Jared Dudley says Doc asked him to play injured, trade to MIL saved career

[RJ87]

"I basically went to Doc Rivers and said, 'Hey, I've never had to deal with this, I can't bend my knee, all my shots are short, I can't move laterally, I need to sit out.' At that time Matt Barnes was out with a calf injury and J.J. Redick was out with a herniated disk and he said, 'Hey, I need you to give me 10-15 games and when those guys come back, I'll give you a rest'... I get my X-ray and I had a little fracture in my knee so I knew what I was feeling was more than tendinitis. By midseason, [Rivers] brings in [Danny] Granger and I was sent to the pine. The trade [to Milwaukee] was the best thing for my career, where I got with a training staff that got me healthy and when I'm healthy, I'm the player you see now and the player you saw in Phoenix."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12316338/jared-dudley-milwaukee-bucks-says-played-knee-fracture-last-year-los-angeles-clippers

Considering he bounced back to the player he was in Phoenix immediately after leaving LA, it's hard to say he's lying.

[Tr1boy]

"I basically went to Doc Rivers and said, 'Hey, I've never had to deal with this, I can't bend my knee, all my shots are short, I can't move laterally, I need to sit out.' At that time Matt Barnes was out with a calf injury and J.J. Redick was out with a herniated disk and he said, 'Hey, I need you to give me 10-15 games and when those guys come back, I'll give you a rest'... I get my X-ray and I had a little fracture in my knee so I knew what I was feeling was more than tendinitis. By midseason, [Rivers] brings in [Danny] Granger and I was sent to the pine. The trade [to Milwaukee] was the best thing for my career, where I got with a training staff that got me healthy and when I'm healthy, I'm the player you see now and the player you saw in Phoenix."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12316338/jared-dudley-milwaukee-bucks-says-played-knee-fracture-last-year-los-angeles-clippers

Considering he bounced back to the player he was in Phoenix immediately after leaving LA, it's hard to say he's lying.

What was Doc thinking?

These days he doesn't look too happy coaching the clippers anyways. Don't think he will coach past this or next season.   

[D.o.s.]

"I basically went to Doc Rivers and said, 'Hey, I've never had to deal with this, I can't bend my knee, all my shots are short, I can't move laterally, I need to sit out.' At that time Matt Barnes was out with a calf injury and J.J. Redick was out with a herniated disk and he said, 'Hey, I need you to give me 10-15 games and when those guys come back, I'll give you a rest'... I get my X-ray and I had a little fracture in my knee so I knew what I was feeling was more than tendinitis. By midseason, [Rivers] brings in [Danny] Granger and I was sent to the pine. The trade [to Milwaukee] was the best thing for my career, where I got with a training staff that got me healthy and when I'm healthy, I'm the player you see now and the player you saw in Phoenix."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12316338/jared-dudley-milwaukee-bucks-says-played-knee-fracture-last-year-los-angeles-clippers

Considering he bounced back to the player he was in Phoenix immediately after leaving LA, it's hard to say he's lying.

What was Doc thinking?

Probably some variation on "The NBA is so soft today. When I was playing..."

[RJ87]

The article really throws LA's training staff under the bus though. Given that their key guys - CP3 and Blake - always seem to be playing through some sort of injury come playoff, you have to wonder what the heck is going on with their strength and conditioning.

[saltlover]

Gerting Dudley is the trade I wish Danny had made last summer.   Clips gave up a future (lottery-protected) first to move on.  They even took on dead salary to do it.

[MBunge]

"I basically went to Doc Rivers and said, 'Hey, I've never had to deal with this, I can't bend my knee, all my shots are short, I can't move laterally, I need to sit out.' At that time Matt Barnes was out with a calf injury and J.J. Redick was out with a herniated disk and he said, 'Hey, I need you to give me 10-15 games and when those guys come back, I'll give you a rest'... I get my X-ray and I had a little fracture in my knee so I knew what I was feeling was more than tendinitis. By midseason, [Rivers] brings in [Danny] Granger and I was sent to the pine. The trade [to Milwaukee] was the best thing for my career, where I got with a training staff that got me healthy and when I'm healthy, I'm the player you see now and the player you saw in Phoenix."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12316338/jared-dudley-milwaukee-bucks-says-played-knee-fracture-last-year-los-angeles-clippers

Considering he bounced back to the player he was in Phoenix immediately after leaving LA, it's hard to say he's lying.

What was Doc thinking?

He wasn't thinking.  What coach is going to think too hard about burning through a role player like Dudley when he's trying to win a title?  This is where you need somebody else in a position of basketball authority to step in.

Mike

[Nerf DPOY]

Ironically, I think this sort of exonerates Doc for Dudley's poor play last year. Dudley didn't flourish because he got away from Doc, he just wasn't healthy last year.

[saltlover]

Ironically, I think this sort of exonerates Doc for Dudley's poor play last year. Dudley didn't flourish because he got away from Doc, he just wasn't healthy last year.

Or perhaps he could have been healthy had he been allowed to heal, since this injury apparently occurred pretty early in the season.  But the choice was made to play an injured Dudley instead of a healthy rookie (Reggie Bullock).

[GreenWarrior]

"I basically went to Doc Rivers and said, 'Hey, I've never had to deal with this, I can't bend my knee, all my shots are short, I can't move laterally, I need to sit out.' At that time Matt Barnes was out with a calf injury and J.J. Redick was out with a herniated disk and he said, 'Hey, I need you to give me 10-15 games and when those guys come back, I'll give you a rest'... I get my X-ray and I had a little fracture in my knee so I knew what I was feeling was more than tendinitis. By midseason, [Rivers] brings in [Danny] Granger and I was sent to the pine. The trade [to Milwaukee] was the best thing for my career, where I got with a training staff that got me healthy and when I'm healthy, I'm the player you see now and the player you saw in Phoenix."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12316338/jared-dudley-milwaukee-bucks-says-played-knee-fracture-last-year-los-angeles-clippers

Considering he bounced back to the player he was in Phoenix immediately after leaving LA, it's hard to say he's lying.

What was Doc thinking?

Probably some variation on "The NBA is so soft today. When I was playing..."

that was my 1st thought. i'm not gonna get on Doc here though, it seems like the roster was limited and Dudley needed to suck it up and take one for the team.

[SCeltic34]

The article really throws LA's training staff under the bus though. Given that their key guys - CP3 and Blake - always seem to be playing through some sort of injury come playoff, you have to wonder what the heck is going on with their strength and conditioning.

And rightfully so if true.  If diagnostic imaging confirms an injury, it's really up to the team physician and athletic trainers to advocate for the player.  If Dudley chose to ignore medical advice and continue playing through his injury, that's one thing. But he didn't.  He wanted time to rest to allow his injury to heal and he didn't get it.  Reflects poorly both on the Clips medical staff and certainly on Doc.

I'm no Doc basher, but he's doing a questionable job with the Clippers.  Poor roster moves (in my opinion) and now this.

[littleteapot]

Coaches don't get fired for making role players play through their injuries. They do get fired when they put bad players in the game and lose.

[Roy H.]

One of the things I didn't love about Doc in Boston was that he had guys play through injury, ignore minutes restrictions, and come back early when injured.  Wally, Pierce, Delonte, Big Al, etc., were all asked to play through pain, which each time seemed to lead to re-injury and longer recovery.