Andre Drummond, the Detroit Pistons' explosive rookie center, could miss four to six weeks with a stress fracture in his back.
Drummond, 19, hurt his back attempting to block a shot in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Drummond will miss the Rising Stars Challenge in Houston during All-Star weekend.
Pistons GM Joe Dumars told Yahoo! Sports that he and his staff are investigating available short-term replacements in the frontcourt, and deciding if there's a player whom they believe could help them.
The loss of Drummond will likely offer Russian rookie center Slava Kravtsov, who has appeared in only six games, a chance to earn minutes.
After dropping to the ninth spot in the June NBA draft, Drummond has averaged 7.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in less than 20 minutes a game for the Pistons. His minutes have steadily increased, and Drummond has shown himself to have the chance to be a dominant center in the NBA.
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