A former GM talks about MF recovery

cpawfan · Sep 13, 2007

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/stor...denSurgery/Kiki <h1 class="storyTitle">Oden, Blazers must avoid perils of a premature comeback</h1> By Kiki Vandeweghe
ESPN.com
(Archive) <div class="page-tools"> Updated: September 13, 2007 </div>



Having been an NBA general manager, I can tell you that the news that Portland's Greg Oden will miss the season with a knee injury is devastating for the Trail Blazers. Let's be honest: It's very difficult news to hear if you're with that team, or a fan of the team, and you're going to see and read a lot of doom and gloom about the Blazers and their future.



I was a member of the Blazers when we drafted Sam Bowie over a guy named Michael Jordan -- just like the Blazers drafted Oden over Kevin Durant. You'll get the obvious comparisons, especially with Durant right up the road there in Seattle. Durant is going to have a terrific year for the Sonics -- he's an exceptional athlete -- and when you're the Blazers and know that and you now know that Oden is going to be out the whole year, that's a very tough situation. There's a temptation to be emotional, even despondent. 

But when you step back and analyze this, it's important to note the following: 

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</div> Research



First of all, this is not the Trail Blazers' fault. They did all of their research on this young man, and these injuries develop. It happens in pro sports. This was not expected. 

Look, you never want a star player to miss a minute of playing time, and it will be tough on both the Blazers and for Oden to have him sidelined for the year. But this is not a cursed organization, even when you look back on what has happened with injuries to Bill Walton, Bowie and Oden. Just coincidences. The Blazers did their homework. 



You do as much research on a player as you can. Does Oden have some history of injuries? Well, with his wrist, the back and now the knee, yes. But it's my understanding that the Blazers did a full MRI on Oden in advance and there was no obvious concerns.



Of course, I understand how the second-guessing happens. When Bowie went down, after being the second pick in the 1984 draft over Jordan, it was devastating for the Blazers. We had a stacked team that season -- me, Clyde Drexler, Jim Paxson, Mychal Thompson, Sam -- we were loaded. We were blowing teams out by 20 points a game. We had every position covered, we matched up well with the Lakers, who were the powers in the West, and we thought we were ready for a championship run.

And then … Sam went down, and it sucked the life out of our team. But none of that means that the Blazers made a mistake in selecting Oden. They made the right decision for their franchise and all signs point to the fact he'll be a mainstay for the future.



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These Blazers are not planning a championship run. They are a rebuilding team, and Kevin Pritchard has done it the right way as GM -- he's bringing in young, talented guys to build around, including Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and of course, Oden. This was not going to be a banner year for this team, even if Oden played all 82 games. 



As a rookie, Oden was going to spend this season getting beat up -- he's only played one season of college basketball -- and this will allow his body a chance to mature and he'll be able to get bigger, stronger, watch the game and grow within the organization. You want him to work on the offensive skills he will need to help this team one day make the Blazers a truly championship-caliber team. He's got to capitalize on that. This gives other players a chance to expand their roles. Aldridge is going to be the focal point down low, Roy is a tremendous player, and those guys have to grow from this, too. Everybody on that team has to circle around this and keep moving in the right direction.

You don't mortgage your future at this point to bring in another big man. You can't panic. You have to take deep breath on this one. The Blazer fans are great fans -- I know, because I played there for four years -- and they are going to support the team. Because of the issues they've faced on and off the court in the last 10 years, the fans want to turn the page, and they have to remember that Oden is still the future of the franchise. 

As a GM, you have to be very positive. You are looked to be the leader of this team, along with the head coach, and you have to turn this into an opportunity for other players. Of course, this does not look good at the onset. But if you use it as a rallying point and give those eager young players a chance to compete and improve, you can overcome this.





Recovery

There are three really critical pieces when it comes to rebounding from microsurgery: 



• The first is age. There is no doubt that younger players are going to recover faster and more completely than older players. There's only been one big player who has ever recovered completely from microfracture -- Amare Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns. 

I was with Denver when Kenyon Martin had microfracture surgery after the 2004-'05 season, and he ended up having the surgery on both knees -- the only player to have that happen. I spoke to Kenyon two weeks ago and he's been cleared to play this whole year -- I hope he's the next big man to make that complete return, but age makes that difficult.



