McDonald: Spurs' Parker has plantar fasciitis

[duncan228]

Spurs' Parker has plantar fasciitis (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_Parker_has_plantar_fasciitis.html)
Jeff McDonald

Tony Parker, the Spurs' All-NBA point guard, has seen his offensive production dip this season, from 22.0 points and 6.9 assists per game to 16.5 points and 5.8 assists.

Now we know why.

After scoring 20 second-half points to lead the Spurs to a 105-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night at the AT&T Center, Parker revealed he is suffering from plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Asked why he has had occasional problems this season on drives to the basket, Parker volunteered the news about his injury.

“I'm a little bit slower, that's why,” he said. “I don't think it's much different. It's just my plantar fasciitis is killing me.”

Then, holding up a special sock designed to lessen the effects of the painful injury, Parker said he will play through the injury as long as he can.

“Got my sock, though,” he said. “Gonna wear it on the road.”

The injury is particularly difficult for the three-time All-Star because he naturally jumps off his left foot.

“(It's) the left one, that I plant and everything,” he said.

Parker's injury is the same one that befell Spurs captain Tim Duncan in the 2005-06 season.

“I have to wear my sock, do treatment every day: cold tub, ultrasound, same old, same old,” Parker said. “Just like TD (Duncan) in 2006. He had it the whole season. I asked TD what I have to do. He said the sock is great.”

For now, Parker doesn't anticipate missing any games but said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will make the judgment on when he will play and when he will rest.

“Pop talked about it,” he said. “Right now, I don't want to miss games. I want to play. Maybe down the road, in March or April, maybe I'll miss back-to-backs or something like that. But Pop knows about it. It's up to him.”

Parker, who came into Tuesday averaging 31.5 minutes, logged 34:26 against the Lakers. He finished with 22 points and six assists.

Dynamic defender: Spurs guard George Hill matched up defensively against Kobe Bryant for long stretches of the first three quarters, forcing two Bryant turnovers and doing a credible job pestering the NBA's No. 2 scorer.

When Bryant left late in the third with back spasms, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound second-year pro ended up on 6-7, 260-pound Ron Artest.

“Kobe is Kobe; Artest is strong,” said Hill, an Indianapolis native. “I play against Ron in the summer, when he comes back to Indianapolis and stays.”

[024]

trade himmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!

[GooberNuts]

Damn. Sorry Parker - heal up soon! Sadly this is probably going to be a nagging injury the whole season unless he sits out indefinitely for an extended period...

[jaffies]

shit.

[tp2021]

Shit...did he get it from Tim? Is it contagious???? No wonder their team chemistry has improved...How close is this team off the court where they get each others sicknesses so easily? haha

[siraulo23]

:bang

[EricB]

That does explain alot.

[ffadicted]

Fuck the regular season, rest this man as much as possible I want him fresh for the playoffs :(

[tlongII]

and so it begins...

[Quiet Strength]

Why the hell has pop been playing him? He should have rested parker as soon as he found out about it. The spurs need a healthy parker going into the playoffs.

[mystargtr34]

Well this is good and bad news i guess. The good, at least we have a legit reason as to why he has struggled this season... Obviously the bad is there are no garuantees of recovery.. other than alot of rest..

Hmm...

[HarlemHeat37]

So it all makes sense now..ANYBODY that has watched Tony this year can tell there's something clearly wrong..this really sucks..

So would a few weeks of rest help with the PF or is pointless unless you get a few months of rest and treatment?..

[DesignatedT]

atleast we know why now.

[duncan228]

Duncan played with it the entire '05-'06 season.

[Ice009]

Wow they really hid this one from us. I thought Parker was being lazy and tired.

[Spursmania]

He got it from playing too damn much...:bang

Why didn't he take the Summer off?:(

[objective]

is this the same thing as the arch-injury he told the french media about?

[lefty]

and so it begins...
Jealous?

[siraulo23]

so whats the treatment for this type of injury

[draft87]

wow, talk about an under-the-radar injury announcement. I almost wish he NEVER said it. Now there's an element of "GO AT PARKER" in a game plan. Goddamn I'm having 'Nam-style flashbacks of the 2006 playoffs. FUCK.

The only good that comes from this news is that the idiot-assholes will cut him some slack and stop complaining that he's not dropping 22/8/4 on a team this deep. But that's not really of any consequence...this is a real bummer except for the fact that he really had a nice second half tonight.

I really enjoyed the banging first half without Parker's points. His passing was great. Having him answer the questions about whether or not we'd ultimately lose the lead and the game was awesome. It's a nice change of pace to have the game dominated by Tim and Manu's high-flying squad and then Tony come out firing in the second half. That's actually a strategy I'd be into seeing on a consistent basis. There's a lot of upside to that. ...
Getting the whole team involved. Stretching the floor. Not relying on Parker to heat and possibly sacrifice team chemistry.

[HarlemHeat37]

I guess a potential positive is that Duncan struggled with it the entire 2006 regular season, but still completely dominated in the playoffs..I guess we can hope for something similar from TP..

I still would prefer that he gets a good rest..

[honestfool84]

:bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang

[Pentagruel]

Wow they really hid this one from us. I thought Parker was being lazy and tired.

My thoughts exactly. Makes me feel a bit better now that I know why he has looked so lackluster this season. Unfortunately this will probably be something he has to play through for the rest of the season.

