Duncan's foot injury causes team concern

[Bruno]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA010806.7C.BKNspurs.notebook.36e4136.html

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

PHOENIX — Tim Duncan's right foot continues to trouble him, but the Spurs have all but ruled out giving him another cortisone injection.

Duncan has been bothered by plantar fasciitis in the foot since the preseason. He received a pain-killing shot Dec. 11, but the Spurs don't want to risk giving him another injection, coach Gregg Popovich said.

"We don't want to dry up those tendons," Popovich said. "If you dry up those tendons, then you have big problems. We'll just have to live with it."

Popovich said he continues to contemplate sitting Duncan to give him additional rest, but Duncan wants to keep playing.
The injury has most affected Duncan when the Spurs play on consecutive nights and he doesn't have enough time to recover. But it also shows itself on a daily basis.

"In some games, depending on the pain, it will limit the kind of movement he can make," Popovich said.

Marks hurt: The Spurs had only 11 players in uniform Saturday night after Sean Marks sprained his left ankle while shooting before the game.

Marks landed awkwardly after attempting a shot in the lane and was helped to the sideline. He is expected to be out at least two weeks.

Marks has played sparingly this season, but he was moved to the active roster Friday because Beno Udrih is suffering from the flu. Udrih didn't accompany the team to Phoenix.

Count Duncan out: Phoenix Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo had hoped to meet with Duncan on Saturday to discuss his interest in playing for Team USA in this summer's World Championships and the 2008 Olympics. Duncan, however, sent word through a Spurs official and his agent that he hasn't changed his mind about not playing.

"I have no interest in that," Duncan said.

Duncan, who has been bothered by knee and foot injuries in recent seasons, said he wouldn't be able to make the three-year commitment Colangelo is asking of players.

Duncan was selected for the U.S. team at the 2000 Olympics but had to withdraw with a knee injury.

Suns continue to rise: Popovich thought the Suns would continue to play well without Amare Stoudemire, but even he has been somewhat surprised by their recent surge to the top of the Pacific Division.

"I think they're faster than they were last year," Popovich said. "I really do.

"I think it shows what a special player and leader Steve Nash is. I don't know why he can't be the MVP again, holding that team together and keeping them right in the ballpark with other teams in the league.

"It's really special what he's doing."

Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said Boris Diaw's play has been a big part of their success, too.

Phoenix obtained Diaw from Atlanta in its sign-and-trade deal for Joe Johnson. In two years with the Hawks, Diaw played only sparingly.

"I wondered if he could play," D'Antoni said. "You worry about why wouldn't he play on a team that's losing.

"I had no idea about him. He almost gets a triple double every time he walks on the floor."

What's in a name? Phoenix's America West Arena was officially renamed US Airways Center on Friday. The name change was a result of a merger between the two airlines.

The Suns had their first two sellouts of the seasons Friday and Saturday in the newly christened building.

[Brutalis]

I wish Pop would tell Tim to shut the hell up and sit.

Why is playing him worth the risk?

I know Timmy wants to win but still. I'd rather have him for the playoffs..helloooo..

[td4mvp21]

I don't really care what happens, I jsut want the old Duncan back.

[boutons_]

1. that playing/practicing, even just being on the foot, will prevent/delay PF healing.
But with PF completely rested, complete healing can take months, ie, Tim's and Spurs' season would be over.

2. With PF limiting Tim, I think his presence on the court often actually hurts more than it helps, because the Spurs continue to give below-normal Tim his normal amt of touches as first-option, with which he has been often ineffective, shooting way below 50% in several games. Tim is also limited on defense, not able to rotate and defend the paint well. (the @Bucks game was extremely frustrating, since Tim was able to give a rare-this-seaon dominant, MVP peformance, but Spurs lose anyway)

So, rest Tim completely and you have a crippled Spurs, crippled like any other NBA team without a dominant big man (or the Spurs after Tim retires).

Or, continue to play a limited Tim and you have a Spurs with a mediocre big man having lots of low-contribution/bad games and unable to anchor the defense.

The Spurs have decided to let Tim play. Time will tell.