• Second, the question is, how big is the microfracture? How big is that spot? (The microfracture procedure is meant to spur new cartilage. Tiny holes are created in the bone, forming healing cells and potentially new cartilage, the fibrous cushion that keeps bone from rubbing against bone in joints). If the size of the hole is more than a centimeter or so, you're in big trouble. 



• Third, it depends on the location of the microfracture surgery. If it's on the side, not in a weight-bearing spot, then it's much better in terms of recovery. That was the case for Stoudemire. If it's in a weight-bearing location, then that could spell trouble. 



Those will be important factors for the Blazers as they evaluate how to react to Oden's return. By all accounts, the spot was small and it was a clean surgery, so that is all encouraging. There's certainly optimism that he's going to make a full recovery. 



So the key here is not to rush him back. You have to give this young man as much time as possible to recover. If I'm the Trail Blazers, there's no way I'm going to take a chance with him and bring him back at any point in this season. The players always want to be on the court and there's been great hype about Oden in Portland -- they threw him a parade -- but you have to resist the temptation to accelerate his return. 



I refer back to Martin when we were in Denver. He was on his way to recovery, about six months after the surgery, and all of a sudden Nene tears his knee apart and we're all saying, "We don't have a power forward, what are we going to do?" Kenyon is a warrior, and he decides he's going to step up because his team needs him. And you know what? He wasn't ready. He ended up having a second microfracture surgery. 



I have to take some responsibility for that. As the GM, I should not have let him play as many minutes as he did when he came back. We were too anxious, and we didn't know enough about this surgery. Remember, the microfracture surgery was developed first for older people who, obviously, are not as big as professional basketball players or running around and jumping up and down the basketball court. So you must be cautious.



As the Blazers, you have to take a long-term view of this. This is not an average player in an average role, and not even just another star. This is the future of the franchise, and there's no way you rush him back. You have to understand that he's going to be with you many, many years, and you cannot sacrifice that future just to get him back sooner.

Denny Crane · Sep 13, 2007

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-r...o&type=lgns<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="yspsctnhdln">Damaged goods? </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
September 13, 2007

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" align="left" id="ysparticleheadshot"> <tbody><tr> <td class="ysptblbdr2"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="100%" class="yspwhitebg"> <tbody><tr> <td> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="100%" class="yspwhitebg"> <tbody><tr> <td></td></tr><tr><td></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> 

Just this week on the telephone, there was an Eastern Conference executive studying Greg Oden’s pre-draft physical in his office. Even now, this report still didn’t look like the body of a 19-year old prospect, but that of an older, worn veteran. 

“From our (trainers and doctors), there were red flags everywhere,” he said. 

The executive started listing the troubled spots – the bulging disc in the back, wrists, the ankles, the hands, a right leg that was an inch longer than the left, and yes, the knees. He wasn’t alone. Several pulled files this week with news of impending knee surgery, and kept wondering if maybe the breakdown of his body was just a matter of time. 

Despite it all, this executive believed the Blazers had done the right thing drafting the 7-footer over Kevin Durant. Then again, he never had a practical need for his medical staff to pour over Oden like Portland did. No one else but Seattle did. 

“It wouldn’t have stopped us from drafting him but it would’ve probably made us pause about making a deal to move up and get him,” the Eastern Conference executive said. 

An unscientific poll of executives, talking prior to Yahoo! Sports' revelation on Thursday that the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft isn’t playing basketball this season for the Blazers, agreed with him. As it turned out, the right knee that had a red dot on the Orlando draft camp physicals turned into microfracture surgery for Oden. 

Suddenly, he’s no longer the promise of the next Bill Russell. 

Suddenly, he’s the fear of Sam Bowie. 

Until there’s proof that his body isn’t breaking down, there’s a natural and legitimate worry that the Blazers could’ve passed on a Jordan-esque talent – Kevin Durant – to take a center who will turn out to be more defective than dominant. 

Who wants to believe this will be the case? Who would want it to happen? The NBA needs Oden to be a superstar. He’s too talented of a player, too wonderful and grounded of a person, to consider the possibility that he could be a washout. 

Several NBA executives conceded that the revelation that an MRI showed a need for exploratory surgery on Thursday didn’t completely surprise them. Some medical staffs who studied Oden’s pre-draft physicals expressed differing levels of concern, on different parts of his body. 

“Our trainers did say they thought he had somewhat of an issue (with the right knee), but they weren't sure to what extent,” one Western Conference executive said. “I guess we're starting to see now that it’s more serious than some people thought.” 

