Ten Careers After Micro-Fracture Surgery
14th September, 2007 - 4:46 pm
Micro-fracture surgery has become the NBA's equivalent of Tommy John surgery for MLB pitchers. The recovery time is longer than the average procedure and even though players are able to return, the results are mixed.
In no way should Greg Oden's surgery alter the projections people placed on his career back in June. If there is one thing the evidence shows us, players who have the procedure done earlier in their career have shown the ability to return to nearly an identical level of play.
10. Allan Houston: 2003
Houston had the procedure done on June 10th and made his first appearance the following season on opening night, but managed to play in only 50 games. His scoring dipped by four points per game, despite keeping his minutes played the same. The following season he played in just 20 games, averaging 26.6 minutes and 11.9 points per game.
After sitting out the next two seasons, Houston is now attempting a comeback.
9. Kenyon Martin: 2005, 2006
Martin has now undergone micro-fracture surgery on both knees, his left in 2005 and his right in 2006. He had the first surgery completed in May of 2005 and was ready to play at the beginning of the next season. He played five fewer minutes per game and while his intangible impact wasn’t nearly the same, his per 40 production remained virtually unchanged.
He played in just two games during the 2006-2007 campaign, as he was forced to have the right knee done on November 15th. He expects to play the entire 2007-2008 season, but it is yet to be seen how healthy and productive he will be.
8. Kerry Kittles: 2000
Kittles had the surgery performed in June of 2000 and missed the entire season. He returned in 2001-2002 as part of the revamped, Jason Kidd led Nets and posted nearly identical numbers to the 1999-2000 season. It was the first of three productive seasons s the Nets made it to the Finals two straight years, but he was forced to end his career after playing 11 games for the Clippers during the 2004-2005 season.
7. Penny Hardaway: 1997, 2001
Like Martin, Hardaway has had two micro-fracture surgeries. Hardaway came back less than two months after the first procedure and lasted just six games before shutting it down for the remainder of the 1997-1998 season. He was able to return the following year with an improved floor game, though his scoring decreased.
Then, as a member of the Suns, Hardaway had the procedure done again in 2001. He has been a shadow of his former self ever since and now he is attempting a comeback with the Heat even though he played in just four games over the past two seasons.
6. Chris Webber: 2003
Webber had the operation performed on June 30th, 2003, which essentially marked the end of the successful Kings’ era. He returned and played just 23 games that year, though he did average 18.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. This was well off his prior numbers in the seasons leading up to the procedure (27.1 and 11.1 in 00-01, 24.5 and 10.1 in 01-02 and 23 and 10.5 in 02-03).
He managed to have a resurgence in Philadelphia during the 2005-2006 season, averaging 20.2 and 9.9, but he fell off last season before becoming a nice complementary player in Detroit.
While he remains unsigned, Webber is expected to return for his 15th NBA season.
5. Doug Christie: 1991
He had his surgery performed in 1991 when he was still at Pepperdine, so like Oden will be forced to, Christie played his entire career post-micro fracture. Christie told me that it wasn’t until 1995 when he was with the Knicks before all of the pain subsided.
“There will sometimes be lingering effects if you try to come back too soon,” said Christie. “You can experience acute tenderness, like if you touch your tongue to a battery, the shocking volt you would get.”
It is impossible to estimate the kind of career Christie would have had if he didn’t have the surgery, but his career is certainly far better than most players drafted 17th. After playing limited minutes in his first four seasons, Christie became a 35-minute per night guy in Toronto. Over the next eight seasons, Christie averaged better than 12.5 points per game, while being one of the best wing defenders in the NBA.
4. Zach Randolph: 2005
Randolph’s surgery was performed by Dr. Don Roberts, who completed Oden’s on Thursday. Dr. Roberts performed the surgery on April 1st and Randolph was back on the floor on opening night the following season. Randolph appeared in 74 games that season, averaging 18 and 8. In 2006-2007, another year removed from the surgery, Randolph averaged a career-best 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
3. John Stockton: 1997
Stockton had the procedure done in October 1997 and made a very quick return, playing in 64 games that season. The Utah point guard had played in 609 consecutive regular season games before the surgery.
When he returned, his points per game and assists per game both dropped (14.4 and 10.5 in season before surgery, 12 and 8.5 after), but this was due to a drop in his minutes as his per 40 numbers remained virtually unchanged.
Even more impressive, once Stockton returned, he never missed another game until his retirement after the 2002-2003 season.
2. Amare Stoudemire: 2005
Shortly after signing a max contract in the summer of 2005, Stoudemire had micro-fracture knee surgery on October 18th, two months shy of his 23rd birthday. Stoudemire attempted to comeback in March that season and after scoring 20 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in his 19-minute debut, he played in just two more games, as he was not yet ready.
But Stoudemire rebounded terrifically during the 2006-2007 season. He appeared in all 82 games, averaging 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds and was a first-team All-NBA selection.
Stoudemire lost some of the explosiveness he enjoyed before the operation, but during his rehabilitation, he vastly improved his all-around offensive game. This is the silver lining that could be applied to the Oden situation as well.
1. Jason Kidd: 2004
At the age of 31, Jason Kidd had micro-fracture surgery on July 1st, 2004. Kidd went on to miss the first 16 games of the 2004-2005 season, but began playing again on December 6th in limited minutes, but was back to his customary high-30’s, low-40’s per game time on the floor by the new year.
Kidd’s per 40-minute production stayed nearly identical to where it was before the surgery and he even made marked improvement in his turnover to assist ratio.
