Kenyon to play in his first preseason game

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nba/...5723875,00.html</p>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p>

<span class="headline2">Kenyon's comeback</span></p>

Forward Kenyon Martin is expected to make his preseason debut tonight, and coach George Karl is likely to start him.</p>

Martin last played in a game on Nov. 3, 2006, at Minnesota. Later that month, he was lost for the season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee, 1 1/2 years after having that procedure done on his left knee.</p>

"I think he'll be very nervous," said Karl, who anticipates Martin will play in two or three more preseason games but not Wednesday. "I think that will go away."</p>

Martin went through a full practice Monday and was cleared to make his debut.</p>

"He was aggressive, offensively and defensively," Karl said.</p>

Forward Eduardo Najera also is expected to make his preseason debut tonight. Najera, bothered by a lower-back strain, went through practice Monday and pronounced himself ready.</p>

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good stuff, I'll be rooting for him. I've missed seeing him play for these past couple of years.</p>

 

I'm interested to see if he can come back and put up numbers similar to 02-04. Likely, he won't need to score with Melo and Iverson, but it'll be interesting to see how he does.</p>

 

Can't wait. I hope he gets the nod over Nene this season.</p>

 

Was the game televised at all? I'm looking at the boxscore now...prettygood(11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal in 15 minutes) but just wondering how he looked out there.

 

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so, in essence, Kmart made Yi his bitch?</p>

 

God bless you Kenyon. God bless.</p>

I'd say anyone with him on their fantasy team is sitting pretty right now!</p>

 

http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_7198864</p>

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<div class="articleTitle">Martin's knee, game fine in return to action</div>

<div class="articleByline">By Aaron Wallender
Special to The Denver Post</div>

<div class="articleDate">Article Last Updated:10/17/2007 12:26:23 AM MDT</div>

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GREEN BAY, WIS. &mdash; If the early returns are any indication, Kenyon Martin's knee is just fine.</p>

The Nuggets' veteran forward, who saw his first game action since undergoing the second microfracture knee surgery of his career, started and showed no ill effects in Tuesday night's 104-78 preseason win over the Milwaukee Bucks at the Resch Center.</p>

"I'm just happy to be back on the court with the team and feel part of it again," said Martin, who drew a foul and went to the line on the game's first possession. "I'm just happy to be out there."</p>

Despite missing all but two games of the 2006-07 season and having surgery on his right knee Nov. 15, 2006, Martin didn't show many signs of rust. He started the game and had seven points - including two alley-oop dunks from Allen Iverson - in the first 6 1/2 minutes.</p>

"It just felt good to be back out there on the court with the team, man. Just get back out there, and when you get up and down the court, you try not to be too excited, because it's still the preseason," Martin said.</p>

Martin also showed his quickness on defense, twice stripping Bucks first-round pick Yi Jianlian in the early going and grabbing all five of his rebounds in the first quarter.</p>

Martin finished 5-of-9 from the floor, scored 11 points and had an assist and a steal in 15 minutes.</p>

"I was really happy to see him (back on the court). I think he got a good matchup with Yi early," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "I thought physically he could go on him and plus, defensively, I think Kenyon felt confident."</p>

Martin didn't play in the second half as a precautionary measure. Forward Eduardo Najera got the nod in Martin's place as Najera returned from his own injury, a lower back strain that kept him from practicing fully this preseason.</p>

Denver plays tonight against the Detroit Pistons in Grand Rapids, Mich. Karl said that although Martin's knee held up well against the Bucks, he doesn't want to push him too much, too quickly.</p>

"Right now I don't think we're going to play him (today), but he's been going every day in practice," Karl said. "We're going to be conservative with it."</p>

Added Martin: "It's a progression thing. I'm just trying to build up to the regular season."</p>

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http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nba/...5724780,00.html</p>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p>
<div class="headline_story">K-Mart's debut goes smoothly</div>
<div class="headline_sub">

Anthony's view after preseason win: 'He's back'</p>

GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Nuggets were in a city where they like to look back at great Packers teams.</p>

Kenyon Martin did his own rolling back of the clock.</p>

The Nuggets forward, recovering from right knee microfracture surgery, played in his first game in nearly a year. It looked like he had missed a week.</p>