As one high-ranking basketball official with access to several trainers at the Orlando pre-draft camps remembered being told, “There were some things about (Oden’s knee) that were interesting and that if they had a chance (to draft) him, they would have to look a lot closer.” 

All in all, one Eastern Conference personnel man said, “It was not a good physical.” 

Nobody studied Oden closer than the Blazers and Sonics, and sources say that both teams would’ve still drafted him with the No. 1 pick. Only Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard knows how much of a risk he believed drafting Oden would be for his franchise. Oden had missed part of his freshman season at Ohio State with wrist surgery, and several teams wondered whether he had regained the complete range of motion in that shooting wrist. 

Still, they believed it would return with time, but cartilage damage that causes microfracture surgery? Amare Stoudemire and Jason Kidd made it back the same, but Allan Houston and Penny Hardaway never did. For Oden, you have to wonder: Is this the end of his body breaking down, or just the beginning of it? 

For now, Oden, a charismatic and lovable kid, will spend a long, rainy winter in Portland rehabilitating that right knee. Under Pritchard, everything had gone right for the Blazers in the past two seasons – the draft day deals for Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, the winning of the Draft Lottery, the unloading of headcases with bad contracts. All of that contributed to exorcising that lingering Jail Blazers image. 

Now, everyone will be thinking about 1984 again, when with the second pick in the draft, the Blazers chose Kentucky’s Sam Bowie over North Carolina’s Michael Jordan. Bowie had a history of leg problems in college, and those never left him in a journeymen’s pro career. No one wants to believe that this is how it will go, how it will all turn out. 

Durant thrilled Sonics officials with his scrimmage and practice performances against the Olympic team this summer in Las Vegas. They truly believe they’ve found a generational superstar with him. 

Of course, that doesn’t make anyone feel better in Portland, where the most promising future in the sport suddenly looks too much like the darkest days of its past. 

One day Russell, the next Bowie. 

Nobody else in the NBA dares say, “I told you so,” but deep down they sure did fear it. 

Adrian Wojnarowski is the national NBA columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Send Adrian a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

Denny Crane · Sep 13, 2007

This list is incomplete, but players who suffered the same injury:

CWebb, Penny, Houston, Kidd, KMart, and Amare

Some have come back all the way, but I'd say only Kidd has been as good or better after the injury, and the jury's out on Amare.

CelticKing · Sep 13, 2007

It destroyed cwebb. (never was back to what he was, could have dominated the league if it wasn't for the injures)

JFizzleRaider · Sep 13, 2007

Your missing Zach Randolph as well, who I'd say recovered better than anyone could have hoped for.

cpawfan · Sep 13, 2007

http://www.nba.com/sonics/news/microfracture.html

This is an attempt to compile information on NBA players who have undergone microfracture surgery. If you have anything to add or spot an error, please e-mail me at sonicsconnection@sonics-storm.com. For more, see this similar research by The Sporting News which I discovered after compiling the initial version of this list. 

Some notes on the chart: [*]Click on the link for confirmation of the date of the surgery. Click on the asterisk, when available, for more information on the player's surgery and comeback. [*]"RETURNED" is the date the player first played in an NBA game after the surgery. In some cases, because of the off-season, this may overstate the player's actual rehab/recovery time. [*]"GP%" is the percentage of games the player played. Generally, I tried to ignore the time after the surgery or before the player returned in a given season. That is, John Stockton missed 18 games following surgery in 1997-98, but played all 64 games after he was able to return. Thus, he is recorded as playing in 100% of games post-surgery. [*]The statistics are presented, with a couple of exceptions, from the player's last season before the surgery and first season after it. In the case of Anfernee Hardaway, who played just four games in 2000-01, the first season after is considered to be 2001-02. Amaré Stoudemire's first season back is considered to be 2006-07, as he played just three games in 2005-06. Stats courtesy Basketball-Reference.com [*]Most of the statistics are presented on a per-40 minute basis. "TS%" is True Shooting Percentage, a measure of shooting efficiency that is superior to field-goal percentage. "PER" is John Hollinger's linear-weights rating.