Like Stockton, Kidd’s performance in his 30’s at the point guard position is historical in its excellence
14th September, 2007 - 4:46 pm
Micro-fracture surgery has become the NBA's equivalent of Tommy John surgery for MLB pitchers. The recovery time is longer than the average procedure and even though players are able to return, the results are mixed.
In no way should Greg Oden's surgery alter the projections people placed on his career back in June. If there is one thing the evidence shows us, players who have the procedure done earlier in their career have shown the ability to return to nearly an identical level of play.
10. Allan Houston: 2003
Houston had the procedure done on June 10th and made his first appearance the following season on opening night, but managed to play in only 50 games. His scoring dipped by four points per game, despite keeping his minutes played the same. The following season he played in just 20 games, averaging 26.6 minutes and 11.9 points per game.
After sitting out the next two seasons, Houston is now attempting a comeback.
9. Kenyon Martin: 2005, 2006
Martin has now undergone micro-fracture surgery on both knees, his left in 2005 and his right in 2006. He had the first surgery completed in May of 2005 and was ready to play at the beginning of the next season. He played five fewer minutes per game and while his intangible impact wasn’t nearly the same, his per 40 production remained virtually unchanged.
He played in just two games during the 2006-2007 campaign, as he was forced to have the right knee done on November 15th. He expects to play the entire 2007-2008 season, but it is yet to be seen how healthy and productive he will be.
8. Kerry Kittles: 2000
Kittles had the surgery performed in June of 2000 and missed the entire season. He returned in 2001-2002 as part of the revamped, Jason Kidd led Nets and posted nearly identical numbers to the 1999-2000 season. It was the first of three productive seasons s the Nets made it to the Finals two straight years, but he was forced to end his career after playing 11 games for the Clippers during the 2004-2005 season.
7. Penny Hardaway: 1997, 2001
Like Martin, Hardaway has had two micro-fracture surgeries. Hardaway came back less than two months after the first procedure and lasted just six games before shutting it down for the remainder of the 1997-1998 season. He was able to return the following year with an improved floor game, though his scoring decreased.
Then, as a member of the Suns, Hardaway had the procedure done again in 2001. He has been a shadow of his former self ever since and now he is attempting a comeback with the Heat even though he played in just four games over the past two seasons.
6. Chris Webber: 2003
Webber had the operation performed on June 30th, 2003, which essentially marked the end of the successful Kings’ era. He returned and played just 23 games that year, though he did average 18.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. This was well off his prior numbers in the seasons leading up to the procedure (27.1 and 11.1 in 00-01, 24.5 and 10.1 in 01-02 and 23 and 10.5 in 02-03).
He managed to have a resurgence in Philadelphia during the 2005-2006 season, averaging 20.2 and 9.9, but he fell off last season before becoming a nice complementary player in Detroit.
While he remains unsigned, Webber is expected to return for his 15th NBA season.
5. Doug Christie: 1991
He had his surgery performed in 1991 when he was still at Pepperdine, so like Oden will be forced to, Christie played his entire career post-micro fracture. Christie told me that it wasn’t until 1995 when he was with the Knicks before all of the pain subsided.
“There will sometimes be lingering effects if you try to come back too soon,” said Christie. “You can experience acute tenderness, like if you touch your tongue to a battery, the shocking volt you would get.”
It is impossible to estimate the kind of career Christie would have had if he didn’t have the surgery, but his career is certainly far better than most players drafted 17th. After playing limited minutes in his first four seasons, Christie became a 35-minute per night guy in Toronto. Over the next eight seasons, Christie averaged better than 12.5 points per game, while being one of the best wing defenders in the NBA.
4. Zach Randolph: 2005
Randolph’s surgery was performed by Dr. Don Roberts, who completed Oden’s on Thursday. Dr. Roberts performed the surgery on April 1st and Randolph was back on the floor on opening night the following season. Randolph appeared in 74 games that season, averaging 18 and 8. In 2006-2007, another year removed from the surgery, Randolph averaged a career-best 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
3. John Stockton: 1997
Stockton had the procedure done in October 1997 and made a very quick return, playing in 64 games that season. The Utah point guard had played in 609 consecutive regular season games before the surgery.
When he returned, his points per game and assists per game both dropped (14.4 and 10.5 in season before surgery, 12 and 8.5 after), but this was due to a drop in his minutes as his per 40 numbers remained virtually unchanged.
Even more impressive, once Stockton returned, he never missed another game until his retirement after the 2002-2003 season.
2. Amare Stoudemire: 2005
Shortly after signing a max contract in the summer of 2005, Stoudemire had micro-fracture knee surgery on October 18th, two months shy of his 23rd birthday. Stoudemire attempted to comeback in March that season and after scoring 20 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in his 19-minute debut, he played in just two more games, as he was not yet ready.
But Stoudemire rebounded terrifically during the 2006-2007 season. He appeared in all 82 games, averaging 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds and was a first-team All-NBA selection.
Stoudemire lost some of the explosiveness he enjoyed before the operation, but during his rehabilitation, he vastly improved his all-around offensive game. This is the silver lining that could be applied to the Oden situation as well.
1. Jason Kidd: 2004
At the age of 31, Jason Kidd had micro-fracture surgery on July 1st, 2004. Kidd went on to miss the first 16 games of the 2004-2005 season, but began playing again on December 6th in limited minutes, but was back to his customary high-30’s, low-40’s per game time on the floor by the new year.
Kidd’s per 40-minute production stayed nearly identical to where it was before the surgery and he even made marked improvement in his turnover to assist ratio.
Like Stockton, Kidd’s performance in his 30’s at the point guard position is historical in its excellence
