We've been down this road before: JO foregos wrist surgery for rest and rehab

[Roy H.]

O’Neal, who went through the playoffs with the wrist injury, has decided to forgo surgery in favor of rehabilitation, according to Danny Ainge. The Celtics president said yesterday that O’Neal, attempting to take advantage of the team’s resources before players are locked out on July 1, has been a regular at the workout facility in Waltham.

“He has every intention of coming back,” Ainge said of the only true center on his team’s roster. “He has every desire to play, and didn’t like the way it finished this year, and doesn’t want to end his career on that type of note. He wants to be a much greater contributor.

“He chose not to have surgery.”

Link

I'm calling it now:  JO will continue to have issues with the wrist, and will get surgery on it either right before the season starts, or mid-season. 

Why so pessimistic?  Because the exact same thing happened with his knee.  He repeatedly resisted surgery (despite team doctors recommending it), and when he finally did relent, the surgery did him a world of good.

Come on, JO.  Just get the dang surgery.

[nickagneta]

Here's what I wrote almost three weeks ago in a thread on this very subject:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=48339.msg1017107#msg1017107

If it needs surgery get it done. If it doesn't then why would there be a need to put it off a year?

O'Neal's putting off surgery is just another move on his part to play another half season and get paid for a whole season. He's been doing this for 8 years.

2004-05 - 44 games
2005-06 - 51 games
2006-07 - 69 games
2007-08 - 42 games
2008-09 - 68 games
2009-10 - 70 games
2010-11 - 24 games

Dude has played in 64% of the available games over the last 7 years. I fully expect him to have a problem with the wrist in training camp, be in trouble with it to start the season. Play 10-15 games. Go out with the wrist injury. Decide to have the surgery before the All-Star break and come back late in the season and be ineffective. Total games played, less than 35.

[KGs Knee]

The article doesn't seem to say whether or not team doctors are actually recommending surgery in this case, unless I missed something.  If they are recommending suregery, and he's declining it in favor of this approach, then that is bad.  He should really re-think this, especially considering he was already wrong about the knee surgery.

I guess the man just fears the knife.

[mgent]

Dang, I wish we could force him to get it.  Why won't he listen?

Imagine how good our record would have been had he gotten the knee surgery after he shot about 10% when we bounced him from the playoffs?  Or training camp?  Or the beginning of the season when he had to sit?  Or mid-way through the season?  Or when he said "I'll make a decision on Tuesday whether I get the surgery or go for a month a rehab" and then started the rehab before finally getting the surgery 2-3 weeks later?

This guy is an idiot.  As far as I know he had ZERO swelling after the surgery correct?  If he had it after his pathetic playoff performance, he probably would have been healed by training camp and played the entire season.  That means no Semih sightings, Shaq coming off the bench so he might not have gotten hurt, and no relying on Krstic at the end of the season while we watched our HCA drift away.

JUST LISTEN TO THE DOCTORS JO.  What the heck does this guy have going on during the offseasons that's so important he won't treat his injuries properly?

[OsirusCeltics]

I'm tired of this
Trade him

[Roy H.]

I'm tired of this
Trade him

That's our starting (and only) center you're talking about.  

It's amazing that we went from four centers (plus BBD capable of playing the position) to one injured center in the course of four months.

[KGs Knee]

I'm tired of this
Trade him

That's our starting (and only) center you're talking about. 

Yeah, unfortunately we really need him.  Besides, he probably has very little trade value (if any).

[greenpride32]

If I remember correctly the surgey would put him on the shelf for quite a long time (I don't remember the specifics) so that's the main issue.  

Also I'm fairly certainly he did have swelling in the knees after surgery.  Didn't you notice the size of the ice bag wraps about his legs every time he came out of the game?

I'd never knock a guy for being injured.  His body obviously hasn't held up, but at least he's a regular at the practice facility trying to get in shape.  If anything you should blame the C's organization for signing a player with a poor medical history.

[Lucky17]

What's the prognosis for post-op rehab? Six months? More?

How necessary is the surgery? Any risk of structural damage/long-term injury without it, or is it just about pain/discomfort?

Until we get full details, foregoing surgery may be the better option.

[mgent]

I'm tired of this
Trade him

That's our starting (and only) center you're talking about.  

It's amazing that we went from four centers (plus BBD capable of playing the position) to one injured center in the course of four months.

Amazing or stupid?

Size wins, there's a reason why the last 5 champions had two 7 footers starting.

We had the deepest C position in the league.

[Finkelskyhook]

I'm tired of this
Trade him

That's our starting (and only) center you're talking about. 

Yeah, unfortunately we really need him.  Besides, he probably has very little trade value (if any).

What the hell do we really need him for?  To tweet how much he cares while he sits on his butt collecting his paycheck "injured"?

The CBA will determine his trade value.  But we'll get little or nothing on the court from him.

Ridiculously predictable.

[Assassin70]

I knew this would happen.  Not happy.

[Chris]

It's draft day, which is supposed to be a day of optimism.  So, I am going to be optimistic and point out, at least it's not the knee. 

[Finkelskyhook]

It's draft day, which is supposed to be a day of optimism.  So, I am going to be optimistic and point out, at least it's not the knee. 

lol....Not yet.

It'll be a slight strain of the lower petephemouous muscle later

[SHAQATTACK]

O’Neal, who went through the playoffs with the wrist injury, has decided to forgo surgery in favor of rehabilitation, according to Danny Ainge. The Celtics president said yesterday that O’Neal, attempting to take advantage of the team’s resources before players are locked out on July 1, has been a regular at the workout facility in Waltham.

“He has every intention of coming back,” Ainge said of the only true center on his team’s roster. “He has every desire to play, and didn’t like the way it finished this year, and doesn’t want to end his career on that type of note. He wants to be a much greater contributor.

“He chose not to have surgery.”

Link

I'm calling it now:  JO will continue to have issues with the wrist, and will get surgery on it either right before the season starts, or mid-season. 

Why so pessimistic?  Because the exact same thing happened with his knee.  He repeatedly resisted surgery (despite team doctors recommending it), and when he finally did relent, the surgery did him a world of good.

Come on, JO.  Just get the dang surgery.

Yep, I agree ..I thought the very same thing since way back and hoped he would just go for the surgery and get it over with.

He'll be broke by the 3 game of the season.