sonic21
10-23-2009, 02:32 PM
CHICAGO -- The Washington Wizards are forced to start yet another season with a sidelined all-star after an MRI on Thursday revealed that forward Antawn Jamison's right shoulder injury will force him to miss the next three to five weeks.
This is the second consecutive season that the Wizards have started a regular season with at least one major piece missing. Both Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood were out with injuries at the start of last season, and the Wizards went on to match their worst 82-game season in franchise history. The Wizards, though, are optimistic that because Jamison's injury won't require surgery and since his shoulder has made considerable progress in the past week, it would only keep him out the first 10 or so games.
"He's really ahead of where we anticipated, but we're being really conservative right now," Coach Flip Saunders said on Friday, after the Wizards completed shootaround for their preseason finale against the Chicago Bulls. "We're going to be patient with him. We don't want to take any chances. We want to make sure that thing is right and fully healed."
The 33-year-old Jamison has been one of the most durable players throughout his career as he missed more than 14 games in a season only one time in his first 11 seasons. He has played in 79 or more games seven times, including 81 last season, when he averaged 22.2 points and 8.9 rebounds. Jamison called himself "a quick healer" shortly after he suffered a shoulder subluxation while contesting a shot by Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He was unable to have an MRI until the swelling had subsided in his arm.
Jamison has already regained most of the range of motion in his arm. He also started lifted weights on Tuesday in Philadelphia but said that the team's medical and training staff has kept him out of all basketball related activities. "Strength is up," Jamison said this week, "Right now, it's me being patient as far as going along with the plan."
The Wizards' hopes of being more than a playoff flirtation have always hinged on their players being healthy -- primarily their three all-stars, Arenas, Butler and Jamison. Arenas, a three-time all-star, has missed all but 15 regular season games the past two seasons because of troublesome left knee, and Butler missed a combined 58 games the past three seasons with an assortment of injuries.
Since the 2006-07 season, Butler, Jamison and Arenas have combined to make four all-star teams, but the trio has only started together in 61 out of a possible 246 games. Arenas, Butler and Jamison have only started 10 games -- winning four -- since Arenas suffered his debilitating knee injury in April 2007. The next time Jamison, Butler and Arenas are on the floor together remains unknown.
Saunders alternated Andray Blatche and Fabricio Oberto at starting power forward the past two games, and hinted that he might again go with Oberto for tonight's game against the Bulls. Caron Butler said the Wizards would have to make do without Jamison until he returns. "Injuries happen. I'd rather have them happen now than at the end of the season like they normally do," Butler said this week. "Guys have got to step up. That's been the case the past couple of years. Knowing that from the past, we should be accustomed to it and follow suit."
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/2009/10/jamison-to-miss-next-three-to.html?wprss=wizardsinsider
This is the second consecutive season that the Wizards have started a regular season with at least one major piece missing. Both Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood were out with injuries at the start of last season, and the Wizards went on to match their worst 82-game season in franchise history. The Wizards, though, are optimistic that because Jamison's injury won't require surgery and since his shoulder has made considerable progress in the past week, it would only keep him out the first 10 or so games.
"He's really ahead of where we anticipated, but we're being really conservative right now," Coach Flip Saunders said on Friday, after the Wizards completed shootaround for their preseason finale against the Chicago Bulls. "We're going to be patient with him. We don't want to take any chances. We want to make sure that thing is right and fully healed."
The 33-year-old Jamison has been one of the most durable players throughout his career as he missed more than 14 games in a season only one time in his first 11 seasons. He has played in 79 or more games seven times, including 81 last season, when he averaged 22.2 points and 8.9 rebounds. Jamison called himself "a quick healer" shortly after he suffered a shoulder subluxation while contesting a shot by Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He was unable to have an MRI until the swelling had subsided in his arm.
Jamison has already regained most of the range of motion in his arm. He also started lifted weights on Tuesday in Philadelphia but said that the team's medical and training staff has kept him out of all basketball related activities. "Strength is up," Jamison said this week, "Right now, it's me being patient as far as going along with the plan."
The Wizards' hopes of being more than a playoff flirtation have always hinged on their players being healthy -- primarily their three all-stars, Arenas, Butler and Jamison. Arenas, a three-time all-star, has missed all but 15 regular season games the past two seasons because of troublesome left knee, and Butler missed a combined 58 games the past three seasons with an assortment of injuries.
Since the 2006-07 season, Butler, Jamison and Arenas have combined to make four all-star teams, but the trio has only started together in 61 out of a possible 246 games. Arenas, Butler and Jamison have only started 10 games -- winning four -- since Arenas suffered his debilitating knee injury in April 2007. The next time Jamison, Butler and Arenas are on the floor together remains unknown.
Saunders alternated Andray Blatche and Fabricio Oberto at starting power forward the past two games, and hinted that he might again go with Oberto for tonight's game against the Bulls. Caron Butler said the Wizards would have to make do without Jamison until he returns. "Injuries happen. I'd rather have them happen now than at the end of the season like they normally do," Butler said this week. "Guys have got to step up. That's been the case the past couple of years. Knowing that from the past, we should be accustomed to it and follow suit."
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/2009/10/jamison-to-miss-next-three-to.html?wprss=wizardsinsider