[tlongII]

Jealous?

Honest.

[MaNu4Tres]

Rest him for a month. Let Hill, Mason and Manu run the show.

[lefty]

Honest.
C'mon you can't have enough Blazers injured

U wish one of your guys had plantar fasciatis

[honestfool84]

I guess a potential positive is that Duncan struggled with it the entire 2006 regular season, but still completely dominated in the playoffs..I guess we can hope for something similar from TP..

I still would prefer that he gets a good rest..

hopefully...

but player-wise, Duncan >>>> Parker

[honestfool84]

C'mon you can't have enough Blazers injured

U wish one of your guys had plantar fasciatis

:lmao

[iggypop123]

damn he too? artest has it and has sucked lately too

[Quiet Strength]

C'mon you can't have enough Blazers injured

U wish one of your guys had plantar fasciatis

:lol :lol :lol

[tlongII]

C'mon you can't have enough Blazers injured

U wish one of your guys had plantar fasciatis

You guys might have a chance to beat us then

[SpurCharger]

I have Plantar Faciitus and it does hinder Your Movement, and can be painful at times..... but im tired of hearing a different Excuse about tony parker.....

[ElNono]

That does explain alot.

this

[AFBlue]

That's unfortunate, but with Manu re-emerging and Hill becoming a more consistent contributor, perhaps the Spurs won't feel the impact as much.

/optimism

The downside is that the "friendly" part of their schedule was early this year and there probably aren't as many opportunities down the stretch to get him the rest he probably needs.

This is precisely what RJ was brought in here to overcome...the loss/degredation of one of the big 3. He needs to step up his game.

[Blackjack]

This isn't good; not at all.:depressed

It does explain and account for the drop off in play after a career year, but this is so much worse for a guy like Tony than it was for Tim. Not in the pain department but because Tony's entire game is predicated on his speed and quickness and with him lacking a three-point stroke, a post game and size in general, this doesn't bode well for the Spurs; Tony's the key to beating the Lakers, imo, and as much as I've doubted his ability to dominate the matchup decisively enough for the Spurs to take four of seven from LA, he's really there best hope.

Tony and the bench are really the only two things the Spurs have a decisive advantage over the Lakers in and you don't typically win playoff series because of extraordinary depth; it's much more of a regular season plus.

They say it's actually better to tear the plantar fascia rather than have to deal with the nagging pain. Once it's torn, you're out for a certain amount of time and then you're able to come back pain-free once it's healed. Without the tear, you're stuck to deal with the pain and it won't go away until you've been able to stay off your feet for a significant amount of time; this shit ain't going away, iow..:depressed

[angelbelow]

Uh oh.. we should definitely rest him..

[Sean Cagney]

I guess a potential positive is that Duncan struggled with it the entire 2006 regular season, but still completely dominated in the playoffs..I guess we can hope for something similar from TP..

I still would prefer that he gets a good rest..

Tony is not Duncan though, different skillset and he relies on his speed! Tim Duncan relied on his post moves and skillset to get by! Duncan is one of a kind.

[itzsoweezee]

we're screwed

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Give him the month off.

Rip it out.

[murpjf88]

Trading him for CP3 would have been a moot point. He wouldn't have passed the physical. Pop should of known that.

[sabar]

That explains a lot considering the year he was coming off of.

[ElNono]

It is what it is and we'll have to play through it. At least it's not season ending stuff...
All teams seem dinged up here and there...

[Fpoonsie]

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/67/s_534ad5d9d535a29d47f07e03a1cffa9e.gif

[EricB]

From what I remember about PF is that no amount of rest helps it, it goes away when it goes away.

Just hope that come playoff time that he can manage it.

Thats all you can ask.

[Nathan Explosion]

I'd sit him for a while. Move Hill into the starting lineup with Gino and Mason taking up the backup duties. Hill's been playing well enough that he can step in and give about 80% of the production of a healthy Parker.

Jefferson can feel more comfortable stepping his game up and taking a more active role with Parker on the bench for a few games.

[AFBlue]

Okay I understand the argument that his game is predicated on speed and that he's much more reliable inside the paint than he is from the perimeter...but maybe, just maybe the improvement in his perimeter game over the past few years will neutralize some of the effect of the injury.

If Tony is keeping teams honest with his jumpshot, then perhaps he doesn't have to drive the ball all the time.

Still...this is a potentially significant injury.

[mardigan]

From what I remember about PF is that no amount of rest helps it, it goes away when it goes away.

Just hope that come playoff time that he can manage it.

Thats all you can ask.

Yea thats pretty much how it is.
You think the SPurs can afford to sit him for awhile with Hills play?

[timvp]

FML. FFNT.

s

[slick'81]

damn that does blow still tonight he looked good

[Nathan Explosion]

Okay I understand the argument that his game is predicated on speed and that he's much more reliable inside the paint than he is from the perimeter...but maybe, just maybe the improvement in his perimeter game over the past few years will neutralize some of the effect of the injury.

If Tony is keeping teams honest with his jumpshot, then perhaps he doesn't have to drive the ball all the time.

Still...this is a potentially significant injury.

I don't think it will help because teams will see that he's not as quick and will crowd his jumper. Right now they're still afraid of his speed (while before tonight). I think give him about two weeks off and see if anything improves. If it doesn't help, then let him fight through it but reduce his minutes when possible.

