So how many weeks will the captain be day-to-day?

[PosImpos]

Pierce will be back in the second week of January.  That's my prediction.

[KGHurtYourFeelings]

its a bone bruise on his heel. if you look it up online, it can take anywhere from a few days to a month...the only thing that cures it is rest. if you further reinjure it, it can be very difficult to treat longterm.

its better they let him rest now until hes 100% than let him risk reinjuring it

I expect pro athletes to heal faster than me.  If I snap an ankle requiring surgery and I'm back running in 6 weeks then a day to day injury shouldn't take longer. If it does then you're frail and should probably be traded to the Portland Trailblazers.

  Yeah, the guy who played an entire 82 game season that started about a month after he was stabbed multiple times is frail compared to you.

True, he has never had a big problem before. I think my real problem is with the Celtics "medical" staff. 

To me there are maybe 4 or 5 medical NBA situations I find baffling.

Grant Hill's ankle that took like 4 years to heal, and now as the 3rd oldest player in the league he plays 82 games.

Greg Oden walking down the street or playing hopscotch and having to sit out the year pretty much every year in his young 20s after an injury free freshman year at Ohio State

Zydrunas Ilgauskas taking like 5 years to heal sore feet and then having a great long career

Pretty much everything that has happened to the Celtics in the last 3 years

I think you are having a selective memory.  The C's have not had very bad luck with injuries the last few years.  The big 3 have been amazingly healthy given the amount of miles on them. 

I just think the C's have had to rely on a few guys that have injury histories/questions over the last few years, because of their lack of assets to get top quality players that did not have question marks. 

Ray and Pierce have been amazingly healthy.

Perk wasn't so amazingly healthy.  KG wasn't.  Pierce isn't now. Glen broke his hand absurdly. (I kinda don't count that one). Delonte is sorta brittle. Quise had a strange scenario.  Jermaine O'Neal had problems.  Shaq had problems.   It was lot of problems, but we had a lot of age

KG has been incredibly healthy since the original knee injury, which many people predicted was the beginning of the end for a guy with a ton of mileage, and whose knees were just starting to break down.

Perk had a freak knee injury, and returned much faster than many other players with the same knee injury.  Other than that, he missed very few games, despite having a bum shoulder.

I absolutely agree that we had a lot of age, that that is one of the major factors here.  I was just trying to point out that this wasn't something that had to do with the medical staff.  Given the players the C's have, I actually think it is surprising they havent had more significant injuries that kept guys out for extended periods of time.

My issue with the medical staff is giving us bogus time periods for healing. If they don't know they need to say "We don't know. Average time is x", not day to day for something that isn't really likely to resolve the next day. When they know they aren't going to rush a guy back don't say day to day. They aren't doing anyone any favors.  If Greg Oden played for us they'd probably have had him day to day for the past two years or something.

That's not the medical staff though, that's management.  And frankly, I think you can thank Bill Belichick for it.  He got the ball rolling in this town with vague injury reports, and the other teams have taken his cue. 

I agree that it is frustrating, but it has no negative effect on the outcome of games.  At this point, we just need to realize that guys will be back when they are back, and not worry about the other stuff, because we are never going to get all the information ever again.

I completely agree with you and was also thinking the Bill thing.

This is the thing that ticks me off with that.  What on Earth is "management" and the medical staff doing over in Patriot land?

Spikes has been out since game 7.  No injured reserve. Almost the same thing with Chung. No injured reserve.  

I understand listing an offensive player as questionable, but does it matter that much for an offense to think of whether they have to play against Spikes or Guyton? Maybe Chung I could get, but if these guys aren't going to injured reserve then what is going on?

I don't like teams sorta making a mockery of the injury report.  To me it's sorta one step away from those Giants players that faked injuries towards the end of the game. It's sports. Not a cold war against the Soviets.

I hate to bring it up on a Celtics board, but I was born in a divided Connecticut home and have always been a diehard Celtics/Giants fan.

