Ainge: KG has a spur

[hpantazo]

A bone spur was among the assemblage of injuries that ended Larry Legend's career over a 2-3 year period.  This is like that moment in a movie where "ominous foreshadowing" music is suddenly heard.

The bone spur did not end Larry's career.  It was 100% his back. Sorry.  This KG thing is great news to me.

yea, if all Bird had was a bone spur he would still be playing today. The guy played through more back pain than anyone should ever have to suffer in a lifetime.

[footey]

I'm most surprised by the fact it took a guy with only one Tommy Point (soon to be two) to be the first to report this on this blog two full days after Ainge brought it up in the WEEI interview. What's up with all you (im)posters?

[RAcker]

I'm most surprised by the fact it took a guy with only one Tommy Point (soon to be two) to be the first to report this on this blog two full days after Ainge brought it up in the WEEI interview. What's up with all you (im)posters?

Agreed.  Where is ESPN with this?

[BillfromBoston]

Awful news. And so begins the decline of KG.

(I'm not a pessimist, and we knew the decline would come sometime. Sadly, we didn't think it would be this soon and down to an injury. I need Big Ticket here to console me.)

How is this the decline of KG?  This is a pretty minor injury, that they will likely clean up in the offseason, and he will be as good as new next year. 

It does mean, he will likely be playing through pain all playoffs, but if he can play at 85-90%, and they get Powe OR Scal back, they are still a strong championship contender, providing their other guys continue to step up. 

How is it not a decline?
1. This is the worst injury of his career, and least productive season since his rookie year
2.He's been in the league for 14 seasons (all while barely missing a game) and is 32 years old, played in 1055 regular season games.. he isnt going to get better anytime soon
3. He gets fatigued very quickly on the court and you have to be very cautious with his minutes.. His stats are declining, not only from his days in Minnesotta, but from last year
15/8/2 is decline when we're talking about a guy who put up 24/13/5 in his prime, injury or not

You are aware that PP, KG and Ray all sacrificed their games (i.e. their stat lines) for the good of the team aren't you?  Volume (points, rebs, assts, etc) stats for these guys the past 2 years aren't relevant compared to their prior years.  Efficiency stats (FG%, TO rate, etc...) would be better indicators.

The only dropoff I noticed with KG's game this year is that he hasn't always been money on his 18-20 footers like he was last year.  No reason to start assuming this is the end.  Ray had a drop off last year too but has bounced back very nicely this year.

Ugh...Im well aware they sacrificed there games for the good of the team...I know that.
But, the bottom line is, he was better in 03-04..he was in his prime.  what I am telling you is his stats went down this year from LAST YEAR, hes missing more games, getting injured, and once again hes 32, been in the league 14 season and played in 1055 regular season games....its only natural to start decling, its happened to every single great player in NBA history especially when you start getting up there in that territory...sorry but go look someone up who played in that many games and seasons and stayed at the same level we expect KG at, they all dropped off significantly

KG isn't being USED the same way this year - Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are 1 and 2 in the offense, KG is 3rd option - his shots are coming from distance more than post this year - there are inumerable reasons he is statistically inferior this year to last.

Efficiency and overall defense is all that matters - KG is as good as he was last season, he's just not being asked to do as much offensively.

...and yes, he's not as good as he was 5 years ago - decline is inevitable, but he isn't being ASKED to play at his peak - he'll be roughly the same player for the next 3-4 years i'd imagine - he's got a long way to "decline" before he reaches the level of the average starting PF in this league.

[cordobes]

I'm most surprised by the fact it took a guy with only one Tommy Point (soon to be two) to be the first to report this on this blog two full days after Ainge brought it up in the WEEI interview. What's up with all you (im)posters?

Agreed.  Where is ESPN with this?

Not true. I posted it in a comment in a frontpage post:
http://www.celticsblog.com/2009/4/2/819408/more-quotes-about-kg#13626590

And I posted the article in a fanshot:
http://www.celticsblog.com/2009/4/2/819356/celtics%E2%80%99-title-hopes-rest-on-kg%E2%80%99s-a

I didn't make a big noise of it because bone spur is such a vague thing.

For those who are saying bone spurs are no big thing... a bone spur in a tendon isn't the same of a bone spure in your toe or something like that. Who were the last 2 NBA players who went under surgery to remove bonespurs which were affecting the tendom? IIRC, one was Ian Mahinmi(bone spur ankle tendom) - out for almost the entire season, only now coming back after having surgery in January; and Mike Dunleavy Jr. (bone spur knee tendom), who's going to be at least 12 months out. And there's a reason why the Spurs and the Pacers waited so long before deciding for surgery (both Ian and Dunleavy spend the season till the surgery playing intermitently...), and it's a very good reason...

[KJ33]

I'm most surprised by the fact it took a guy with only one Tommy Point (soon to be two) to be the first to report this on this blog two full days after Ainge brought it up in the WEEI interview. What's up with all you (im)posters?