Hill's play has improved and I think he can be an asset to the team while Tony's down.

[ashbeeigh]

Duncan played with it the entire '05-'06 season.

Even though he did he was not 100% and we struggled a heck of a lot when he was openly struggling with the PF. Who knows...maybe Tony has been having this problem for some time and just now it is affecting the game to the point where the general public (non experts) can see it. It makes me cringe to think of him playing on it...even if it is one of those injuries that has a mind if its own.

I'd at least rest him a little bit more than often...try the George Hill lineup a bit. Hill has been amazing the last few games and I wouldn't doubt that he can step up a lot if he wanted to given the situation. Rest Tony in noncritical moments until he feels 100%.

[EricB]

Yea thats pretty much how it is.
You think the SPurs can afford to sit him for awhile with Hills play?

a couple games sure, but a long period of time like some people are talking about? No.

I think he will just have to be treated like Duncan was 4 years ago.

Luckily, tonight on the fast break he still looked fast.


However, it explains why his jumper has been erratic and not as agressive on his drives this season.

[howbouthemspurs]

he'll be ok

[murpjf88]

From what I remember about PF is that no amount of rest helps it, it goes away when it goes away.

Just hope that come playoff time that he can manage it.

Thats all you can ask.

Rest is the best possible form of treatment. When Tony's playing in the game, the pain is dull, but when he sits on the bench for a long period of time, the pain will flare up when he re-enters. Unfortunately, he can't afford to miss an extended period of time. I have little faith in Hill as starting point guard.

[Nathan Explosion]

I have little faith in Hill as starting point guard.

I love statements like this because the question I ask is "What has Hill for you to NOT have faith in him?"

The guy stepped into the starting lineup 10 games into his career (and while learning a new position) and did a decent job. His play is better and he looks much more consistent. What Hill lacks in Parker's speed and deadly accuracy from midrange he makes up for with athleticism and the ability to hit the 3.

I think Hill could step in and do a good job in Parker's place. It'll build his confidence even more and when Parker returns, you'd have a player coming off the bench to tag with Gino and run roughshod over opponents' benches.

[EricB]

Rest is the best possible form of treatment. When Tony's playing in the game, the pain is dull, but when he sits on the bench for a long period of time, the pain will flare up when he re-enters. Unfortunately, he can't afford to miss an extended period of time. I have little faith in Hill as starting point guard.

I see.

So his time last year and this year when he started and played fantastic, wasn't enough evidence?

[EricB]

OKC yeah and Memphis.

New Orleans and Charlotte he should play.

[Cry Havoc]

I think it's sad that so many "Spurs fans" jumped on the "trade Tony" bandwagon a week after he was back from his injury.

A lot of us said he isn't 100%, and we got it shoved in our face that Pop wouldn't play him unless he was at full strength.

[igruex]

It's obvious (at least for me) that if Tony's wound could be healed resting even a full month, he would be resting, granted.
There's a reason why Duncan had to play the whole season with it...

Moreover the injury doesn't seem to get worse playing, so he'll have to play through it for sure.

I'd like to know if he could force the issue a bit more come playoff time...

[murpjf88]

I love statements like this because the question I ask is "What has Hill for you to NOT have faith in him?"

The guy stepped into the starting lineup 10 games into his career (and while learning a new position) and did a decent job. His play is better and he looks much more consistent. What Hill lacks in Parker's speed and deadly accuracy from midrange he makes up for with athleticism and the ability to hit the 3.

I think Hill could step in and do a good job in Parker's place. It'll build his confidence even more and when Parker returns, you'd have a player coming off the bench to tag with Gino and run roughshod over opponents' benches.

Consistency. Some games, he's a highlight reel, and other games, he's completely dreadful. If you have to go long term with Hill, The spurs will suffer. Besides, he is not a true point guard. He should be a shooting guard, This is only Hill's sophomore season and he makes a lot of mental mistakes. Maybe one day he can be depended on, but for right now, he's too inconsistent. I'm not discounting the fact that he's athletic and can drain the three, but leading the spurs on a game to game basis would be a soap opera.

Eric B. - same answer.

[murpjf88]

This upcoming 4 game road trip would seem like a perfect time to let Tony rest.

@OKC
@Bobcats
@Memphis
@NOLA

now if there was any truth to the CP3 for TP9 rumor I would bet the Spurs play Tony in the last game and let the players invloved in a possible trade go head to head.

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if the Spurs just mailed in tomorrow night's game. With Duncan playing 40 minutes and Parker's PF, the Spurs may opt to sit both.

[EricB]

I doubt they will mail it in.

However, Guys like mahinmi, Haislip, Blair, Hill and others will have their chance tommorow.

[Cry Havoc]

I love statements like this because the question I ask is "What has Hill for you to NOT have faith in him?"

It's not about not having faith in Hill.

It's about the fact that Tony put up near MVP numbers last year for the Spurs and there is still so much hate on the board that a lot of Spurstalk regs don't even want him on the team.

Tony was the best player on the team last year. Hill cannot replicate that kind of firepower or consistency.

[murpjf88]

I doubt they will mail it in.

However, Guys like mahinmi, Haislip, Blair, Hill and others will have their chance tommorow.

Yeah, I didn't mean they won't try to win. I think pop will give some of their regulars the night off. Like you said, Mahinmi, Haislip, and Hill should get quality minutes.