TO this day, it makes me happy that Pats fans are still bitter, and of all things, are now critiquing sportsmanship.

I tried to fight the urge to post this, but I am a weak man.  And also a jerk.

Go Celtics.

[j804]

This could be painful to watch sheesh

[Eja117]

its a bone bruise on his heel. if you look it up online, it can take anywhere from a few days to a month...the only thing that cures it is rest. if you further reinjure it, it can be very difficult to treat longterm.

its better they let him rest now until hes 100% than let him risk reinjuring it

I expect pro athletes to heal faster than me.  If I snap an ankle requiring surgery and I'm back running in 6 weeks then a day to day injury shouldn't take longer. If it does then you're frail and should probably be traded to the Portland Trailblazers.

  Yeah, the guy who played an entire 82 game season that started about a month after he was stabbed multiple times is frail compared to you.

True, he has never had a big problem before. I think my real problem is with the Celtics "medical" staff. 

To me there are maybe 4 or 5 medical NBA situations I find baffling.

Grant Hill's ankle that took like 4 years to heal, and now as the 3rd oldest player in the league he plays 82 games.

Greg Oden walking down the street or playing hopscotch and having to sit out the year pretty much every year in his young 20s after an injury free freshman year at Ohio State

Zydrunas Ilgauskas taking like 5 years to heal sore feet and then having a great long career

Pretty much everything that has happened to the Celtics in the last 3 years

I think you are having a selective memory.  The C's have not had very bad luck with injuries the last few years.  The big 3 have been amazingly healthy given the amount of miles on them. 

I just think the C's have had to rely on a few guys that have injury histories/questions over the last few years, because of their lack of assets to get top quality players that did not have question marks. 

Ray and Pierce have been amazingly healthy.

Perk wasn't so amazingly healthy.  KG wasn't.  Pierce isn't now. Glen broke his hand absurdly. (I kinda don't count that one). Delonte is sorta brittle. Quise had a strange scenario.  Jermaine O'Neal had problems.  Shaq had problems.   It was lot of problems, but we had a lot of age

KG has been incredibly healthy since the original knee injury, which many people predicted was the beginning of the end for a guy with a ton of mileage, and whose knees were just starting to break down.

Perk had a freak knee injury, and returned much faster than many other players with the same knee injury.  Other than that, he missed very few games, despite having a bum shoulder.

I absolutely agree that we had a lot of age, that that is one of the major factors here.  I was just trying to point out that this wasn't something that had to do with the medical staff.  Given the players the C's have, I actually think it is surprising they havent had more significant injuries that kept guys out for extended periods of time.

My issue with the medical staff is giving us bogus time periods for healing. If they don't know they need to say "We don't know. Average time is x", not day to day for something that isn't really likely to resolve the next day. When they know they aren't going to rush a guy back don't say day to day. They aren't doing anyone any favors.  If Greg Oden played for us they'd probably have had him day to day for the past two years or something.

That's not the medical staff though, that's management.  And frankly, I think you can thank Bill Belichick for it.  He got the ball rolling in this town with vague injury reports, and the other teams have taken his cue. 

I agree that it is frustrating, but it has no negative effect on the outcome of games.  At this point, we just need to realize that guys will be back when they are back, and not worry about the other stuff, because we are never going to get all the information ever again.

I completely agree with you and was also thinking the Bill thing.

This is the thing that ticks me off with that.  What on Earth is "management" and the medical staff doing over in Patriot land?

Spikes has been out since game 7.  No injured reserve. Almost the same thing with Chung. No injured reserve.  

I understand listing an offensive player as questionable, but does it matter that much for an offense to think of whether they have to play against Spikes or Guyton? Maybe Chung I could get, but if these guys aren't going to injured reserve then what is going on?

I don't like teams sorta making a mockery of the injury report.  To me it's sorta one step away from those Giants players that faked injuries towards the end of the game. It's sports. Not a cold war against the Soviets.

I hate to bring it up on a Celtics board, but I was born in a divided Connecticut home and have always been a diehard Celtics/Giants fan.

TO this day, it makes me happy that Pats fans are still bitter, and of all things, are now critiquing sportsmanship.

I tried to fight the urge to post this, but I am a weak man.  And also a jerk.

Go Celtics.

I swear, once we had multiple rings in multiple sports I looked straight at Yankees fans as a model on how to be more pompus. It was our TURN good Lord!  I kept askin! When will it be our turn!

[nickagneta]

Regarding how Pierce hurt his ankle during the extended off season: Doesn't matter. Life happens. he could have been working out like a dog all off season, been in the best shape of his life and had someone hit his heel with a shopping cart at the supermarket or he brought his leg down too fast, hitting his heal, while stretching on the floor or something. Accidents happen.

Actually surprised we haven't seen more injuries around the league given players weren't allowed near their training staffs, their team training facilities or their team doctors for that amount of time.


Regarding teams reporting injuries: In contact sports it makes sense to me. I want to put out as much vague info as possible so teams have to waste time on a game plan where the player might be there even if he is not. Also, I don't want the opposing players knowing the exact problem for fear they might try to cheap shot it and injure that player. This is probably more relevant to football and hockey but I can see instances where you wouldn't want to let the opposing team know your weakness in basketball as well, especially for big guys that have to bang under the basket.

[dark_lord]

If we learned something from Shaq and KG's injury earlier this year, don't believe whatever Doctor Danny Ainge says!

[Drucci]

I think Pierce will be back by the end of this week. But it's probably wishful thinking.

[clover]

He already told us it could be months.

And much credit to him for being honest with his fans.

[snively]

Heel bone bruises take forever to go away.  One of the most irritating basketball-related injuries.  I had a very mild one and it drove me crazy.

The simultaneous loss of Pierce and Green is just so tough to handle.  I thought this was going to be a position of real depth this year!

[18isGREATERthan72]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150435444767525&set=a.10150090744442525.271074.48886437524&type=1&theater

Just posted on Paul Pierce's Facebook account...  Not saying he'll play tonight, but he is taking jump shots, which is a good sign, right?

[vinnie]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150435444767525&set=a.10150090744442525.271074.48886437524&type=1&theater

Just posted on Paul Pierce's Facebook account...  Not saying he'll play tonight, but he is taking jump shots, which is a good sign, right?

A good sign, I guess, but it is the pounding on the heel from running up and down the floor that causes the problems. And, if the bruise is not heeled, the pain gets worse the more you run and pound. And then the complete healing takes longer.

[Norcalceltic]

If we learned something from Shaq and KG's injury earlier this year, don't believe whatever Doctor Danny Ainge says!

LOL, came in here just to post this. You cannot trust Danny when it comes to injuries. I don't understand why he does it. Just be honest with us.

[Chris]

If we learned something from Shaq and KG's injury earlier this year, don't believe whatever Doctor Danny Ainge says!

LOL, came in here just to post this. You cannot trust Danny when it comes to injuries. I don't understand why he does it. Just be honest with us.

The thing is, more often than not Danny is the one who is more tentative about giving dates for guys to return.  It is Doc who does more of the talking.

[BballTim]

If we learned something from Shaq and KG's injury earlier this year, don't believe whatever Doctor Danny Ainge says!

LOL, came in here just to post this. You cannot trust Danny when it comes to injuries. I don't understand why he does it. Just be honest with us.

The thing is, more often than not Danny is the one who is more tentative about giving dates for guys to return.  It is Doc who does more of the talking.

 In Doc's defense, he always adds his "I'm not a real doctor" disclaimer to his estimates.

[OttawaCeltic]

its a bone bruise on his heel. if you look it up online, it can take anywhere from a few days to a month...the only thing that cures it is rest. if you further reinjure it, it can be very difficult to treat longterm.

its better they let him rest now until hes 100% than let him risk reinjuring it

then Ainge should say 1-4 weeks instead of day-to-day. Day-to-day sounds like 3 days not 3 weeks!