<table border="0"> <tbody><tr> <td width="150">PLAYER</td> <td>DATE</td> <td>AGE</td> <td>RETURNED</td> <td>MISSED</td> <td>Year</td> <td>GP%</td> <td>MPG</td> <td>P40</td> <td>R40</td> <td>A40</td> <td>S40</td> <td>B40</td> <td>TO40</td> <td>TS%</td> <td>PER</td> </tr> <tr> <td>John Stockton</td> <td>10/14/97 *</td> <td>35</td> <td>12/8/97</td> <td>2 months</td> <td>1996-97</td> <td>100.0%</td> <td>35.3</td> <td>16.3</td> <td>3.1</td> <td>11.3</td> <td>2.3</td> <td>0.2</td> <td>3.4</td> <td>.656</td> <td>22.1</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>1997-98</td> <td>100.0%</td> <td>29.0</td> <td>16.6</td> <td>3.6</td> <td>11.7</td> <td>1.9</td> <td>0.2</td> <td>3.5</td> <td>.628</td> <td>21.8</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Anfernee Hardaway</td> <td>12/10/97 *</td> <td>26</td> <td>1/29/98</td> <td>2 months</td> <td>1997-98</td> <td>61.9%</td> <td>36.1</td> <td>22.4</td> <td>4.9</td> <td>3.3</td> <td>1.9</td> <td>0.7</td> <td>2.8</td> <td>.506</td> <td>-</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>1997-98</td> <td>15.8%</td> <td>26.0</td> <td>12.3</td> <td>4.6</td> <td>7.4</td> <td>1.5</td> <td>1.8</td> <td>3.3</td> <td>.369</td> <td>-</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Brian Grant</td> <td>6/??/99 *</td> <td>35</td> <td>11/17/99</td> <td>4.5 months</td> <td>1998-99</td> <td>96.0%</td> <td>31.8</td> <td>14.4</td> <td>12.3</td> <td>1.8</td> <td>0.6</td> <td>0.9</td> <td>2.5</td> <td>.571</td> <td>17.0</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>1999-00</td> <td>85.1%</td> <td>21.0</td> <td>13.9</td> <td>10.4</td> <td>1.9</td> <td>1.0</td> <td>0.8</td> <td>2.5</td> <td>.540</td> <td>14.0</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Anfernee Hardaway</td> <td>5/26/00 *</td> <td>28</td> <td>1/7/01</td> <td>7 months</td> <td>1999-00</td> <td>73.2%</td> <td>37.6</td> <td>18.0</td> <td>6.2</td> <td>5.6</td> <td>1.7</td> <td>0.7</td> <td>2.7</td> <td>.549</td> <td>17.9</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2001-02</td> <td>97.6%</td> <td>30.8</td> <td>15.6</td> <td>5.7</td> <td>5.3</td> <td>2.0</td> <td>0.5</td> <td>3.1</td> <td>.472</td> <td>13.9</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Kerry Kittles</td> <td>6/15/00 *</td> <td>26</td> <td>10/30/01</td> <td>16.5 months</td> <td>1999-00</td> <td>75.6%</td> <td>30.6</td> <td>17.0</td> <td>4.7</td> <td>3.0</td> <td>1.7</td> <td>0.4</td> <td>1.2</td> <td>.535</td> <td>16.1</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2001-02</td> <td>100%</td> <td>31.7</td> <td>16.9</td> <td>4.2</td> <td>3.3</td> <td>2.0</td> <td>0.5</td> <td>1.7</td> <td>.542</td> <td>16.1</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Terrell Brandon</td> <td>2/21/02 *</td> <td>31</td> <td>never</td> <td colspan="12"></td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>PLAYER</td> <td>DATE</td> <td>AGE</td> <td>RETURNED</td> <td>MISSED</td> <td>Year</td> <td>GP%</td> <td>MPG</td> <td>P40</td> <td>R40</td> <td>A40</td> <td>S40</td> <td>B40</td> <td>TO40</td> <td>TS%</td> <td>PER</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Eduardo Najera</td> <td>12/6/02 *</td> <td>26</td> <td>2/11/03</td> <td>2 months</td> <td>pre</td> <td>100%</td> <td>25.4</td> <td>13.8</td> <td>8.3</td> <td>1.6</td> <td>1.9</td> <td>0.7</td> <td>0.6</td> <td>.651</td> <td>-</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>post</td> <td>97.1%</td> <td>25.0</td> <td>10.2</td> <td>7.8</td> <td>1.8</td> <td>1.1</td> <td>0.6</td> <td>0.7</td> <td>.559</td> <td>-</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Allan