[DJB]

He got it from playing too damn much...:bang

Why didn't he take the Summer off?:(

Because he's a fucking asshole.

[Spurtacus]

We should sit him starting February 1st. Let him rest on the road trip and during the all-star break. He would only miss 5 games but get over two weeks of rest. I'm sure it won't heal the plantar fascitis but its gotta help.

[blkroadrunners]

This sucks.

[baseline bum]

FUCK! There's nothing the team can do. He basically has it for the year and the only thing that's going to heal it is the offseason. :pctoss :pctoss

Jefferson really has to step his fucking game up now. There can be no excuses; he needs to be pulling 18 a game, because there's no way Parker's production is going to return to last year's level with this injury. Same for Manu. This 40% shooting shit and these bad three pointers he's putting up have to stop. Oh, and fuck France.

[baseline bum]

And Parker should have shut the fuck up. Now you're going to see teams closing way harder on his jumper.

[Cry Havoc]

And Parker should have shut the fuck up. Now you're going to see teams closing way harder on his jumper.

You really think every NBA coach out there wasn't already aware that Parker isn't able to play at even close to 100%?

[baseline bum]

You really think every NBA coach out there wasn't already aware that Parker isn't able to play at even close to 100%?

They weren't aware that he basically has no hope of being as explosive as last season until now.

[xellos88330]

This explains quite a bit.

Hopefully he can make a speedy recover and not have this linger for the rest of the year like Duncan.

[z0sa]

Lame but hey, who already didn't know? We've just named the demon now.

[Chieflion]

Disgusting. Parker can only play through this injury and let time solve the issue.

[Bukefal]

Why the hell has pop been playing him? He should have rested parker as soon as he found out about it. The spurs need a healthy parker going into the playoffs.

Because TP is too much important, we cannot afford to have him rested. Maybe a game or two, but not let's say a week or two. We first have to make the playoffs.

[Bukefal]

It's not about not having faith in Hill.

It's about the fact that Tony put up near MVP numbers last year for the Spurs and there is still so much hate on the board that a lot of Spurstalk regs don't even want him on the team.

Tony was the best player on the team last year. Hill cannot replicate that kind of firepower or consistency.

+1 the hate is ridiculous.

[ceperez]

Why the hell has pop been playing him? He should have rested parker as soon as he found out about it. The spurs need a healthy parker going into the playoffs.

Agree completely. Pop needs to keep him on the bench.

It's obvious that he doesn't seem to have the same kind of aggressiveness and consistency.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Agree completely. Pop needs to keep him on the bench.

It's obvious that he doesn't seem to have the same kind of aggressiveness and consistency.

What good would it be resting Parker for a couple of months - it wouldn't heal his PF. He has to learn to play through it, like TD did in 2006.

[naico]

I'm wondering if the long inactivity during the summer, before he played for the national team, has anything to do with it. Taking into account that he had a long and competitive season last year, the rust, in combination with the international play, preseason and beginning of this season has taken a lot out of Parker. Maybe his body just can't take that.

[Spurs Brazil]

This sucks

I hope TP can heal soon. That explains his play this season

[remingtonbo2001]

Really, this isn't as bad as some are making it out to be. If Parker can knock down his jumper and occasionally drive and kick, I don't believe the Spurs' offense will suffer.

The biggest difference will be on the defensive end.

[Supergirl]

the only thing that will make it recover fully is resting in the offseason. He needs to NOT PLAY NEXt SUMMER. Until then, the needs to rest as much as he can and try and pace himself. It will limit him all season but not enough to be deadly for the Spurs. They're deep enough to make up the difference.

[Seventyniner]

Rest is the best possible form of treatment. When Tony's playing in the game, the pain is dull, but when he sits on the bench for a long period of time, the pain will flare up when he re-enters. Unfortunately, he can't afford to miss an extended period of time. I have little faith in Hill as starting point guard.

Does this mean that if Pop wants Tony to play, say, 24 minutes, it would be better to have him play the entire 1st and 4th quarters as opposed to four 6-minute stints?

To prevent a painful flare-up on the court, could the trainers get Tony up off the bench and running in place or something a few minutes before Pop wants to put him in?

[kace]

Agree completely. Pop needs to keep him on the bench.

It's obvious that he doesn't seem to have the same kind of aggressiveness and consistency.

still, despite his health and his decreased level, he is clearly the second best player in the team.

It seems that the Spurs simply can't afford to put him on the bench even after all the new guys who've come this year.

[exstatic]

That does explain alot.

[exstatic]

So it all makes sense now..ANYBODY that has watched Tony this year can tell there's something clearly wrong..this really sucks..

So would a few weeks of rest help with the PF or is pointless unless you get a few months of rest and treatment?..

That.

He needs to quit playing for the fucking French NT, though. That shit gotta end NOW.

[silverblackfan]

Settle down guys, it's not like Tony is missing a leg or anything. He still managed to turn on his speed last night and drill that layup. His mid-range shot has been pretty damn good and he can still slash to the basket and be as crafty as ever. He is just going to have some pain.
We will see how the other teams react to Tony in the next 20 games and adjust accordingly, but after watching him blow by a few guys, they will realize crowding him is not the only answer.