[TDMVPDPOY]

tim wants to play 78+ games even if its low stats :( to give him a run at mvp again :D

[JamStone]

For those of you who have experienced plantar fasciitis before, you know how painful it can be, and it can take months to heal. I had it in college, and even a week or two of rest doesn't help that much. Duncan should play if it's not too bad, because unless he takes at least a month off, resting it won't help much. And, if he were to take a month off, that means completely resting it, meaning not even walking on the foot. And, then how would that affect his conditioning when he returned? All things you have to factor in when deciding whether Duncan should sit or not. Would you really want Duncan to sit a week or two and risk multiple losses when it wouldn't even really help Duncan heal? It doesn't make much sense unless it's a month off.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Popovich said he continues to contemplate sitting Duncan to give him additional rest, but Duncan wants to keep playing.

Dear Pop, it's not about January, it's about May-June. Sit him for crying out loud. You've been a pussy and defered to Duncan your entire coaching career, grow a fucking sack.

[dbreiden83080]

tim wants to play 78+ games even if its low stats :( to give him a run at mvp again :D

He has 2 MVP's i am sure he could care less about that anymore. Timmy is thinking about Western conference home court more than anything else. If the PF is not going to heal unless they sit him down for like 2 months, than what is the point. He might as well just play through it the best he can. Hopefully he can manage it throughout the year. I know Kobe had PF a few years ago and he managed it fine and had his usual year.

[usckk]

I"m really worried this won't heal until next year. THis type of injuries linger without completly resting for a while.

[Kori Ellis]

Dear Pop, it's not about January, it's about May-June. Sit him for crying out loud. You've been a pussy and defered to Duncan your entire coaching career, grow a fucking sack.

I guess the point is that it likely won't heal in a week's time or a month's time. Some people even say that it hurts more when they aren't even doing any activity. So it's just a pain that he's going to have to deal with. If he was at risk for a tear or something, I'm sure he'd be sitting.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Holy shit, this stuff is really starting to freak me out....poor duncan..

Will he ever be 100% again? Jesus christ..

[jdelar03]

I am a lineman that climbs telephone poles 10-12 hours a day and had been having pain in my foot as well. I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis which like with Duncan there is not much that can be done about it. So I started researching it and found these inserts http://www.heel-that-pain.com/ the first day I wore them I had no pain at all for the first time in a long time. The second day my foot felt sore but different, more like muscle sore. I took them out for two days to let my foot rest. I have wore them ever since for almost six months with no pain at all. All I know is for me they have been a life saver because foot pain sucks.

[boutons_]

Tim's last 2 seasons had him missing 13 and 16 games.

He comes back this season rested, noticeably lighter, and in great shape, apparently ready for to go for a complete MVP season like 02/03, and a repeat, then gets hit with PF.

Just a string of bad luck? or his age and 15+ seasons of basketball breaking his body down?

If he's too discouraged to think about Olympic basketball the next 2 summers, no one should blame him.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Kori, we can get by with him sitting out two months. Hell maybe even three. I'd rather try that than "heck, it already hurts and it won't be better in a month so let's play him anyway."

[Rummpd]

After this tough stretch at home where he can get some treatment in SA - sit him out for a couple of weeks say after the Memphis game, rest never hurts.

[Summers]

Kori, we can get by with him sitting out two months. Hell maybe even three. I'd rather try that than "heck, it already hurts and it won't be better in a month so let's play him anyway."

But Pop's already said it's a condition that won't worsen if he plays and won't necessarily heal any faster if he rests. Pop's not stupid; he's not going to risk making it worse.

[Vashner]

Sit him out on some of these EZ games...

Where are the old clippers when you need them??

[usckk]

Do yall think he'll be 100% by the playoffs?

[E20]

Do yall think he'll be 100% by the playoffs?
No.

If he needs rest to fully heal his plantar fasciitis(sp) then he will never heal completely because he is always playing basketball. Hopefully Duncan doesn't make the all-star team and can sit out all of Feburary with the All-Star Break. If Pop decides to sit him down now he will have 2 months of rehab time.

[exstatic]

Do yall think he'll be 100% by the playoffs?

No, but then again, he wasn't last year, either. PF causes pain, but it doesn't limit your mobility like a sprained ankle or two.


For those of you who have experienced plantar fasciitis before, you know how painful it can be, and it can take months to heal.

