Kori Ellis
04-04-2005, 02:13 AM
Pain-free Brown closer to his return
Web Posted: 04/04/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA040405.1D.spurs.1a2665de4.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
Devin Brown awoke Saturday morning and immediately realized something was missing.
He stretched his legs. No pain. He stood up straight. Still nothing.
For the first time in almost two weeks, Brown felt normal. The pain in his lower back, a constant companion every time he left the comfort of his bed or recliner, was gone.
"I can't tell you how huge it is," Brown said, "I'm actually standing up straight and walking."
Brown felt good enough to watch most of Saturday's victory over the Los Angeles Lakers from a seat behind the Spurs' bench. It was the first tangible progress he's made since March 23, when an MRI revealed he had a herniated disk in his lower back.
"I couldn't even keep my legs straight, so you definitely start to worry," Brown said. "Now I'm finally starting to see it's getting better."
Brown said he is aiming to return April 12, the same day team officials hope to get Tim Duncan back. Both players, however, will have to improve considerably to meet that target date.
Brown ran on an underwater treadmill Saturday, did some free-throw and spot shooting and rode a stationary bike. If he continues to feel better, he will increase his activity level.
For the previous two weeks, Brown hadn't been able to do much. He first felt his back pop while warming up in Detroit on March 20.
Brown played against the Pistons and again the next night in New York but had to go to the locker room for treatment after being pushed in the back in the second half. Though he returned and finished with 22 points, he had trouble walking after the game.
After Brown was unable to sleep that night because his right leg was numb, the team opted to send him home for tests.
"It was a pain I never want again," he said.
Brown received a steroid injection to try to relieve the inflammation around a nerve root in his back, but his condition failed to improve much. Coach Gregg Popovich said the 26-year-old guard was walking "like an old man who'd been injured a couple of times."
It wasn't until after Brown received a second injection Wednesday that he started to feel better.
Former Spurs center David Robinson had a similar problem late in his career that occasionally caused one of his legs to go numb. Unlike Brown, however, Robinson had a floating disk fragment to blame for his pain.
"The weird thing is, normally every year, I'll go through a stint for four or five games where my back is bothering me and I'm trying to get adjusted on the bench, but I just put heat on it," Brown said. "It was never this bad where I couldn't stand up straight and I had to miss games."
At the time of his injury, Brown had become the team's most dependable reserve, averaging 15 points and 5.9 rebounds in his last eight games. Brent Barry has played well in his absence, scoring 17, 23, 17 and 20 points in four of the past six games, but Brown's defense was especially valued when Bruce Bowen needed a rest.
Brown also figures to command a nice raise when his contract expires this summer. A back injury — if it proves serious — will lessen his leverage in negotiations.
"I'm hoping this is something that passes on through," he said. "There's a lot of basketball to be played, not only this year, but the next 10-11 years. I wouldn't want this kind of injury to set that back at all."
A year ago, Brown also was in danger of missing the postseason when he injured his ribs while wrestling with Kevin Willis in the locker room.
Brown sat out the first playoff game, then averaged 8.5 points on 54.5 percent shooting against the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
"I was thinking how it's weird I'm kind of in the exact same situation," Brown said. "I bounced back well from that one. Hopefully, I'll be able to do the same thing."
Web Posted: 04/04/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA040405.1D.spurs.1a2665de4.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
Devin Brown awoke Saturday morning and immediately realized something was missing.
He stretched his legs. No pain. He stood up straight. Still nothing.
For the first time in almost two weeks, Brown felt normal. The pain in his lower back, a constant companion every time he left the comfort of his bed or recliner, was gone.
"I can't tell you how huge it is," Brown said, "I'm actually standing up straight and walking."
Brown felt good enough to watch most of Saturday's victory over the Los Angeles Lakers from a seat behind the Spurs' bench. It was the first tangible progress he's made since March 23, when an MRI revealed he had a herniated disk in his lower back.
"I couldn't even keep my legs straight, so you definitely start to worry," Brown said. "Now I'm finally starting to see it's getting better."
Brown said he is aiming to return April 12, the same day team officials hope to get Tim Duncan back. Both players, however, will have to improve considerably to meet that target date.
Brown ran on an underwater treadmill Saturday, did some free-throw and spot shooting and rode a stationary bike. If he continues to feel better, he will increase his activity level.
For the previous two weeks, Brown hadn't been able to do much. He first felt his back pop while warming up in Detroit on March 20.
Brown played against the Pistons and again the next night in New York but had to go to the locker room for treatment after being pushed in the back in the second half. Though he returned and finished with 22 points, he had trouble walking after the game.
After Brown was unable to sleep that night because his right leg was numb, the team opted to send him home for tests.
"It was a pain I never want again," he said.
Brown received a steroid injection to try to relieve the inflammation around a nerve root in his back, but his condition failed to improve much. Coach Gregg Popovich said the 26-year-old guard was walking "like an old man who'd been injured a couple of times."
It wasn't until after Brown received a second injection Wednesday that he started to feel better.
Former Spurs center David Robinson had a similar problem late in his career that occasionally caused one of his legs to go numb. Unlike Brown, however, Robinson had a floating disk fragment to blame for his pain.
"The weird thing is, normally every year, I'll go through a stint for four or five games where my back is bothering me and I'm trying to get adjusted on the bench, but I just put heat on it," Brown said. "It was never this bad where I couldn't stand up straight and I had to miss games."
At the time of his injury, Brown had become the team's most dependable reserve, averaging 15 points and 5.9 rebounds in his last eight games. Brent Barry has played well in his absence, scoring 17, 23, 17 and 20 points in four of the past six games, but Brown's defense was especially valued when Bruce Bowen needed a rest.
Brown also figures to command a nice raise when his contract expires this summer. A back injury — if it proves serious — will lessen his leverage in negotiations.
"I'm hoping this is something that passes on through," he said. "There's a lot of basketball to be played, not only this year, but the next 10-11 years. I wouldn't want this kind of injury to set that back at all."
A year ago, Brown also was in danger of missing the postseason when he injured his ribs while wrestling with Kevin Willis in the locker room.
Brown sat out the first playoff game, then averaged 8.5 points on 54.5 percent shooting against the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
"I was thinking how it's weird I'm kind of in the exact same situation," Brown said. "I bounced back well from that one. Hopefully, I'll be able to do the same thing."