ESPN's Chris Sheridan has some specifics on KG's knee injury. He cites Garnett's agent Andy Miller as the source:
"He said the injury is status quo. He's got a strained tendon behind his knee, got some loose cartilage in there, it's causing soreness…"
Whoa, wait a minute. Wasn't the initial diagnosis a muscle strain? This is the first time I've heard the terms – strained tendon and loose cartilage. I'm no doctor but rest will not cure the pain caused by loose cartilage. Won't that hurt until doctors remove it?
According to Marc Spears and Frank Dell'Apa:
…his right knee will not require immediate surgery, according to an NBA source.
…. Garnett is experiencing soreness and has difficulty loosening the muscles in the knee.
Garnett was injured during a Feb. 19 game at Utah, an MRI the next day revealing nothing more than a muscle strain. He has since gotten a second opinion confirming there is no ligament damage, according to the source.
And Mark Murphy of the Herald has this tidbit:
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge refuted a published report that claimed Garnett turned down an offer by the team to have surgery, saying, “Surgery was never an option.”
Bill Burt of the Eagle Tribune is the one reporting KG passed on surgery.
More than likely the topic of having immediate surgery was discussed – briefly. Once KG, Doc and Danny learned the recovery time would stretch well into the playoffs, they shot it down.
Bottom line: KG will have to play with pain in the playoffs. How much he can tolerate and how effective he will be is TBD.
Thanks to Ajay, DRJ for the Sheridan tip.
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