I think that's the key. They could shut him down for two months, have him play a game or two, and it could still be there.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Alright Summers, fine, keep playing him 40 minutes a night in freakin' January.

Just don't be surprised or come crying here when he's a gimp in the playoffs and we don't even make the NBA Finals.

We've got the depth... Nazr, Rasho, Horry, Oberto... to give Duncan the next TWO or THREE months off.

Fuck, rest him til' the end of March and let him play the last 15 games to get back in a groove with the team. That would give him nearly three months to rest and get better.

We need to be at 100% or damn close to it to beat Detroit this year. I'd argue we're also going to need to be at or near that level for Dallas (as much as the clowns on here will argue otherwise).

But who am I kidding, everyone will say I'm wrong and Tim Duncan is Superman (despite the fact it's obviously hurting him out on the court to anyone watching a game), so be it.

Like I said, keep playing Duncan 35-40 a night, just don't be surprised when he gets worked over in the playoffs, or call him soft for it.

[exstatic]

I would argue that we need an intact Manu more than an intact Tim in the playoffs.

They could sit him for three months and it might not heal, and all you've done is throw your playoff seeding into the shitter, having to fight up from #4 or lower with a PF affected Tim instead of from #1.

[T Park]

They could sit him for three months and it might not heal, and all you've done is throw your playoff seeding into the shitter, having to fight up from #4 or lower with a PF affected Tim instead of from #1.

facts elude the best.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Who says it's a fact? I haven't seen anyone prove that it *can't* clear up in 2-3 months, just people saying no guarantees.

About the only guarantee I see is that right now Duncan is hobbling, especially on the second night of b2bs.

[Vashner]

I would say water treatment is what he needs...

Slap him in a partial dry suit and toss him into the springs at Brak for a couple hours a day...
But with nothing on the feet... That cold water will heal that bad boy up...

[AFE7FATMAN]

Dear Pop, it's not about January, it's about May-June. Sit him for crying out loud. You've been a pussy and defered to Duncan your entire coaching career, grow a fucking sack.

Why should Pop not defer to Timmy, his entire coaching career, is based on
TD, except when he was in the middle of the AJ, DR, lets get rid of Bob Hill,
and get you the job from the General.

[baseline bum]

If Pop would sit Duncan out in the playoffs when Tim wanted to play I don't think he's going to defer to him now in January if he thinks it can hurt him.

[usckk]

Am I the only one here freaking out over this?

[exstatic]

Who says it's a fact? I haven't seen anyone prove that it *can't* clear up in 2-3 months, just people saying no guarantees.

I think that's the part that makes people NOT want to sit him. This is, at best, a .600 ballclub without Tim. You put him out for a period of months, you piss the division away and are at best a #4 seed, possibly worse, and he still may not be better. I think that if the docs said "Yeah, if you sit him for X amount of time, he'll be all better" that Pop would do it.

On the other hand, Tim is still much better off than he was last year with the ankles. I never saw him get off the ground like he did on that one monster dunk on Parker's over penetration against Minnesota.

You manage his minutes. You finish with the #1 seed, and you go to war with what you have. Better than starting at #4 or lower with Tim STILL possibly not well.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

You manage his minutes.

The problem is, we aren't even doing that. He's averaging more minutes per game this year despite the Spurs having better depth and Manu and Tony out there to initiate the offense as well.

Doesn't make much sense.

[exstatic]

He's playing the second lowest minutes of his career. I'd say the minutes are being managed. You mileage may vary.

[IcemanCometh]

aggy is a moron

[T Park]

He's playing the second lowest minutes of his career

zing.

[angel_luv]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA010806.7C.BKNspurs.notebook.36e4136.html

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

PHOENIX — Tim Duncan's right foot continues to trouble him, but the Spurs have all but ruled out giving him another cortisone injection.

Duncan has been bothered by plantar fasciitis in the foot since the preseason. He received a pain-killing shot Dec. 11, but the Spurs don't want to risk giving him another injection, coach Gregg Popovich said.

"We don't want to dry up those tendons," Popovich said. "If you dry up those tendons, then you have big problems. We'll just have to live with it."

