Injuries are a cruel reality of all professional sports. One moment you are part of something bigger than yourself, and the next, you are a name on an injury report. You are isolated and often left behind while your teammates forge forward.
A season ago, Carl Landry was the Sacramento Kings’ big free-agent acquisition. He was the first player signed by the new Kings ownership and his addition was celebrated. But after two major injuries and a total of 18 games played, the former super-sub is trying to forget his first season back in a Kings uniform.
Landry is ready to be back amongst familiar faces, although there are very few of those in Sacramento. He is ready to be one of the guys again.
“It was tough to be in the training room while the guys were out there on the court,” Landry told Cowbell Kingdom. “It’s tough to be in the hospital, while the guys are on TV. At times, it’s not depressing, but it was just tough.”
Kings director of athletic performance Chip Schaefer has seen plenty of players lost to injury. He is the guy behind the scenes who puts the players back together, a job he has done around the league for years.
The physical injury is only part of the healing process. A team is a family, and when your family moves on without you, it is a difficult reality to accept.
“It’s part of the process when you’re injured,” Schaefer said. “Trying to maintain that connection with the team is a difficult thing, because connections come through shared suffering and sacrifices.”
The Kings suffered plenty without Landry. Winners of just 28 games, Landry was supposed to carry the load as a top-flight bench scorer. Without him, the Kings relied too heavily on their starters, and more specifically, DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas.
For Landry, the injury was exacerbated by the lofty expectations that come with signing a new four-year, $26 million deal as a free agent. Now 31 years old, Landry is trying to prove that he has healed enough to help the Kings win in any way possible.
“I’m just happy to be a part of the team,” Landry said. “Happy to have another opportunity to be back on the floor healthy and contributing any way I can.”
According to Schaefer, Landry spent time in Indiana rebuilding his body. He has moved past the hip flexor and knee injury that cost him most of last season. He has come back in incredible shape with the hopes of redemption.
“Fantastic,” Schaefer said of Landry’s summer conditioning. “He’s got perfect body composition. His fitness level is the best it’s ever been since I’ve worked with him.”
While it appears that Landry is ready for the rigors of an 82-game NBA schedule, the physical limitations that come with injuries are only part of the healing process. Often the biggest hurdle is learning to trust your body again.
“He’s healthy,” coach Michael Malone said before Saturday night’s game. “I’m not ready to say he’s 100 percent. Physically, I think he’s fairly healthy. I think mentally, I still think there’s a little reservation in his mind, which obviously is to be expected.”
“He needs to kind of let loose and trust and go out there and play,” Malone added. “He has flashes in practice where he’s showing that he can still be the old Carl Landry.”
Landry is practicing every day without soreness. He’s trying to find a niche on a team in need of solid veteran role players. There are no assurances about playing time, and he understands that the Kings frontcourt is as crowded as its ever been.
After dealing with a season away, Landry believes he still has plenty to offer.
“I think I can help the team in many ways,” Landry said. “I think I’m more than just a scorer. I feel like I can bring a lot more to the game than that. I’m a leader. A vocal leader by example, (and) I can lead with my experience.”
While the Kings are deeper this season, Landry can still provide a valuable service. If healthy, he has an ability to anchor the post on the offensive end, especially when Cousins goes out of the game. During Saturday night’s game against Maccabi Haifa, he even threw down a couple of dunks, as he continues to show flashes of his old self.
“I’m not worried about it,” Malone said. “I know he’s going to get there at some point. And I think in the very near future, he’ll get there. Mentally, physically, he’s on the right road, and he’s a guy that we have to get going.”
Landry is on the road to recovery. Physically, he is right for the first time in a long time. Mentally, he is getting close to trusting his body again. And he couldn’t be happier to be back with his teammates preparing for another NBA season.
“It definitely feels good being around my brothers,” Landry said. “I always hang around them and talk about different things. When you’re down, they can encourage you. There’s nothing like family, man. To have the opportunity to be around my family again is great.”
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
