yet even in his absence, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez proved up to the task of keeping the Bucks on a blistering 12-game winning streak.

Combine that with the fact that their rivals have had injury crashes and the gap between the two in the standings has narrowed to just one game, and Week 19 will be the week in which Jayson Tatum and co are usurped.

Trouble in Golden State?

The Dubs are in trouble and they know it. Three losses in four games, the Oklahoma City Thunder out of breath in the standings and no end in sight for Curry’s return. It won’t get any easier for Steve Kerr’s team, and recent performances have definitely revealed that.

Recent losses to the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers have been particularly damning. They will face the Lakers, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves to complete their February schedule. It looks like winnable matchups on paper, but things are pretty tough for the Warriors right now.

Given there’s a win between them and the ninth- and tenth-place Thunder, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga will have to split the points and keep their team afloat. You can bet an injured playmaker that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams will do the same.

The hunt for Victor Wembanyama continues

If there was a reverse power ranking, the top three teams would be the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs.

It’s exactly where they want to be. If either of those teams are going to grab projected number one draft pick Victor Wembanyama, then the NBA basement is the position to be in.

Spurs seem to do this job best; they haven’t won since mid-January and are on a 14-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, the Pistons and Rockets are in a vein of similar form, but not to the same degree of detail as Gregg Popovich’s team, which may make them more enticed by projected second draft pick Scoot Henderson.

Wherever Wemby ends up, it’s clear there are teams in the league that will do whatever they can to make that happen.

Luckily, the fixture list detailing Week 19 gives each of these teams a chance to head in that direction.