[urunobili]

damn this is not good... if I was Pop i would just flat out sit him until March... I think we can make the playoffs sans TP and though he'll be rusty when he comes back mid March he'll start getting his rhythm back around April... when it matters... it's not too late Pop make the call and heal him before the playoffs please....

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

damn this is not good... if I was Pop i would just flat out sit him until March... I think we can make the playoffs sans TP and though he'll be rusty when he comes back mid March he'll start getting his rhythm back around April... when it matters... it's not too late Pop make the call and heal him before the playoffs please....

Plantar fasciitis can take from a month to over a year ( in extreme cases even longer ), it's not exact science, there is no way to predict how much time it'd take to heal, so a timetable to rest him until march would have no guarantees at all. If anything his own prediction ( from the interview ) that it'd take 2 months to heal is extremely optimistic.

I suppose we can all assume that the Spurs, having top notch medical facilities and information, have decided resting him wouldn't help him in regards to his playoff availability.

[Shastafarian]

It's not about not having faith in Hill.

It's about the fact that Tony put up near MVP numbers last year for the Spurs and there is still so much hate on the board that a lot of Spurstalk regs don't even want him on the team.

Tony was the best player on the team last year. Hill cannot replicate that kind of firepower or consistency.

Is that why the Spurs went 7-3 when tony was hurt last year with a ROOKIE George Hill playing in his stead?

[the crimson blur]

God damn, I can only imagine how good this team would be if he was fully healthy...Tony is our big matchup advantage against our two biggest rivals (Mavs, Lakers). Not having him at 100% would really, really hurt in the playoffs.

Depending on the severity of the injury, it can heal during the season. I wouldn't hold my breath, but we may not be looking at the same situation as 06 Duncan. We can only hope, but at this point, Parker's play should be expected to stay at around the level it is. His efficiency is down significantly because of the injury, like Duncan's was in 06. Tony is going from 25.93 APER, 4th best in the league, only behind D-Wade, Lebron, and Chris Paul, to a mediocre 18.67, 50th in the league;; a dip of 7.26 (huge). Duncan's dip was about 4.0, so maybe Tony's injury is more severe than his or it affects his game more. I don't know, but I do know losing what advanced statistics call the 4th best player in the league and replacing him with the 50th has to hurt.

Sure, we aren't doomed by this injury (those same advanced statistics put us as the best team in the league; 1st in SRS, despite the hampered Tony), but fuck me if I wouldn't prefer for it never to have happened. Heres hoping that it magically goes away by April.

[urunobili]

well TD played spectacular in the 06 playoffs after playing through it the whole season... Maybe TP can pull it off similarly :)

[Walton Buys Off Me]

Where are the French NT apologists that were proclaiming over the summer Parker would exhibit no ill effects from his play with France?

This is no surprise.

International play is our achilles heel; no pun intended.

[the crimson blur]

well TD played spectacular in the 06 playoffs after playing through it the whole season... Maybe TP can pull it off similarly :)

Tony is a warrior, I hope so. Personally, I wish we could afford to sit him for the whole 2 months his doctors wanted and see if it gets cured (doubt it). Our schedule is too rough from here on out to lose Tony for an extended period of time.

I hope the Spurs' medical staff is working overtime with him. Stretching the calf, foot, and the PF itself is the number 1 remedy for this kind of injury. Doing it during games, before games, and most importantly, before and after going to bed, makes all the difference.

[TPnumber1]

Because he's a fucking asshole.

no it's just he love his country thats all...so who is the asshole ? not him

national team in europe is VERY VERY VERY VERY important.

[BillMc]

Tony is a warrior, I hope so. Personally, I wish we could afford to sit him for the whole 2 months his doctors wanted and see if it gets cured (doubt it). Our schedule is too rough from here on out to lose Tony for an extended period of time.

+1

In addition to the schedule, Tony will need more time with all the new guys. We just can't rest him for extended time... :(

[TJastal]

I love statements like this because the question I ask is "What has Hill for you to NOT have faith in him?"

The guy stepped into the starting lineup 10 games into his career (and while learning a new position) and did a decent job. His play is better and he looks much more consistent. What Hill lacks in Parker's speed and deadly accuracy from midrange he makes up for with athleticism and the ability to hit the 3.

I think Hill could step in and do a good job in Parker's place. It'll build his confidence even more and when Parker returns, you'd have a player coming off the bench to tag with Gino and run roughshod over opponents' benches.

Hill has had two previous opportunities to run the team, once last year when Parker went down and again this year and each time he has helped the spurs keep the ship afloat and then some. I think its a great boost to his confidence as well when opportunites come along.

I am totally 100% in agreement that Parker should sit and get better at least a few weeks.

You'll have to forgive Murp88, she has trust issues since Jefferson dumped her.

[TJastal]

Plantar fasciitis can take from a month to over a year ( in extreme cases even longer ), it's not exact science, there is no way to predict how much time it'd take to heal, so a timetable to rest him until march would have no guarantees at all. If anything his own prediction ( from the interview ) that it'd take 2 months to heal is extremely optimistic.

I suppose we can all assume that the Spurs, having top notch medical facilities and information, have decided resting him wouldn't help him in regards to his playoff availability.

You sure a month or so wouldn't help the healing process?

[Chieflion]

You sure a month or so wouldn't help the healing process?
It doesn't really help. If he does not fully recover, it just flares up if he starts work suddenly. It has been going on for about more than a month. You just hope he gets used to the pain and recovers in the offseason.

