When you say a guy is going to be out a couple of games, as they did with Shaq, it is comical when 6 weeks later he still is not back. Obviously a couple of games here or there is not a big deal, but a month? I agree with the Belichick route -- just don't give any timetable and say he will be back when he is healthy. There have already been two different dates that Doc said Shaq was going to be back during this injury and he has been back for neither of them.
As for the JO thing, yes, the Celts were pushing him to have surgery early in the year and he refused, but Danny did say that rest and exercise was definitely the right way to go to get the knee better and that he would be able to play without any limitations. He also said the Celtics medical staff went along with this strategy.
I, like others, believe it is foolhardy to depend on Shaq and JO for the playoffs, but we won't know until the playoffs begin.
Danny was hopeful about the rehab of JO when JO decided not get a surgery and instead play through the injury. Surgery was the best option, but JO didn't want that and DA isn't going to let JO play through injury just like that, so they had to go to the rehab route. If he was definitely sure about the rehab working why wasn't that the first option?
JO wanted to play in the playoffs, injury or no injury, so he rejected the surgery because it was first thought that he wont make it in time for the playoffs. So of course they tried that. But they asked for second, 3rd and 4th opinions and they found that even while having surgery he would make it in time for the playoffs.
