Leon Powe Status (microfracture surgery)

[yall hate]

I choose not to make conclusions about players in the last two games of the season, especially when they're playing on lottery teams.  If I did, I'd be advocating trading Ray Allen for Ike Diogu.

hey now...Ike Diogu is the reason my fantasy team has a chance next year.  dont crush my hopes.

[BballTim]

Per Jeff on the front page:

The Boston Celtics announced today that forward Leon Powe underwent successful ACL revision reconstruction with microfracture and cartilage repair at New England Baptist Hospital this morning. The surgery was preformed by Celtics Team Physician, Dr. Brian McKeon and was assisted by Dr. Paul Weitzel and Dr. John Richmond. No timetable has been set for Powe’s return.

I don't mean to sound insensitive regarding the team doctors (I'm sure they're very good), but Boston has some of the best hospitals in the world... New England Baptist Hospital is not one of them. How come the Celtics don't get treated at a better hospital? I mean, Ainge went to Mass General following his heart attack. I can't help but think that there might be better doctors out there. And that KG's situation might have gone differently...

  It's one of the top orthopedic hospitals in the country.

[footey]

With that said, we've got to build a legitimate, championship-caliber bench this summer and the focus will shift away from "keeping the boyz togehter," as another poster put it. We can't devote big dollars to sentimentality.

Absolutely agreed.  However, if we're going to keep "low risk, high reward" projects on the roster, I'd rather see it be a guy with legitimate talent and a ton of heart like Leon Powe, rather than a waste of space like Patrick O'Bryant.  Our team can absorb one project / risk on the roster, so long as the other 14 spots are filled with legit talent (something Danny missed the mark on last off-season).

That waste of space played well in Toronto the last two games of the season when given decent minutes for the first time.  Would rather have him on our team than Mikki Moore.

I choose not to make conclusions about players in the last two games of the season, especially when they're playing on lottery teams.  If I did, I'd be advocating trading Ray Allen for Ike Diogu.

touche

[TheGreenThumb]

I think that what the Celtics owners should do is to temporarily hire Leon as a staff member of the Celtics organization while he is undergoing rehab.

This way, Leon still gets paid a salary ... and he does not eat up roster space.  Once rehab is complete and he is ready to play, then he can negotiate a new contract as a player.

Thia approach ia a win-win sitation for both Leon and the Celtics org.

[Roy Hobbs]

I think that what the Celtics owners should do is to temporarily hire Leon as a staff member of the Celtics organization while he is undergoing rehab.

This way, Leon still gets paid a salary ... and he does not eat up roster space.  Once rehab is complete and he is ready to play, then he can negotiate a new contract as a player.

Thia approach ia a win-win sitation for both Leon and the Celtics org.

I think the NBA would see that as circumventing the collective bargaining agreement / salary cap.  Players can't be player-coaches any more to earn additional salary; I doubt the league would allow them to be a coach, then a player in the same season if it was clearly to keep somebody with the team during rehab.

[Badcopier]

Brian McKeon is as good a surgeon as they come.
And New England Baptist is renowned for orthopedics.
Every hospital has specialties... NE Baptists is high end ortho.

Mass General/Brigham are fine but they are not the best at everything.

[Chris]

Brian McKeon is as good a surgeon as they come.
And New England Baptist is renowned for orthopedics.
Every hospital has specialties... NE Baptists is high end ortho.

Mass General/Brigham are fine but they are not the best at everything.

Yeah, when it comes to surgeries like that, you don't go to the hospital, you go to the surgeon.  Luckily in Boston, there are great surgeons at many of the different hospitals, so it really is tough to go wrong, if you do your research (which obviously the C's do).