[Agloco]

and so it begins...

How's Greg?

[SenorSpur]

the only thing that will make it recover fully is resting in the offseason. He needs to NOT PLAY NEXt SUMMER. Until then, the needs to rest as much as he can and try and pace himself. It will limit him all season but not enough to be deadly for the Spurs. They're deep enough to make up the difference.

Exactly. I remember when Tim had this affliction a few years ago, and at that time is was declaried that rest is really the only option. Perhaps Parker should have rested this past offseason.

Spurs championship hopes are compromised without a healthy TP.

[td4mvp21]

This sucks. But, hopefully it will be similar to Tim's situation and start to feel better around playoff time.

[VI_Massive]

I hope he'll be better by playoff time too, but I agree with the other posters that PF is probably different for a small player who relies on quickness and elevation (Parker) than a post guy who, let's face it, wasn't much of a leaper by the time he had it (Duncan). Also bad that its on his push off foot.

So freaking depressing. I hate NT play so much.

[EricB]

His speed, which is a huge key for him, doesn't look affected, so I wouldnt freak out 100%....

[MaNu4Tres]

I guess a potential positive is that Duncan struggled with it the entire 2006 regular season, but still completely dominated in the playoffs..I guess we can hope for something similar from TP..

I still would prefer that he gets a good rest..

Tim doesn't need his speed and quickness like TP does, which is what the PF effects.

Tony needs to rest for a month

If we get 5th-8th seed so be it. Having a TP close to 100 percent with the 8th seed> Having the 2nd-4th seed with a TP thats 70 percent.

[MaNu4Tres]

His speed, which is a huge key for him, doesn't look affected, so I wouldnt freak out 100%....

You think he looks just as quick and fast as last year?

I can totally see a glaring difference in his speed especially in P&R situations. His finishing at the rim has been sub-par, which makes sense because his left foot is the foot he usually jumps and explodes off of.

[Bukefal]

I just read something about this and it says that plantar fascitis usually naturally heals in about 1 to 2 years and with 80% of the people who had this, it took average of 4 years to completely be healed.

There is no 100% effective treatment. Stretching can help, other than that no. At least that's what I read.

[SenorSpur]

As we're approaching the middle part of the season, I wonder if it'd be wise for Pop to shut TP down for a month of rest.

[VI_Massive]

As we're approaching the middle part of the season, I wonder if it'd be wise for Pop to shut TP down for a month of rest.

From what I've heard and read, that's not enough time off to have a marked effect.

[Muser]

As we're approaching the middle part of the season, I wonder if it'd be wise for Pop to shut TP down for a month of rest.

I agree, Hill/Manu can manage the point. Having last years TP with everybody else healthy would make us very scary.

[MoSpur]

I for one would not mind seeing Hill start. He did a great job of it when Parker was out with that ankle injury. I'd prefer Tony to be healthy and start, but its not the case. If rest is the best for him right now, then rest him and give Hill the starting spot.

[MaNu4Tres]

From what I've heard and read, that's not enough time off to have a marked effect.

There's no specific time table how long or how much rest one may need to see positive results.

What we do know is Spurs can get Parker the best treatment and best rehab regimen than your average American can.

That being said 4-6 weeks of rest, rehab, and training could be just what Tony needs.

He's also a professional athlete that's in his prime of his career, therefore the healing process would be a lot quicker than your average American that many websites on PF base their information off of.

[Dex]

Well at least now we know what the damn deal is. Unfortunately, we probably would've just been better off with a sprained ankle or something.

I'm no doctor or anything, but I remember when Duncan was dealing with the fasciitis, the only thing that was going to help it was time, and lots of it. That's why he played through it during the season; the only time he was going to get to heal was during the offseason.

I'd like to think that the Spurs could pull Tony for even 6 weeks and hope to see an improvement, but I just don't know if that would be enough time. And can the Spurs afford to be without one of the big three for much longer?

[MB20]

CIA Spurs.
Just an excuse to give him a couple of weeks of rest.


/hopefull thinking.

[SenorSpur]

Quite a dilemma

[VI_Massive]

Well at least now we know what the damn deal is. Unfortunately, we probably would've just been better off with a sprained ankle or something.

I'm no doctor or anything, but I remember when Duncan was dealing with the fasciitis, the only thing that was going to help it was time, and lots of it. That's why he played through it during the season; the only time he was going to get to heal was during the offseason.

I'd like to think that the Spurs could pull Tony for even 6 weeks and hope to see an improvement, but I just don't know if that would be enough time. And can the Spurs afford to be without one of the big three for much longer?

And if the Spurs took the drastic measure of sitting him for a serious amount of time (which I highly doubt), I think the Spurs would need to sign some sort of third-string point guard as a backup/insurance. Whether that would come from Austin or elsewhere, if Parker sits, Hill is the starter and Manu/Mason the ostensible back ups. But those guys are seeing so much time at SG, I think we would need another option at back up/insurance point. But I really think Parker will just play through it.

[Josepatches_]

A lot of games in his body since he was 19.
I'm sure this summer he will play the FIBA world championship because he played last summer to be there. In the summer of 2011 he will have to play again to qualify France for the 2012 Olympic games in London if he wants to stay there.

I begin to think that these health problems are going to be increased every year.It's hard to be 10 years in the NBA at high level.He's still young but all these games are on his legs.