Houston</td> <td>6/10/03 *</td> <td>32</td> <td>10/29/03</td> <td>4.5 months</td> <td>2002-03</td> <td>100%</td> <td>37.9</td> <td>23.7</td> <td>3.0</td> <td>2.8</td> <td>0.7</td> <td>0.1</td> <td>2.3</td> <td>.563</td> <td>17.7</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2003-04</td> <td>61.0%</td> <td>36.0</td> <td>20.5</td> <td>2.7</td> <td>2.2</td> <td>0.8</td> <td>0.0</td> <td>2.3</td> <td>.539</td> <td>14.8</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Chris Webber</td> <td>6/10/03</td> <td>32</td> <td>3/2/04</td> <td>9 months</td> <td>2002-03</td> <td>81.2%</td> <td>39.1</td> <td>23.5</td> <td>10.7</td> <td>5.6</td> <td>1.6</td> <td>1.3</td> <td>3.3</td> <td>.485</td> <td>20.9</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2003-04</td> <td>95.8%</td> <td>36.1</td> <td>20.7</td> <td>9.6</td> <td>5.1</td> <td>1.5</td> <td>1.0</td> <td>2.9</td> <td>.456</td> <td>17.2</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Jamal Mashburn</td> <td>11/3/03</td> <td>30</td> <td>1/28/04</td> <td>3 months</td> <td>2002-03</td> <td>100%</td> <td>40.5</td> <td>21.3</td> <td>6.0</td> <td>5.6</td> <td>1.0</td> <td>0.2</td> <td>2.8</td> <td>.507</td> <td>18.0</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2003-04</td> <td>50%</td> <td>38.4</td> <td>21.7</td> <td>6.4</td> <td>2.6</td> <td>0.8</td> <td>0.3</td> <td>2.0</td> <td>.457</td> <td>14.7</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Matt Harpring</td> <td>1/16/04</td> <td>27</td> <td>11/3/04</td> <td>10 months</td> <td>2003-04</td> <td>96.9%</td> <td>36.6</td> <td>16.2</td> <td>8.0</td> <td>2.0</td> <td>0.7</td> <td>0.1</td> <td>2.1</td> <td>.524</td> <td>16.1</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2004-05</td> <td>95.1%</td> <td>33.1</td> <td>16.9</td> <td>7.4</td> <td>2.2</td> <td>1.1</td> <td>0.2</td> <td>2.1</td> <td>.549</td> <td>15.5</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>PLAYER</td> <td>DATE</td> <td>AGE</td> <td>RETURNED</td> <td>MISSED</td> <td>Year</td> <td>GP%</td> <td>MPG</td> <td>P40</td> <td>R40</td> <td>A40</td> <td>S40</td> <td>B40</td> <td>TO40</td> <td>TS%</td> <td>PER</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Pat Garrity</td> <td>2/18/04</td> <td>27</td> <td>11/3/04</td> <td>8.5 months</td> <td>2002-03</td> <td>98.8%</td> <td>31.9</td> <td>13.4</td> <td>4.7</td> <td>1.9</td> <td>1.0</td> <td>0.3</td> <td>1.2</td> <td>.551</td> <td>11.2</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2004-05</td> <td>86.6%</td> <td>13.5</td> <td>13.6</td> <td>5.2</td> <td>1.3</td> <td>0.8</td> <td>0.4</td> <td>1.3</td> <td>.505</td> <td>9.1</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Karl Malone</td> <td>6/04 *</td> <td>40</td> <td>never</td> <td colspan="12"></td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Jason Kidd</td> <td>7/1/04</td> <td>31</td> <td>12/6/04</td> <td>5 months</td> <td>2003-04</td> <td>81.7%</td> <td>36.6</td> <td>16.9</td> <td>7.0</td> <td>10.1</td> <td>2.0</td> <td>0.2</td> <td>3.5</td> <td>.485</td> <td>19.7</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2004-05</td> <td>100%</td> <td>36.9</td> <td>15.6</td> <td>8.0</td> <td>9.0</td> <td>2.0</td> <td>0.1</td> <td>2.7</td> <td>.506</td> <td>19.5</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Alvin Williams</td> <td>10/22/04 *</td> <td>30</td> <td>11/5/05</td> <td>12.5 months</td> <td colspan="11"></td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Andrew DeClercq</td> <td>3/2/05 *</td> <td>32</td> <td>never</td> <td colspan="12"></td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>PLAYER</td> <td>DATE</td> <td>AGE</td> <td>RETURNED</td> <td>MISSED</td> <td>Year</td> <td>GP%</td> <td>MPG</td> <td>P40</td> <td>R40</td> <td>A40</td> <td>S40</td> <td>B40</td> <td>TO40</td> <td>TS%</td> <td>PER</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Zach Randolph</td> <td>3/31/05</td> <td>23</td> <td>11/2/05</td> <td>7 months</td> <td>2004-05</td> <td>83.6%</td> <td>34.8</td> <td>21.7</td> <td>11.0</td> <td>2.1</td> <td>0.8</td> <td>0.4</td> <td>2.8</td> <td>.511</td> <td>18.6</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2005-06</td> <td>90.2%</td> <td>34.4</td> <td>20.9</td> <td>9.3</td> <td>2.3</td> <td>0.9</td> <td>0.2</td> <td>2.6</td> <td>.483</td> <td>16.9</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Matt Harpring</td> <td>4/22?/05 *</td> <td>28</td> <td>11/2/05</td> <td>6.5 months</td> <td>2004-05</td> <td>95.1%</td> <td>33.1</td> <td>16.9</td> <td>7.4</td> <td>2.2</td> <td>1.1</td> <td>0.2</td> <td>2.1</td> <td>.549</td> <td>15.5</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2005-06</td> <td>86.6%</td> <td>27.4</td> <td>18.2</td> <td>7.6</td> <td>2.0</td> <td>1.2</td> <td>0.3</td> <td>2.2</td> <td>.542</td> <td>16.2</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Kenyon Martin</td> <td>5/16/05</td> <td>27</td> <td>11/1/05</td> <td>5.5 months</td> <td>2004-05</td> <td>85.4%</td> <td>32.5</td> <td>19.1</td> <td>9.0</td> <td>3.0</td> <td>1.8</td> <td>1.4</td> <td>2.6</td> <td>.521</td> <td>17.5</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2005-06</td> <td>68.3%</td> <td>27.6</td> <td>18.6</td> <td>9.1</td> <td>2.0</td> <td>1.1</td> <td>1.3</td> <td>1.9</td> <td>.533</td> <td>16.7</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Amaré Stoudemire</td> <td>10/11/05 *</td> <td>22</td> <td>3/23/06</td> <td>5 months</td> <td>2004-05</td> <td>97.6%</td> <td>36.1</td> <td>28.8</td> <td>9.9</td> <td>1.8</td> <td>1.1</td> <td>1.8</td> <td>2.6</td> <td>.617</td> <td>26.6</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2006-07</td> <td>100.0%</td> <td>32.8</td> <td>24.9</td> <td>11.7</td> <td>1.2</td> <td>1.2</td> <td>1.6</td> <td>3.5</td> <td>.637</td> <td>23.1</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Bryon Russell</td> <td>11/4/05 *</td> <td>34</td> <td>2/15/06</td> <td>3.5 months</td> <td colspan="11"></td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Dijon Thompson</td> <td>3/13/06 *</td> <td>22</td> <td>11/1/06</td> <td>7.5 months</td> <td colspan="12">In D-League</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Rashad McCants</td> <td>6/16/06*</td> <td>21</td> <td>1/31/07</td> <td>7.5 months</td> <td>2005-06</td> <td>96.3%</td> <td>17.2</td> <td>18.4</td> <td>4.2</td> <td>1.9</td> <td>1.3</td> <td>0.6</td> <td>2.5</td> <td>.539</td> <td>12.6</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5"></td> <td>2006-07</td> <td>97.4%</td> <td>15.0</td> <td>13.3</td> <td>3.4</td> <td>2.7</td> <td>1.9</td> <td>0.5</td> <td>2.9</td> <td>.454</td> <td>7.2</td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Darius Miles</td> <td>11/14/06</td> <td>25</td> <td>N/A</td> <td colspan="12"></td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Kenyon Martin</td> <td>11/15/06 *</td> <td>28</td> <td>N/A</td> <td colspan="12"></td> </tr> <tr height="12"><td colspan="16"></td></tr> <tr> <td>Greg Oden</td> <td>9/13/07 *</td> <td>19</td> <td>N/A</td> <td colspan="12"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> 

