Possible, but again... these are professionals. A swollen knee isn't a bulging disc. Roy had minor surgery on a minor injury, and was back because his team needed him more than he thought they would. It's not a big deal, and it's certainly not criminal or sacrificing next season.
I just read this from a link over at Blazersedge. Pretty interesting in terms of how far sports medicine has come, I am sure someone might come in and hearken for a return to the "glory days" of basketball when men were men and they simply torn out their knee when slamming it into their opponents head to send a message. http://drpullen.com/2010/04/24/nba-basketball-8-days-after-meniscus-surgery/
Sure. Draining a knee is nothing. A little topical anestheic and a long needle. I've had my knee drained at halftime of a college football game, and I'm a pussy.
I guess it's okay for a meaningless regular season game, but it's criminal for a playoff game. Or maybe Suns fans are just babies. Wed Mar 31, 1:32 am ET CHICAGO (Reuters) – Two-time MVP Steve Nash, battling back spasms, out-dueled young point guard Derrick Rose to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 111-105 win over the Chicago Bulls and their eighth successive victory on Tuesday. Nash scored 22 points and made 10 assists, including the pass to Channing Frye's go-ahead three-pointer with 41 seconds remaining to give the Suns a 106-103 lead. Nash then found Grant Hill for a dunk and added two free throws to clinch the win.