It would be interesting to know if he stays here for less money when he ends his contract because if he doesn't want then it could be the time to trade him.

[nkdlunch]

good thing is we don't need Tony to be THE MAN anymore as last year. Manu is healthy and Duncan is healthy(knock on wood) and we have a lot of new big guns.

This might actually be a blessing in disguise. As long as Tony feels 80-85% by playoffs.

[ElNono]

He's going to play through it... He's still on the right side of 30, so hopefully he can handle it better than TD back in '06...

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Thanks alot bin laden.

[Fpoonsie]

Thanks alot bin laden.

Grubes FTW!

[smeagol]

International players are soft and injury prone.

First Manu . . . now Tony.


Hey ducks! Wassup with your boyfriend? He is a softie :lol

[SpurCharger]

Yeah I have Plantar Faciitus, And My Doc Told Me It could take Anywhere From 6 weeks to a year for It to heel..... It Doesnt Bother me while walking, jogging or running, It really bothers Me after i sit down and relax, then it flares up, and it is hard to even to put pressure on my feet for a few minutes until they get warmed up again.... So the worse thing for tony, is once he comes off the bench.....

[portnoy1]

Rest him for a month. Let Hill, Mason and Manu run the show. that would probably work. I wonder if pop gave ghill all that love cause he knew about the injury an that ghill would need some support/confidence to run the team in place of tp for lengthy stretches?

[spursbird]

Rest Parker, give more time to Mahinmi, Hairston and Haislip.

[Marcus Bryant]

Doesn't every NBA player deal with some form of plantar fasciitisisisis?

[HankChinaski]

Well at my previous job we dealt with footwear and orthopedic insoles. And Plantar Fasciitis was a common thing I saw on a day to day basis. Pretty much rest is a big factor in recovering but that isn't treating the cause of him getting the PF.

Its an overstretching of the plantar fascia tendon through the gait cycle. An over pronated step. Basically the arch is flattening out or being over stretched which will easily happen due to the amount of impact, force, and use the guy puts on his feet. So the few treatments that help with this is arch support via orthopedic inserts in shoes that support the arches and reduce the collapsing of the arches. splints that stretch out the tendon comfortably so that he doesn't have tightness in the arch when he gets up in the mornings.

Pretty much whatever that earlier poster mentioned him resting after going to the bench is when he is going to have problems because once he cools down a bit that first step is going to hurt when he gets up. Its an annoying injury. But that sock TP had mentioned should reduce some of the straining of the tendon, i'm sure that spurs staff can work with it so that it is manageable. But he isn't going to get 100% during the season regardless of a few weeks off. This is something he'll have to work with during the summer.

[HankChinaski]

They also have probably been taping his left foot underneath the arch to lift it up and provide support as well. That is something podiatrist do with people that have that issue that aren't willing to foot the bill for higher costing remedies. So I imagine that med staff has done that as well.

[Bukefal]

Well at my previous job we dealt with footwear and orthopedic insoles. And Plantar Fasciitis was a common thing I saw on a day to day basis. Pretty much rest is a big factor in recovering but that isn't treating the cause of him getting the PF.

Its an overstretching of the plantar fascia tendon through the gait cycle. An over pronated step. Basically the arch is flattening out or being over stretched which will easily happen due to the amount of impact, force, and use the guy puts on his feet. So the few treatments that help with this is arch support via orthopedic inserts in shoes that support the arches and reduce the collapsing of the arches. splints that stretch out the tendon comfortably so that he doesn't have tightness in the arch when he gets up in the mornings.

Pretty much whatever that earlier poster mentioned him resting after going to the bench is when he is going to have problems because once he cools down a bit that first step is going to hurt when he gets up. Its an annoying injury. But that sock TP had mentioned should reduce some of the straining of the tendon, i'm sure that spurs staff can work with it so that it is manageable. But he isn't going to get 100% during the season regardless of a few weeks off. This is something he'll have to work with during the summer.

Thanks for posting, nice to read someone with a bit of experience on this.

Welcome to the forums :toast

[Spursmania]

Give him the month off.

Rip it out.

He should have taken the months off in the Summer. :bang

[ElNono]

Non-Issue

[wildbill2u]

Say goodbye to Championship hopes. We need Parker at his Big Three best to compete with the elite teams.

Unfortunately, This is the type of injury that will last for the rest of the season without much improvement in all probability. We saw what it did to Duncan and he doesn't rely on speed like Parker.

Overall, with Parker's efficiency impaired, I don't think we have the horses to win. Maybe next year.

[EricB]

Say goodbye to Championship hopes. We need Parker at his Big Three best to compete with the elite teams.

Unfortunately, This is the type of injury that will last for the rest of the season without much improvement in all probability. We saw what it did to Duncan and he doesn't rely on speed like Parker.

Overall, with Parker's efficiency impaired, I don't think we have the horses to win. Maybe next year.


I don't see how you can say that after that second half last night.

[Dex]

Doesn't every NBA player deal with some form of plantar fasciitisisisis?

Gilbert Arenas suffers plantar fasciitis of the brain.

[Chomag]

I don't see how you can say that after that second half last night.

TP had a pretty good game, but to say this isn't a concern is being pretty blind to it. There might be games where it wont bother him much, but then others where it might. Unfortunately we need a consistent TP this season.