 Celtics Basketball / Celtics Talk / Re: headsup on weei ..DA       on: April 01, 2009, 06:15:31 pm
"Danny outright denied that surgery was ever discussed as a possibility now.  He did allow that KG has met with the medical staff for many hours, and that DA was not present for every discussion, but that it was his understanding that surgery down the road was one possibility.  Something to do with a bony growth that was irritating the muscle."

[Brickowski]

Is there a doctor in the house?

[clover]

Of course, Brick, the C's have a Doc and a House.  Not to be a Big Baby or a Beast about it, but the Truth is not even a Grown Man's the Big Ticket we need in this situation, I'm afraid.

[RIPRED]

I'm most surprised by the fact it took a guy with only one Tommy Point (soon to be two) to be the first to report this on this blog two full days after Ainge brought it up in the WEEI interview. What's up with all you (im)posters?

Agreed.  Where is ESPN with this?

Not true. I posted it in a comment in a frontpage post:
http://www.celticsblog.com/2009/4/2/819408/more-quotes-about-kg#13626590

And I posted the article in a fanshot:
http://www.celticsblog.com/2009/4/2/819356/celtics%E2%80%99-title-hopes-rest-on-kg%E2%80%99s-a

I didn't make a big noise of it because bone spur is such a vague thing.

For those who are saying bone spurs are no big thing... a bone spur in a tendon isn't the same of a bone spure in your toe or something like that. Who were the last 2 NBA players who went under surgery to remove bonespurs which were affecting the tendom? IIRC, one was Ian Mahinmi(bone spur ankle tendom) - out for almost the entire season, only now coming back after having surgery in January; and Mike Dunleavy Jr. (bone spur knee tendom), who's going to be at least 12 months out. And there's a reason why the Spurs and the Pacers waited so long before deciding for surgery (both Ian and Dunleavy spend the season till the surgery playing intermitently...), and it's a very good reason...

I'm pretty sure that Ray had surgery for bone spurs on both ankles in the offseason before he came to Boston.  Apparently it did bother him a little bit, but he played through it and he is supposedly fine now.

[Tai]

Of course, Brick, the C's have a Doc and a House.  Not to be a Big Baby or a Beast about it, but the Truth is not even a Grown Man's the Big Ticket we need in this situation, I'm afraid.

Who's supposed to be the "Grown Man"?

[TheGreenThumb]

Of course, Brick, the C's have a Doc and a House.  Not to be a Big Baby or a Beast about it, but the Truth is not even a Grown Man's the Big Ticket we need in this situation, I'm afraid.

Who's supposed to be the "Grown Man"?

Leon Powe = The Grown Man

[JBcat]

I'm most surprised by the fact it took a guy with only one Tommy Point (soon to be two) to be the first to report this on this blog two full days after Ainge brought it up in the WEEI interview. What's up with all you (im)posters?

Agreed.  Where is ESPN with this?

Not true. I posted it in a comment in a frontpage post:
http://www.celticsblog.com/2009/4/2/819408/more-quotes-about-kg#13626590

And I posted the article in a fanshot:
http://www.celticsblog.com/2009/4/2/819356/celtics%E2%80%99-title-hopes-rest-on-kg%E2%80%99s-a

I didn't make a big noise of it because bone spur is such a vague thing.

For those who are saying bone spurs are no big thing... a bone spur in a tendon isn't the same of a bone spure in your toe or something like that. Who were the last 2 NBA players who went under surgery to remove bonespurs which were affecting the tendom? IIRC, one was Ian Mahinmi(bone spur ankle tendom) - out for almost the entire season, only now coming back after having surgery in January; and Mike Dunleavy Jr. (bone spur knee tendom), who's going to be at least 12 months out. And there's a reason why the Spurs and the Pacers waited so long before deciding for surgery (both Ian and Dunleavy spend the season till the surgery playing intermitently...), and it's a very good reason...

I'm pretty sure that Ray had surgery for bone spurs on both ankles in the offseason before he came to Boston.  Apparently it did bother him a little bit, but he played through it and he is supposedly fine now.

Yes that did happen and after a year removed from the surgery he was back to his normal self so I don't see why that couldn't happen with KG. 

[Neurotic Guy]

Question to those with medical expertise:

In the various bone spur scenarios discussed in this thread, what is the risk for exacerbating the injury or causing other kinds of damage through playing?

If there is little risk to making things worse and if it is more a question of pain tolerance, it would seem that KG would be a pretty good candidate for someone who could play hard and play well through this injury.  Of course, I believe the pain (as posters have described) will be significant, but KG seems to be the type of competitor who will persevere through the pain in important games.  

[Big Ticket]

Awful news. And so begins the decline of KG.

(I'm not a pessimist, and we knew the decline would come sometime. Sadly, we didn't think it would be this soon and down to an injury. I need Big Ticket here to console me.)

Now now, it's going to be okay.  He can manage with pain.

[cordialb]

Of course, Brick, the C's have a Doc and a House.  Not to be a Big Baby or a Beast about it, but the Truth is not even a Grown Man's the Big Ticket we need in this situation, I'm afraid.

Jesus.... thats confusing.