<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Timberwolves guard Rashad McCants wouldn't reveal whether Kevin Garnett was serving him breakfast in bed or bringing him the remote control. But the mere fact that Garnett allowed McCants to stay at his Orono house for several days after knee surgery lifted McCants' spirits. "Being great friends with Kevin Garnett is more of a bonus than anybody would know because I can actually go and talk to him, being around him and knowing I have a superstar teammate that embraces me and enjoys being around me as much as I do him," McCants said Thursday. "He kind of kicked me out after a couple days because he was like 'No, I'm not going to be doing this all day.' But I appreciated everything he did for me throughout those four or five days. "K.G. is K.G. It was just special." McCants is recovering from microfracture surgery on his right knee June 16 and is expected to be sidelined four to six months, if not longer. McCants said he hopes to return by December or January, but he doesn't intend to rush back. McCants said he tweaked his knee May 2 during a workout after the season ended and that his condition worsened. He understands that rehabilitation is the key to making a full recovery. Tiny holes are drilled in the bone at the site where cartilage has eroded. The holes stimulate blood flow and the formation of fibrocartilage, which provides the cushion to prevent bones from grinding against one another. The surgery has become more common in the NBA over the past five years. Some players haven't recovered well and have lost the quickness and strength they had in the surgically repaired knee. In some cases, careers ended after the procedure. Former Wolf Terrell Brandon had the surgery in February 2002 and then retired because of the injury. Others such as former New York Knick Allan Houston recovered but suffered a dramatic drop in performance. "I think that the past guys who've had it and really didn't come back as strong as they were supposed to really tried to rush back, and it pushed them back further and further, and they didn't really have time to get their mobilization back," McCants said. "Antonio McDyess is probably the biggest one where he had the surgery and it took him a couple years to get back (closer to full strength) and now he's starting to come back to his form. Amare Stoudamire next year should be back to his all-star level." McCants said doctors have told him he will make a full recovery and regain the quickness that was a key part of his game. But it's a long process ? he is expected to be on crutches for four to five more weeks. New Jersey Nets point guard Jason Kidd's recovery is considered among the best-case scenarios. He had the surgery in July 2004 and was playing by December. Kidd's physical therapist who handled his recovery, Matthew Gibble, said there were many factors involved in his recovery. "There's no real cookbook for microfracture success because every athlete is different, body type, work ethic, a lot of those things come into play," Gibble said recently. Gibble said it's critical that athletes be patient. Pain and swelling in the knee are red flags that must be heeded. Kidd's recovery was aided by weeks spent doing therapy in a pool, Gibble said. Being in the water took stress off the knee. "When guys come back too soon, you're basically setting yourself up for disaster," Gibble said. "With microfracture, you don't want to take any risks or chances. If you're taking a risk and it doesn't work out, it's a really bad risk. "If the joint hasn't really been tested properly, they can make a big mistake by trying to come back too soon." No one can say exactly how long McCants will be sidelined. But he said he doesn't feel threatened by the addition of Villanova guard Randy Foye, acquired during Wednesday night's draft. "I feel Randy's a great complement to the guards we have ? his explosiveness, his decision-making, everybody loved his competitiveness," McCants said.</div> Source
i really want mccants to come back full strength. i dont really care if it is the whole year. i doubt he would be a BIG contributer this year, and we need him for a future front court of foye and him.
Always wondered if the fiery aura of McCants, would clash or mesh with the similar fiery aura of Garnett. Perception of this story would concur that they mesh, however, as a fatigued Garnett fan, it is to little to late.
Its sad to see McCants like this. He really had a strong run at the end of last season. Hope he's back 100% for next year.
