Heat Announcers: "Duncan may miss 1st Round"

[Gooshie]

During the Raptors-Heat game tonight, the Heat announcers mentioned they heard Duncan may miss the first round of the playoffs at least. They said something to this effect: "It was first reported as day-to-day, then it was 3-4 weeks, now we're hearing at least through the first round."

Umm, are they hearing something we're not? That makes 2 different reports (Memphis Commercial Appeal saying he's out for the season) in the span of 3 days.

Everything we're hearing from the Spurs side is that his rehab is going fine and he could be back with 5 games left in the regular season.

WTF is going on??

[Kori Ellis]

The Heat announcers probably just read the Memphis Appeal.

Pop said today that the report about that was false -- made up.

[Mark in Austin]

Maybe the Heat announcers read the Memphis paper.

[Hook Dem]

Wishful thinking on the part of others to psyche their teams up!

[whottt]

Let them think it...they'll just find out the hard way they were wrong.

[TheWriter]

The Heat announcers probably have said the Heat are the best.

The Heat announcers can kiss my ass.

[Rummpd]

Prediction some 380 pound man child will tweak a little toe or other joint soon. Let them worry about that.

[kskonn]

We will see. But duncan is just not showing the signs of a player with a really serious ankle injury. I think he is on track with what the spurs are saying.

[LakerGod]

We will see. But duncan is just not showing the signs of a player with a really serious ankle injury. I think he is on track with what the spurs are saying.
Duncan didn't show any signs of knee surgery back in 2000 either. :rolleyes

[kskonn]

Duncan didn't show any signs of knee surgery back in 2000 either. :rolleyes


yea I agree and I painfully remember that experience. I think it is easier to hide knee damage than a messed up ankle. It just seems that there would be more physical signs of the pain a serious ankle injury would cause. I have to admit though, I would not really know, I am just speculating.

[LakerGod]

yea I agree and I painfully remember that experience. I think it is easier to hide knee damage than a messed up ankle. It just seems that there would be more physical signs of the pain a serious ankle injury would cause. I have to admit though, I would not really know, I am just speculating.In 2000 when Duncan was injured I remember spurs officials speculating like they are now, they were saying that Duncan was going to play but it never happened.

[kskonn]

In 2000 when Duncan was injured I remember spurs officials speculating like they are now, they were saying that Duncan was going to play but it never happened.


yea that has been a point of contention with a lot of the fans. They way I figure all we can do is wait. Hell maybe he won't be back, nothing I can do will change that. All I can say is I just wrote the check for all the playoff tickets that I get with my season tickets. It will suck if he does not make it back. We will see.

[milkyway21]

so what really is going on, Pops?
Express News just posted this report :

Duncan's return uncertain from moderate ankle sprain
Web Posted: 03/30/2005 12:00 AM CST

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

The Spurs learned years ago not to panic immediately each time Tim Duncan collapsed on the court. More often than not, Duncan would grab whatever body part was ailing him — right foot is this season's popular choice — get treatment, then return. If not that game, then almost certainly the next.

Through his first six seasons, only two injuries kept Duncan from playing: an abdominal strain and a cartilage tear in his left knee. Two years ago, he appeared to severely roll his right ankle against Chicago after stepping on the foot of Donyell Marshall. The next day, he attended his charity golf tournament and took a few hacks as if nothing had happened. He didn't miss a game.

Even early this month, when Duncan landed on the foot of Rasho Nesterovic and had to be helped off the court, he was running the next day. Duncan had proved so durable that former Spurs forward Malik Rose had a standard response each time his teammate went down: You know Tim. He'll be OK.

For the most part that held true. And then came 10 days ago, when Duncan landed with all 260 pounds on the foot of Detroit forward Rasheed Wallace. The Spurs didn't need to see replays of Duncan's right ankle nearly folding in half to know they had reason to worry.

"When you've had that injury, you know what you have to go through to get yourself back to health," said Brent Barry, who missed eight games in the 1998-99 season with a sprained right ankle. "And it just isn't fun."

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 25,000 people a day sprain an ankle. It is the most common basketball injury and represents about 25 percent of all athletic injuries.

Most sprains are minor, though some can linger for months. Dallas guard Marquis Daniels sprained his left ankle in a pickup game in August. He spent three weeks on crutches and didn't return on a full-time basis until February.

While ankle sprains are classified by grades ranging from mild to moderate to severe, defining the grade can be subjective. High sprains, which Duncan doesn't have, occur more often in football when a player gets his cleats caught in the turf.

In most cases, a minor, or grade 1, sprain involves slight stretching and damage to the ligament. In a grade 2 sprain, the anterior talofibular ligament can be severely stretched, or sometimes torn, and the ankle generally has laxity or looseness.

In the most severe sprains, the calcaneofibular ligament, which connects to the heel and provides stability, usually is ruptured. As a result, the ankle is considerably looser.

The Spurs said Duncan suffered a grade 2 sprain. He damaged his anterior talofibular ligament but didn't experience a large amount of laxity.

It was the third time in six weeks he sprained the same ankle. He first landed on Sean Marks' foot in practice Feb.7 and missed two games. He missed another game after re-spraining it by stepping on Nesterovic in the March 6 victory over Utah.

On those two occasions Duncan was able to turn his foot to avoid landing with his full weight. He wasn't as fortunate in Detroit.

A little more than a week into his recovery, Duncan has begun walking on a treadmill. Coach Gregg Popovich said he hopes to get Duncan back with five games left in the regular season, though predicting how fast a soft-tissue injury heals isn't easy.

"He's progressing nicely," Spurs trainer Will Sevening said, "but we still have a ways to go."

