http://www.sonicscentral.com/microfracture.html did you know that Stockton came back after only 2 months and never missed another game for the next 6 seasons? of course Stockton is a freak and Penny Hardaway (the best analogue for T-Mac) also came back after only 2 months, but had to shut it down after only a few games. the good thing is that T-Mac is supposedly doing the surgery on a non weight-bearing part of the knee which dramatically affects the prognosis. then again, Gilbert Arenas also had the surgery done on the non weight-bearing trochlea, and he had to shut it down similar to what Amare Stoudamire did, but Arenas still hasn't come back almost 2 years after the surgery. i wish i could post the chart for the lazy, but there's no easy way for me to make it readable. so i guess you'll just have to click the dang ol link, viruses and spyware be damned.
I know it is interesting, as for Arenas, isn't he out just as a precaution so they can tank this year? BTW that is a lot more players that have had it then I knew about seems likely that Tmac could come back then...maybe early next year. DD
My guess is that McGrady will probably show his face at T-Camp if he isn't dealt... Smile for the new pictures for the 2009-10 season...apologize for his f'd up behavior...and wear streets for 2-3 months and return in time for the 2010 2nd half... T-Mac for 2010 2nd half 6th man.
Come on DD... this is McLady we're talking about. He's going to need at least 3 more weeks after he can do anything to get his summer conditioning in. My best guess is he'll be ready right before the trade deadline or he's done for his career.
20 mil half season 6th man is a little too expensive don't you think? I just hope Rockets will get someone worth awhile during summer with Tmac's contract.
The main thing that concerns about the microfracture surgery is the rehab portion of it. I think the fact that it's a non weight baring part of the knee helps, but if TMac is lazy about the rehab, he'll never get close to recovering. Considering his lacksidasical approach to conditioning, I have serious doubts whether he'll be diligent with his rehab. I guess we'll see, but I'm not too optimistic about him getting anywhere near his former athletic ability.
i don't really follow the Wiz, but i wouldn't doubt such trickery from those folks. the thing i noticed from the chart, was that very few players took over a year to return to the court. most took less than 10 months, and you can't just chalk it up to bad or lazy rehab. also, the ones that never recovered (Brandon, Mashburn) or took years (McDyess, Kittles) usually had serious issues with their knee or leg before the microfracture. actually, T-Mac's case sounds a lot like Jason Kidd's case, who was just bothered by his knee all season long and got the microfracture surgery in the summer and not immediately after the playoffs. he waited over a month, and still came back around 5 months later and played 66 games the following season. what's interesting is that Kidd wasn't playing too terribly (on paper) before the surgery like T-Mac, and after the surgery, he wasn't playing much better either (again on paper). so i guess if T-Mac comes back, we'll just see what we have been seeing, 70 or 80% of vintage T-Mac, just with manageable pain, i guess. no more cartilage on bone; bone on bone isn't really fixable.
DD touched on that in his vid, and since then it's stuck out. Can McGrady really stick it out for the team? Honestly, I could see him rushing it, getting back either early in the playoffs or preseason next year, then shutting it down again mid stream. I think we need to almost tell him he can't come back until he's 100%. If he comes back no breaks, no half seasons, nothing. If he comes back he can't even miss a game for the flu. If guidelines are set, he can't help but bring his rehab to completion.
forget the playoffs. forget the preseason as well. he probably won't return to the court until early 2010, unless he's uber diligent with his rehab, and uses HydroWorx therapy like Carson Palmer. then he might be able to attend training camp.
It's a contract year for McGrady, he'll rush coming back, for fear of being traded and for fear of getting no money the year after.
