Random Thoughts on Isaiah Thomas and Hip Impingement
Aug 24, 2017 15:31:57 GMT -5
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Aug 24, 2017 15:31:57 GMT -5
Random Thoughts on Isaiah Thomas and Hip Impingement
I'm still trying to digest this trade and figure out whether I really like it or just like it a little. While I don't have the feeling of disaster that I had when Danny traded Perk, it still may take me awhile to warm up to it completely. One of the things that Danny brought up in his conference call was that they are a little concerned with Isaiah's hip injury.
Let's start with the fact that Kyrie Irving isn't exactly an ironman, he doesn't have a known injury at this time that may affect the start of the season. He has played in 51, 59, 71, 75, 53 and 72 games in his 6 years in the league. Also, he is 3 years younger than Isaiah and the older a player gets and the more miles he puts on his body, the more likely they are to miss time with injuries.
But let's talk a bit about Isaiah's hip injury that is a concern right at the moment. We have only Isaiah's word that he is all healed and ready to play but he hasn't been cleared by the doctors to resume basketball activities. He is scheduled for more tests in September and both Danny and Brad have expressed concern as to whether he will be ready to go for training camp. Kevin McHale expressed concern about the fact that he hasn't been cleared as yet also.
I'm a bit more familiar with hip problems than the average person as I have had two hip surgeries and have had an artificial hip for many, many years. I was very interested in his injury and will share a bit of what I have learned. Isaiah was diagnosed with a labrum tear as a result of a condition that is called “femoroacetabular impingement.” That just means that the ball of the hip joint and the socket of the hip joint are pinching. Here is an illustration to show what this means.
In the hip on the left the red area shows a little extra bone along the rim of the socket. In the hip in the center there is a little extra bone on the ball of the hip. In this condition there is one or the other or possibly a combination of the two as shown on the right. Sometimes the impingement is very minor and won't cause problems in normal activity. Sometimes it is more pronounced and may cause discomfort.
When a person has this problem, the extra bone rubs against the the other part of the hip and, sometimes the labrum gets stuck in the middle. This can lead to tearing of the labrum. The labrum is the ring of cartilage that lines the outside rim of the socket of your hip joint. There are different causes for this condition. Some people are born with these extra bumps in the hip. Sometimes certain repetitive movements of the hip as a basketball player may use could cause development of these bumps.
Now, I'm not a doctor so I don't know for sure exactly what Isaiah's injury was, only what was reported and my experience with hip problems. Sometimes rest and possibly steroid injections will allow the labrum tear to heal. And he would be able to go back to playing basketball without problems. But, if indeed his labrum tear was the result of an impingement, he may end up with recurring problems with pain in the hip since the labrum isn't the only problem.
In my case I ended up with a total hip replacement. I can't speak to his case as all I know is what the media said was his diagnosis. It's possible that Danny checked into Isaiah's problem and isn't comfortable that he won't have further problems. Also people with hip impingement could be susceptible to arthritis in the hip. It's possible that IT's impingement won't cause further problems but maybe it was enough to worry Danny.
I've read that the Cavs aren't concerned about Isaiah's hip but then again he hasn't had his physical yet. But I'm sure that they have seen his diagnosis and his medical reports to date. I'm thinking that Danny isn't concerned about the injury for this season, even if he is delayed a bit at the start. It seems to me that Danny is concerned about the future when Isaiah is expecting a max contract.
Isaiah has not been shy in letting everyone know that he expects a max contract after this season. If Danny was reluctant to give IT a max contract, whether because of the hip or because he just doesn't feel he can give him one, he may have felt it was better to trade him now than to have him walk at the end of the season for nothing. Knowing what I know about hips, I don't blame Danny for being a bit skittish about giving out that max contract to a 28 year old player with a history of hip impingement.
It's entirely possible that Isaiah's hip is completely healed and he will be good to go at the start of the season and that the impingement won't cause any further problems. But, it's also possible that his hip problems may slow him just the slightest bit as he ages. For a player like Isaiah, who depends on his speed and athleticism, slowing slightly could be a problem.
We have all seen players come back from injuries and not be near as effective as they were previously. The injury heals but slows the player just slightly and that affects his game. This may all be unnecessary because Isaiah may come back fine and play just as well as before and play into his 40's and not have a problem. But it's also possible that Danny didn't want to take that chance.