Spurs officials were thankful Pistons owner Bill Davidson provided a plane to fly Duncan and assistant trainer Joe Gutzwiller to San Antonio that same afternoon. That allowed the Spurs' medical staff to examine Duncan quicker. Gutzwiller also was able to use the team's state-of-the-art rehab equipment to work on Duncan's swelling and range of motion.

Once a player's gait returns and his ankle begins to strengthen, Spurs strength and conditioning coach Mike Brungardt puts him through balancing drills. More than one player has described the process as torture.

"We can make them do it with their eyes closed, with their shoes on or off," Brungardt said. "You can get pretty creative when you use your imagination."

The Spurs typically wait until a player has regained at least 80 percent of his strength in the ankle before clearing him to play. The recovery rate differs from player to player.

Tony Parker, who suffered a mild-to-moderate sprain to his left ankle in training camp last season, missed three weeks. Dallas' Michael Finley was sidelined from Nov. 9-Dec. 9 with a grade 2 sprain to his right ankle after he landed on Hedo Turkoglu. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant didn't play from Jan. 13-Feb. 13 after he sprained his right ankle by stepping on the foot of Cleveland's Ira Newble.

Athletes also often go through peaks and valleys during a rehab, making it difficult to project a precise return date.

"I'll tell you exactly when Tim's going to be back," Spurs physician David Schmidt said. "Eventually."

:angel :angel

[Kori Ellis]

There's nothing contradicting what Pop said in that article. It says they expect him back with 5 games or so in the season, but you never know exactly how long it's going to take.

[milkyway21]

why is it I'm suddenly weary after reading this report?

hope 1 month is the most, Timmy! :depressed

[Kaster]

Worst case, he's back in time for the first game of the plaoffs. Most likely, the last game or two of the season.

[whottt]

There's a huge difference between a sprained ankle and torn cartilage in your knee...IIRC Duncan needed surgery to fix his knee and had he played on it it could have ruined his career...he could have played on it I think...but it was risky. The Spurs erred on the side of caution...and I hope they do that again.

This is a sprained ankle, not torn knee cartilage, and it's not a high sprain and it's not a super severe sprain, there is no way it can be season ending and someone would know it right now...Duncan is actually a pretty fast healer...the ankle will heal sooner or later. It's not something that will require surgery.

IMO Duncan will probably be capable of taking the court without pain before he is estimated to be back by the Spurs...My hunch is that the Spurs want that ankle healed completely because it does no good to rush him back and have him sprain it again in the playoffs.

[timvp]

True, Whottt.

Best case is if the Spurs continue to win and they can save Duncan until the last game of the season and the playoffs.

:smokin

[polandprzem]

I would play Duncan in a Portland game and than just last two against MEM and MIN.

We just have to wait and see how it is healing.

[Jimcs50]

IF TD misses 1st round, there will be no 2nd round.

Hear that, Pop?

[johnny00]

Sounds like wishful thinking by the Heat announcers.

Are there people worried in Southern Florida?
You better believe it.

[Jimcs50]

Sounds like wishful thinking by the Heat announcers.

Are there people worried in Southern Florida?
You better believe it.


I think they better worry about Chicago.
They are my darkhorse.

[Kaster]

The Spurs can get past the Grizzlies or Nuggets in the first round without Duncan.

[kskonn]

I think they better worry about Chicago.
They are my darkhorse.


Yea, I actually watched a Chicago game the other night. They are looking really good. It appears that they live or die by the jumpshot. If they get hot in the playoffs they could definitely upset someone in the first round.

[kskonn]

The Spurs can get past the Grizzlies or Nuggets in the first round without Duncan.


Yea I agree. It would be tough but I think they could pull it off. By that time the team will be very comfartable without Duncan on the floor. They would have their confidence.

[ducks]

I think bulls could suprise some people
after that terrible start they are not that far back
if they went .500 during those first 9 games they might even be 3 or 4 seed

they also have a shot at having home court advantage in round one of the playoffs

[samikeyp]

why is it I'm suddenly weary after reading this report? I don't know...why are you tired? :lol j/k

Miami needs to hope that Duncan is not there for the finals.

[LilMissSPURfect]

How bout the next time TIMMY goes to the hole...... orders are for everyone to clear the helll outta the way !!!!!!!!

No sean marks no rashos near him!
:smokin

[CosmicCowboy]

I obviously hope that Tim's ankle injury is exactly what they are saying it is and he will be back before the playoffs...BUT...the Spurs DO have a history of fibbing about Tims pre-playoff injuries...

The Spurs KNEW Tim was going to need surgery in 2000 and was done for the playoffs...but deliberately witheld the news...

I knew from doctor friends that had seen the MRI's that he had a fishook meniscus tear and they told me weeks before the playoffs that he was done for the season...and I got shouted off the board for steadily maintaining that he was going to have to get scoped...Kori, Travis and JimCS should remember this...

[Jimcs50]

I obviously hope that Tim's ankle injury is exactly what they are saying it is and he will be back before the playoffs...BUT...the Spurs DO have a history of fibbing about Tims pre-playoff injuries...

The Spurs KNEW Tim was going to need surgery in 2000 and was done for the playoffs...but deliberately witheld the news...

I knew from doctor friends that had seen the MRI's that he had a fishook meniscus tear and they told me weeks before the playoffs that he was done for the season...and I got shouted off the board for steadily maintaining that he was going to have to get scoped...Kori, Travis and JimCS should remember this...

Yeah, but I won a bottle of Tequilla from you when you said that Phoenix would not get into Spurs bracket.