<a name="stockton"></a>Stockton Notes: Nobody used the term "microfracture" at the time, but post-Stoudemire news reports have listed Stockton as undergoing microfracture surgery. 

<a name="hardaway"></a>Hardaway Notes: Hardaway's 1997 surgery is not widely considered a microfracture, but he told the Memphis Commercial Appeal in a Dec. 2006 interview that it was a microfracture when the procedure was in its experimental stage. "My microfracture was handled like a routine arthroscopic surgery," Hardaway said. "They thought it was a 6-to-8 week deal. Now we know, from Amaré Stoudemire to Kenyon Martin, that it's a longer deal." Hardaway played just four games in 2000-01, but was able to return as a starter the following two seasons. 

<a name="kittles"></a>Kittles Notes: Kittles missed the entire 2000-01 season following the surgery. 

<a name="brandon"></a>Brandon Notes: I'm not sure that Brandon's surgery was consistent with the typical "microfracture" surgery; he had a cartilage injury on his left femur. It is, however, always referred to as "microfracture." Brandon never played again, was traded to Atlanta and retired in March 2004 

<a name="najera"></a>Najera Notes: Najera and Hardaway are the only two players to be injured during a season, have the surgery, and return that same season. Therefore, his stats are from 2002-03 pre- and post-surgery. 

<a name="houston"></a>Houston Notes: Houston was able to play normally through January 2004, but played just nine games the rest of the season. He played 20 games in 2004-05 before retiring in October 2005. 

<a name="mashburn"></a>Mashburn Notes: Mashburn returned to play in 2003-04, but did not play at all in 2004-05 or 2005-06 before retiring in March 2006. 

<a name="garrity"></a>Garrity Notes: Garrity had two knee surgeries and played just two games during the 2003-04 season. While the link does not differentiate between the two, other sources indicate that the 2/18 surgery (Garrity's second) was a microfracture. 

<a name="malone"></a>Malone Notes: Malone contemplated whether or not to come back for the 2004-05 season for several months before opting to retire. 

<a name="williams"></a>Williams Notes: Williams had missed the last month and a half of the 2003-04 season after arthroscopic surgery on the right knee. He missed the entire 2004-05 season, but came back to play one game in November 2005 before undergoing another arthroscopic surgery. 

<a name="declercq"></a>DeClercq Notes: I haven't found any record of DeClercq's progress post-surgery. He was not in the NBA in 2005-06. 

<a name="harpring"></a>Harpring Notes: Exact date is uncertain, but second surgery was definitely done in April 2005. Harpring was unable to play back-to-back games early in the 2005-06 season. It was reported as his second microfracture in 18 months, which fits the timeline of his season-ending Jan. 2004 surgery. 

<a name="stoudemire"></a>Stoudemire Notes: The most famous microfracture patient, Stoudemire was able to return in March 2006, but had to undergo surgery on his other knee, ending his season, after just three games. He returned to play with the Suns' Summer-League squad and practice with the U.S. Men's National Team in July 2006 before making his full-time return to the Phoenix lineup in 2006-07. 

<a name="russell"></a>Russell Notes: Russell was a borderline candidate to make the Nuggets pre-surgery. After returning to the lineup for one game, he was traded to Seattle for salary-cap purposes on 2/23/06 and the Sonics and Russell agreed that he would be released. He subsequently retired. 

<a name="thompson"></a>Thompson Notes: Thompson returned to attend 2006 training camp with the Golden State Warriors, but was waived before the Warriors began exhibition play. He played in the D-League and also played six games for Atlanta. 

<a name="martin"></a>Martin Notes: Martin is believed to be the first NBA player to have microfracture surgery performed on both knees. (NFL defensive end Tony Brackens returned to play one successful season with two knees repaired by microfracture.) The first surgery was on his left knee, the second on his right knee. 

<a name="mccants"></a>McCants Notes: McCants returned in late January 2007 and played the remainder of the season without incident. 

<a name="oden"></a>Oden Notes: Oden is the youngest player known to have undergone a microfracture procedure. The Blazers are operating with caution, and have already suggested he is likely to miss the entire 2007-08 season.

pegs · Sep 13, 2007

kittles recovered quite well. helped the nets to two EC titles.

and didn't even realize thompson did it. he sucked anyways.

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A former GM talks about MF recovery

cpawfan Monsters do exist

Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

CelticKing The Green Monster

JFizzleRaider Yeast Lords Global Moderator

cpawfan Monsters do exist

pegs My future wife.

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A former GM talks about MF recovery

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cpawfan Monsters do exist

Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

CelticKing The Green Monster

JFizzleRaider Yeast Lords Global Moderator

cpawfan Monsters do exist

pegs My future wife.

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