Rest Duncan

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Now I'll admit that I haven't seen many of the last few games, but it seems we're a decidely mediocre team right now, at least in terms of Championship aspirations.

The Spurs usually settle down and start destroying people around late Feb, so I'm not too worried yet. However, it seems the plantar fasciitis won't heal without 4-6 weeks of rest, so why not sit Duncan now and have him rounding into form in early March???

It looks like the Pistons will have homecourt in the Finals whatever happens, so why not give Timmy the rest we need from him in order to be hitting top gear at the right time?

Sit the big fella, Pop! Take yer balls out and use them!

(and yes, I know Tim doesn't want to sit, but that's what coaches are for - managing players!)

[Horry For 3!]

:pctoss

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Okay, why?

[Trainwreck2100]

I believe we've already discussed this

[T Park]

and yes, I know Tim doesn't want to sit, but that's what coaches are for - managing players!)

I think that pop guy has gone through this once or twice.

Id side with his discretion.


Sitting him for a long time would kill having the number 1 seed for the freakin Western Conference, let alone the Finals.

[Vashner]

How many years left on Timmy's contract?

[polandprzem]

How many years left on Timmy's contract?
About sixty four.

[exstatic]

OK, I promise to stop saying that it would be better if Tim's PF tore, if you people will STOP saying that Tim will be OK with a few weeks rest. It's NOT true, and saying so in repeated threads will not make it so. The only thing that sitting Tim will accomplish is a plummet in the standings to at least 4th place, and the very real possibility that we will have to fight from there with a compromised Tim instead of from the top seed.

Stop the madness.

[GrandeDavid]

I had a spell of plantar fascitis in Brazil last year and saw my orthopedic surgeon buddy down here. He told me that its common for athletes as they enter their thirties and beyond to get it. He says that its common in basketball players from time to time because of the constant jumping.

Anyway, he says there's really no cure or surgical procedure and it shouldn't be too health-threatening. Basically you can do your sports- in my case, running, mountain biking, triathlons and tennis- and use ice and special insoles. I used special insoles for a few weeks and its now long gone. Never has come back. However, my doctor said the plantar fascitis could resurface either next week, next month, next year, or perhaps when I'm fifty.

Its uncomfortable, but only at the very start of physical activity and within an hour after. Another good buddy of mine with whom I train in Brazil, an opthamologist, is suffering from a more severe case of plantar fascitis and is opting for surgery after he inaugurates his newest clinic in Sao Paulo this month. I've been telling him he does not need to, but he's been dealing with this for a couple of years.

So, in my opinion, it seems, thankfully, that Tim Duncan's injury is not serious, but could be quite inconvenient. I think he needs to play through it and continue to use ice, sports massages (as I do once a week), and I think that once these games really start to have meaning, i.e. The 2006 Playoffs, you'll see Duncan "sucking it up" more.

But I guess its one of those injuries that is slightly different to every person. Like Carson Palmer's shitty knee injury, who's really to say he will or will not make a close to 100% recovery?

[Rummpd]

This is a very strange condition, it actually usually improves on an acute basis with activity and although rest sometimes help it is usually that of a considerable time. Often times it just abates on it own after a period.

Short rest (1-2 weeks or even a month) in other words probably will not accomplish much.



Good article on this from where I used to be on the faculty part-time at the Medical College of Wisconsin by an orthopedic surgeon and a very well respected family doctor. They say up to 18 months.
In my experience highly variable and in my sports medicine experience most resolved within 6 months, even in marathon runners; however, never worked with professional athletes on this level.

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/987116429.html

I am surprised that we are not hearing more about orthotics and potential nighttime splints at this point as someone above alluded to in their own experience.

[GrandeDavid]

I think that pop guy has gone through this once or twice.

Id side with his discretion.


Sitting him for a long time would kill having the number 1 seed for the freakin Western Conference, let alone the Finals.

And the way things are shaping up, I think that home court edge in the Finals will be absolutely critical.

[Supergirl]

Timmy has always been a good judge of when he's better off sitting and when he's OK to play. Pop seems to respect his judgement, and has shown no signs of being afraid to stand up to Timmy.

My guess is that TD's injury will be career-long, and perhaps life-long. It's just going to be a chronic pain he has to live with, that will probably hurt more sometimes and less other times. He's not making it any worse by playing, and he's being pretty conservative about minutes. I've thought sometimes he should just not play back to backs, a la Manu last year, but it doesn't seem to have reached that point yet. And Manu is different - he's like the knight in Monty Python ("it's just a flesh wound!") and he'd play unless someone forced him not to, no matter what his injury. Timmy is a little more conservative about his injuries.

[boutons_]

"at the very start of physical activity and within an hour after"

That was my experience, and was why I was concerned that Tim was slightly limping coming off the court, when his foot should have been warm enough to diminish the pain below the point of limping. Maybe his limp was due to a small hit on the previous play and not due to the PF.

[ducks]

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32790

[bonesinaz]

This is a very strange condition, it actually usually improves on an acute basis with activity and although rest sometimes help it is usually that of a considerable time. Often times it just abates on it own after a period.

Short rest (1-2 weeks or even a month) in other words probably will not accomplish much.



Good article on this from where I used to be on the faculty part-time at the Medical College of Wisconsin by an orthopedic surgeon and a very well respected family doctor. They say up to 18 months.
In my experience highly variable and in my sports medicine experience most resolved within 6 months, even in marathon runners; however, never worked with professional athletes on this level.

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/987116429.html

I am surprised that we are not hearing more about orthotics and potential nighttime splints at this point as someone above alluded to in their own experience.

I am sure TD already uses orthodics and what ever else is cutting edge for this condition.