Popovich said he continues to contemplate sitting Duncan to give him additional rest, but Duncan wants to keep playing.
The injury has most affected Duncan when the Spurs play on consecutive nights and he doesn't have enough time to recover. But it also shows itself on a daily basis.

"In some games, depending on the pain, it will limit the kind of movement he can make," Popovich said.




I wonder if Timmy has heard of these kind of shoes and if the NBA would allow him to wear them?
My mom has the same condition and the shoes did wonders for her.

http://www.zcoil.com/

[leemajors]

only problem i see is most of those layman cures for pf aren't designed for a couple hours of jumping up and down and running by a 200+ lb male. it does seem weird that there has not been a cure developed since it seems to afflict more than a couple high profile athletes. or maybe there is just nothing to do about it. i am sure the spurs have looked around though...

[Cant_Be_Faded]

god dammit will someone PLEASE say something optimistic about this situation

Last time we talked about this shit I actually had a dream that duncan's planatar fasciitis sidelined him during the playoffs

[jochhejaam]

will someone PLEASE say something optimistic about this situation

Last time we talked about this shit I actually had a dream that duncan's planatar fasciitis sidelined him during the playoffs
The Pistons won the NBA Championship in 2004 with Rasheed suffering from PF. I remember some games he'd be fine and then all of a sudden he'd start hobbling around as if he'd stepped on a nail.



Something optomistic is on the way, here's an article about Rasheed and his problem with PF the year we won the championship. Apparently you need to completely tear the tissue for it to heal, or at least that's one way to do it.

Rasheed no longer has plantar faciitis


Web-posted May 27, 2004


By DANA GAURUDER
Of The Daily Oakland Press

AUBURN HILLS - Fears that Rasheed Wallace's sore left foot would not hold up throughout the playoffs have subsided. There's a good reason for that. He no longer has plantar fasciitis.
Wallace has a stretched ligament on the side of his foot, but the plantar fasciitis, which he compared to having a rock in his shoe, is gone. Quite simply, that problem has literally been torn apart. The plantar fascia is a tissue that runs from the back of the heel to the toes but serves no useful purpose. Tearing it is actually the best treatment.

"It does nothing for you because you have ligaments on the inside of the foot and you have supporting tendons that actually support the arch," Pistons strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander said. "The plantar fascia is the thing that gets in the way."

When Wallace initially suffered the injury, he was given additional support for his arch to take the pressure off the fascia. He also wore a night boot for two weeks to prevent the fascia from tightening up. Most importantly, Kander pressed his thumbs onto the area every other day to tear up the tissue.

Plantar fasciitis can no longer occur once the tissue is torn, though knots can develop if the foot is not monitored. Middle-aged official Joey Crawford tore his plantar fascia early in the playoffs and was back in action last week.

"It's like a gel that stiffens, so, technically, when you rip the gel, it's no longer intact," Kander said. "That's really how we heal it."

Once that problem subsided, Wallace was able to move more freely and play extended minutes.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/052704/pro_20040527079.shtml

[Kori Ellis]

Interesting article on Rasheed.

Rick Brunson had plantar fascitis in training camp/preseason. He tore the plantar and now he's out for 4 months.

So I'm not sure how much they really know about this weird thing.

I've had it before and when it hurts, it's extremely painful. We were in Las Vegas when it was killing me and I could barely walk 30 feet without almost crying. It hurt on and off for months and it was super random -- sometimes it hurt the most when I was just laying in bed. Then one day it just went away. *shrug*

[jochhejaam]

Reasons for optimism #2 and #3

2. "It bothers Tim more in back to backs". There are no back to backs in the playoffs.

3. Spurs won the 2005 Championship and Tim played on a bad ankle(s).

Alright, that's enough encouragement for one day, off to work now. :lol

[Brutalis]

TREATMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE ATHLETE

In most cases, the goal of the athlete is to quickly return to activities to minimize loss of fitness and performance.This will put pressure on the treating practitioner to be more aggressive than treating cases of more sedentary patients.

A survey was conducted by this author of the board members of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine two years ago to compare treatment protocols for athletes vs. standard population.The following treatment pearls were elicited:

1) Assignment to alternative activity

The athlete must be encouraged to maintain cardiovascular fitness during rest from damaging activities that may delay healing.For the runner, dancer or volleyball player, this means a complete cessation from running and jumping activities until acute symptoms subside.On the other hand, the athlete should be assigned to alternative cardiovascular fitness activities that minimize impact and loading on the plantar fascia including stationary cycling, swimming, upper body weight machines, and low resistance flat-footed stair master machines.

2)Change and modulation of footwear

Footwear analysis is critical for evaluating athletes with subcalcaneal pain.The footwear may be a contributory factor and can be utilized as a powerful treatment modality.Athletesshould be placed into shoes that have a minimal 1" heel height with a strong stable midfoot shank and relative uninhibited forefoot flexibility.The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine has a list of recommended footwear for the athlete that can be obtained on their web site:www.aapsm.org.It is well recognized that recent trends in athletic footwear have actually predisposed to greater frequency of plantar fascitis due to the fact that athletic shoes have weaker midsoles with newer designs.The popular "two-piece" outsoles with an exposed midsole cause a hinge effect across the midfoot placing excessive strain on the plantar fascia in the running and jumping athlete.These shoes must be eliminated if the injured athlete is wearing them.Careful attention must be paid to having the athlete keep shoes on in the house and during all standing and walking activities.Barefoot and sandal-wearing activities are prohibited.

3)Home therapy

Athletes are accustomed to designing and participating in their own training programs.They are willing participants in their own treatment programs. Heel cord stretching is central to the rehabilitation process to decrease load on the plantar fascia and encourage healing.The use of plantar fascia night splints has been well proven to be a treatment adjunct for plantar fascitis by placing the heel cord and the plantar fascia on a sustained static stretch during sleeping hours while preventing the normal contractures that occur in the relaxed foot position during sleep.Having the athlete roll or massage their foot on a golf ball or tennis ball is helpful to improve blood flow and break down adhesions in the injury site.

4) Custom foot orthoses

Intervention with semi-rigid custom foot orthoses has been well proven in many prospective and retrospective studies showing successful outcomes in patients with plantar fascitis.In the athlete, the use of foot orthoses should be considered earlier than in the average sedentary patient because of the fact that the athlete will be subjecting their feet to greater stresses during treatment and certainly after return to activity.Athletic footwear is more amenable to semi-rigid and rigid orthotic therapy than are casual shoes worn by sedentary patients.Sports podiatrists are more likely to employ arch taping procedures as a precursor to or adjunct to orthotic therapy.Athletes respond very favorably to the immediate intervention and relief obtained by expertly applied arch taping procedures.

5) Physical therapy

Athletes are amenable to referral for physical therapy because they are willing to invest the extra time to expedite recovery.Many athletes are used to going to the training room for hands on rehabilitation.Athletes appreciate a partnership between the sports podiatrist and the physical rehabilitation specialist.

6)Anti-inflammatory medication

Sports podiatrists should be cautioned against over-aggressive use of anti-inflammatories in treating the athlete.While it is tempting to utilize corticosteroid injections to expedite healing, athletes are often skeptical of receiving this treatment and are certainly at greater risk for sequela of over-ambitious use of steroid injections.There are reports in the literature of athletes undergoing spontaneous rupture of the plantar fascia after even single injections of their plantar fascia with corticosteroid.The conservative, biomechanical interventions outlined above should be implemented before considering injection therapy.


:( :(

[Brutalis]

http://www.footcaredirect.com/images/plantar.jpg

[Brutalis]

They even have splints for this specific injury.

http://www.return2fitness.co.uk/products/plantar-fasciitis-splint_large.jpg

[ORION]

I would say water treatment is what he needs...

Slap him in a partial dry suit and toss him into the springs at Brak for a couple hours a day...
But with nothing on the feet... That cold water will heal that bad boy up...
have him do some laps at woodlawn lake

[pache100]

They even have splints for this specific injury.

http://www.return2fitness.co.uk/products/plantar-fasciitis-splint_large.jpg

I tried the splints and special heel inserts for my shoes for mine. Neither helped me. My Mom's fasciitis is a lot worse than mine, and she got some relief using the heel inserts (her doctor actually made them for her, it's like a Dr. Scholl's insert with a hole cut in it for the spur).

Mine will get better and be ok for months before I have another flare-up. My doctor said the bone spur will never go completely away without surgery (where they actually go in and grind off the spur); the irritation and the resulting inflammation of the fascii varies, but the spur is still there. I am not having surgery unless it gets so debilitating I can't get around. Then I'll think about it. He told me about deliberate tearing of the fascii as experimental treatment, but he didn't recommend it.

[fonzy16]

isn't there a doctor in the house (forum), who could tell us exactly of this injury?

[polandprzem]

I tried the splints and special heel inserts for my shoes for mine. Neither helped me. My Mom's fasciitis is a lot worse than mine, and she got some relief using the heel inserts (her doctor actually made them for her, it's like a Dr. Scholl's insert with a hole cut in it for the spur).

Mine will get better and be ok for months before I have another flare-up. My doctor said the bone spur will never go completely away without surgery (where they actually go in and grind off the spur); the irritation and the resulting inflammation of the fascii varies, but the spur is still there. I am not having surgery unless it gets so debilitating I can't get around. Then I'll think about it. He told me about deliberate tearing of the fascii as experimental treatment, but he didn't recommend it.
What is happening after the surgery?
And what impact on a pro player (Duncan) can it make?

[leemajors]

maybe he should try wearing some other sort of shoe after all this. he seems to have had foot problems of varying sorts ever since switching to adidas. anyone else agree?

[boutons_]

heel bone spurs are SYMPTOMS of the problem, not the problem.

Tim's may not have bone spurs, but just RSI or other injury to his PF.

"Introduction and Overview

Plantar fasciitis (pronounced PLAN-tar fashee-EYE-tiss) is an inflammation of the plantar fascia. "Plantar" means the bottom of the foot, "fascia" is a type of connective tissue, and "itis" means "inflammation". Heel spurs are soft, bendable deposits of calcium that are the result of tension and inflammation in the plantar fascia attachment to the heel. Heel spurs do not cause pain. They are only evidence (not proof) that a patient may have plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia encapsulates muscles in the sole of the foot. It supports the arch of the foot by acting as a bowstring to connect the ball of the foot to the heel. When walking and at the moment the heel of the trailing leg begins to lift off the ground, the plantar fascia endures tension that is approximately two times body weight. This moment of maximum tension is increased and "sharpened" (it increases suddenly) if there is lack of flexibility in the calf muscles. A percentage increase in body weight causes the same percentage increase in tension in the fascia. Due to the repetitive nature of walking, plantar fasciitis may be a repetitive stress disorder (RSD) similar to tennis elbow. Both conditions benefit greatly from rest, ice, and stretching. Surgery is a last resort and may result in more harm than good in up to 50% of the patients. "


http://heelspurs.com/_intro.html

[pache100]

What is happening after the surgery?
And what impact on a pro player (Duncan) can it make?

I don't know, I refused to have it. My problem is severe when I have it, but it is sporadic. Even though I suffered a lot of pain and limited mobility for two years when I was first diagnosed (about 20 years ago), I only had one short flare-up last year.

The doctor told me (this was about 5 years ago) that if I had the surgery to reduce the spur, I would be out of work 4-6 weeks and would have to rehabilitate for about 6 months. I'd probably be out of work 8 weeks. The technology may have changed since then.

I don't know what the rehabilitation would be for an athlete in the physical condition Tim is in.

[Supergirl]

Timmy's usually a good judge of his own limits, but I think Pop should insist on a compromise solution - Timmy sits out back to back games. Playing when he's already injured and his injury is particularly tired is a good way to bring on a more serious injury. He did that with Manu last season, in the second half...

[polandprzem]

Timmy's usually a good judge of his own limits, but I think Pop should insist on a compromise solution - Timmy sits out back to back games. Playing when he's already injured and his injury is particularly tired is a good way to bring on a more serious injury. He did that with Manu last season, in the second half...
Why Tim have to sit when Larry Bird was playing with a realy bad back injury?

[polandprzem]

With his first real shot at a full-time job, Ben flourished, starting all 81 games for rookie coach Doc Rivers. At only 24 minutes a night, he led the team in rebounding and finished second in blocked shots—despite being slowed by bone spurs that required him to wear a walking cast between contests. The Magic were the league’s surprise team thanks to Ben, Chucky, and other overachievers like Darrell Armstrong.