During the Nuggets' 104-78 preseason win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night at the Resch Center, Martin totaled 11 points and five rebounds in 15 first-half minutes. With the Nuggets remaining cautious about his health, Martin didn't play during the second half.</p>

"He's back, man," said Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, who scored 16 points, while guard Allen Iverson had a game-high 22. "Hopefully, his body can keep up. He was looking pretty good for his first game."</p>

Martin last played Nov. 2. He underwent season-ending surgery later that month.</p>

The Nuggets held Martin out of their first three preseason games. But he started Tuesday and wasted no time asserting himself.</p>

On the game's first possession, Martin was fouled on a move to the basket and split two free throws. He drilled a 19-foot jumper, then stole the ball from Bucks rookie Yi Jianlian, who couldn't keep up with Martin.</p>

Later, Martin had two alley- oop dunks. Both came off passes from Iverson, playing with Martin for the first time with the Nuggets.</p>

"I always wanted to play with him, just knowing him over the years," Iverson said. "It was just fun being out there and playing with him."</p>

Martin declined after the game to speak with a Rocky Mountain News reporter. When asked why, he said, "I don't have to give you an explanation."</p>

The two times Martin checked out of the game during the first half, teammates stood in front of the bench, applauding and giving him high-fives.</p>

"I was really happy," Nuggets coach George Karl said of Martin's debut. "I thought he got a good matchup with Yi early. . . . I think Kenyon felt confident."</p>

Karl said the Nuggets will remain "conservative" with Martin. He likely won't play tonight against Detroit in Grand Rapids, Mich.</p>

Martin had left knee microfracture surgery in May 2005 and is believed to be the first player to return from two such procedures.</p>

Nuggets executive Rex Chapman said strength-and-conditioning coach Steve Hess has done a "great job" working to get Martin in shape.</p>

"To get Kenyon back from two microfractures and to have that explosiveness he has is really unheard of," Chapman said.</p>

Also making his Nuggets preseason debut was forward Eduardo Najera, who had a lower- back strain. Karl said Najera, who totaled six points and nine rebounds, tweaked his back Tuesday, but Najera insisted he'll be fine.</p>

One thing was for sure. Martin looked fine in his debut.</p>

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http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_7218063</p>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><span id="redesign_default">

No matter how much Kenyon Martin is asked - and he is asked a lot - he says he will not waver from the plan.</p>

But with each outing it seems as if that mind-set could get harder to keep.</p>

The Nuggets forward continues to make huge strides in coming back from microfracture knee surgery. The latest was this week when, in a starting role, he scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds in 14 minutes in Tuesday's preseason win over Milwaukee.</p>

But more important than what happened in that game was what happened in the days after. Nothing.</p>

"No side effects, no pain, no nothing," Martin said. "... To be able to get up and walk around with no pain, that was more exciting than the game."</p>

Martin did not play Wednesday against Detroit, but he participated in practice Thursday. The plan remains to keep him on a slow and steady pace to prevent setbacks.</p>

Martin is fine with that, and continues to fine-tune his game.</p>

"Losing patience? No, because last year taught me patience that I didn't have before," Martin said. "We've come up with a plan, and I haven't deviated from it. I want to do more, but I know I can't right now.</p>

"It was cool just to be back out there and be able to get on the court and compete. I haven't done it in almost a year. I miss it.</p>

"It was kind of foreign to me, but it was exciting at the same time. I'm just trying not to get too excited because it's still preseason."</p>

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Hunter)</div><div class='quotemain'></p>

Pain Free</p>

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p>
<div class="bi">Pain Free</div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Oct 19</span> - "No side effects, no pain, no nothing," Kenyon Martin said. "... To be able to get up and walk around with no pain, that was more exciting than the game."</p>

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Martin did not play Wednesday against Detroit, but he participated in practice Thursday. The plan remains to keep him on a slow and steady pace to prevent setbacks.</p>

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Martin is fine with that, and continues to fine-tune his game.</p>

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"Losing patience? No, because last year taught me patience that I didn't have before," Martin said. "We've come up with a plan, and I haven't deviated from it. I want to do more, but I know I can't right now." -- <font color="#000000">Denver Post</font></p></div></div>

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From the same article as the post above </p>

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