I'm not saying this ruins Spurs chances at a Title, however it is a concern.

[Chomag]

Gilbert Arenas suffers plantar fasciitis of the brain.

LOL, funny because it's true. :lol

[ElNono]

I don't see how you can say that after that second half last night.

You can say it because his speed and explosiveness wasn't there. He should have toyed with Fisher, much like Brooks does. It's good to see that he can contribute with his shot here and there, but that certainly is not his forte.

And it's undeniable that it bothers him. He missed a lot of gimmies under the basket this season (including one last night) and his free throw shooting also has been affected.

Now, I don't really think we can't win without Tony peaking. We actually retooled our roster to deal with the eventuality of one of our big 3 going down.
I think Tony needs to see what works and what doesn't and still try to contribute. So let's see how it works out.

[Whisky Dog]

National teams destroyed the dynasty.


This is why Jefferson is here. Hill needs to be main point now with Parker getting 25 to 30 mpg. Jefferson needs to pick up the scoring slack.

I know Timmy played with it in '06, but this has to be a much more restrictive injury for Parker since his quick feet and hard cuts are his game.

[Kori Ellis]

People can't say that Parker's injury is as bad as (or worse than) Duncan's was. There are varying degrees of plantar fasciitis. Some players have it, but only feel it once in a blue moon, and then go for treatment. Other players have so much pain that they constantly feel like they are running on knives. At that point, most people say it's better that it tears, so they can heal faster. But it could be a relatively light case for Tony. Who knows. My friend (basketball player) had it for a year at one point, but it only bothered him a handful of times. With stretching and treatments, it doesn't have to be a death sentence for the Spurs title hopes.

[TJastal]

You can say it because his speed and explosiveness wasn't there. He should have toyed with Fisher, much like Brooks does. It's good to see that he can contribute with his shot here and there, but that certainly is not his forte.

And it's undeniable that it bothers him. He missed a lot of gimmies under the basket this season (including one last night) and his free throw shooting also has been affected.

Now, I don't really think we can't win without Tony peaking. We actually retooled our roster to deal with the eventuality of one of our big 3 going down.
I think Tony needs to see what works and what doesn't and still try to contribute. So let's see how it works out.

Tony can totally still help this team win a championship by passing the ball more and looking to get his assists up, something that he needs to do more of anyways.

[wildbill2u]

I don't see how you can say that after that second half last night.

He will have some games where the pain doesn't limit him as much, but maybe the first half was caused by it.

Once the cause and extent of his injury becomes widely known (after all, we didn't know about it until today so you'd have to think that the Spurs wanted to keep it quiet as long as possible) then other teams will look to how they can take advantage of the injury and take him out of his game.

We've all noted how his play was lacking something this season without knowing why. The toughest part of our schedule against the elite teams is coming up.

If you feel good about the situation you are more optimistic than I. I hope you are right and I am wrong.

[ElNono]

Tony can totally still help this team win a championship by passing the ball more and looking to get his assists up, something that he needs to do more of anyways.

And shooting... he can be streaky, but no different than a bunch of guys on the team... we will just have to ask Hill, RJ and Manu to drive more...

[dbestpro]

Make a move with Finley and bring in a servicable point guard. Rest Parker till the final month. Play Hill and the new PG at the point until then. If the servicable PG is playing well, let him remain as the backup PG and move Hill to SG with occasional PG duties.
Fill the rest of the slate with RMJ, Manu, RJ and Bogans. Do not try to go into the playoffs with a hurt TP who could quickly become this year's Manu.

[duhoh]

Rest him for a month. Let Hill, Mason and Manu run the show.

good solid idea, but those never happen :lol

[Mavs<Spurs]

People can't say that Parker's injury is as bad as (or worse than) Duncan's was. There are varying degrees of plantar fasciitis. Some players have it, but only feel it once in a blue moon, and then go for treatment. Other players have so much pain that they constantly feel like they are running on knives. At that point, most people say it's better that it tears, so they can heal faster. But it could be a relatively light case for Tony. Who knows. My friend (basketball player) had it for a year at one point, but it only bothered him a handful of times. With stretching and treatments, it doesn't have to be a death sentence for the Spurs title hopes.

You give me enough hope to consider walking away from the ledge. I am still on the ledge. But I am now contemplating leaving it. Damn this sucks ! Thanks for providing some hope for us, Kori !

:flag:

[SpuronyourFace]

Fortunately its an injury you can play with. But if I were Pop, Id rest him as much as possible. Especially against inferior teams. Give Hill those minutes. It can only help him.

[NFGIII]

Unfortunate injury to TP but as of now we still don't know the extent of it. Kori stated as such. This issue will be managed as best as possible and we will probably see more Hill and others vs. TP. This will continue to be an issue for the reat of the season and only with time off from BB this summer plus treatment will it heal.

Now, as discussed in another thread, what does TP do about his committment to the French NT? This will be interesting to see how it plays out since I believe the French will be pushing hard for TP to play. They don't care about the NBA (nor does the Spurs FO care whether France wins or not) so I expect the French to use strongarm tactics coupled with some classic bitching and whining come this summer. TP needs to get his priorities in order and decide what is more important - the NBA Spurs or the French NT. At this point in his life it seems he can't have both. Year round BB is taking too much toll on his body and he needs to recognize this and come to terms with it.

:flag: