Apr 05 5:46 PM EDT

Eric Gordon makes stellar return, Magic’s Ryan Anderson talks “softball”?

                                              

It’s official!  New Orleans Hornet’s PG, Eric Gordon is back!  Coach Monty Williams confirmed it!  And RealGM’s “Pro Prospect”, Apathy, predicted Eric Gordon’s performance debut on Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets!  The news on Gordon’s knee surgery seemed to come out  of nowhere, since injury reports about only a “minor knee bruise” surfaced in January 2012.

But in Gordon’s defense, his prior interviews showed that he was quite confident about his injury status, as if he might knows something that we don’t?  Sounds a little fishy, like “things that make you go ummmm?” (Sorry, but it popped in my head:)  None the less, this is good news for fantasy owners and Hornets Fans alike.  Gordon played an impressive 34 minutes of action with 15-4-4 and 1 steal on Wednesday against the Nuggets, but also had 4 turnovers.  Even Apathy doubted him a little bit it seems?  This points to nothing but good signs on Gordon’s knee.  He admitted to having an arthroscopic surgery to remove cartilage debris from his right knee that put him out an additional 6 weeks in mid-February.  This is usually a low-risk procedure to comeback from.  Just to be cautious, monitor the knee swelling and the increased minutes Gordon is likely to get.  Fantasy owners should be salivating at Gordon’s return because this is a contract year for Gordon, who still has much to prove to David Stern in New Orleans.

Ryan Anderson(ankle sprain), is listed as Day-to-Day, but Anderson has reported this week that his ankle sprain still remains swollen, being the size of a “softball”.  So how should we interpret that?  It’s been 5-7 days after the injury, therefore the fact that Anderson can still be seen wearing a boot, really indicates nothing, because an ankle boot for sprains is usually worn anyways, even after the injury has healed for preventative maintenance.  The fact that the ankle still remains swollen, like the size of “softball”, according to Anderson, indicates that he just needs more time to heal-how long?  Well, a “softball” size injury, says that Anderson is looking at at least another week of R.I.C.E. treatments before improving his flexibility, and later strengthening the ankle so he can apply pressure to the left foot. Coach Van Gundy estimated 5-7 days before Anderson could return.  Continue to monitor Anderson’s playing status as questionable, until further notice.
BONUS:  “Shouts Out” to my friend & NBA “STAT”man, B-Roc!  Happy Birthday!

 

 

Mar 10 2:18 PM EDT

Fantasy Alert: Timberwolves PG, Ricky Rubio feared out for the season (knee), injury video

Minnesota Timerwolves PG, Ricky Rubio appears to have hyper-extended the left knee in an attempt to double-team Kobe Bryant in last night’s game.  Fears linger at a possible ACL tear.  An MRI for the knee is scheduled for Saturday, March 10th, 2012 to rule out a fracture and confirm, if there is any soft tissue damage.  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is probably the most accurate test for diagnosing a torn ACL without actually looking into the knee.   In an acute (sudden) injury, the swelling is a good indicator too.  A good rule of thumb that ortho surgeons use is that any tense swelling that occurs within two hours of a knee injury usually represents blood in the joint, or a hemarthrosis.  If the swelling occurs the next day, the fluid is probably from the inflammatory response.

Aspirating(or draining as much fluid as possible) gives relief from the swelling and provides useful information to your doctor. If blood is found when draining the knee, there is about a 70 percent chance it represents a torn ACL. This fluid can also show if the cartilage on the surface of the knee joint was injured.  A doctor can determine how badly the ACL was injured and whether other knee ligaments or joint cartilage were injured too.  If Rubio get surgery, he will probably be involved in a progressive rehabilitation program for four to six months after surgery to ensure the best results.  This is a big blow for fans and fantasy owners alike.

In other Minnesota news, Center, Nikola Pekovic (ankle) returned to action Friday against the Lakers, scoring 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting (9-of-10 from the foul line) with 13 rebounds and one steal in 40 minutes.  With starting Center, Kevin Love, currently OUT, due to back spasms and Pekovic getting more minutes on the floor, the injury to Ricky Rubio (knee) is a BIG concern because of the easy buckets Pekovic gets from him.  Rubio’s absence will really affect this team’s offensive numbers and fantasy league rosters in multiple CATS, therefore fantasy owners should continue to monitor Rubio for the remainder of the season.