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Roy will be (exhale) . . . ready

 

Whew!

That was the reaction of the Trail Blazers on Thursday after knee surgery on Brandon Roy was deemed successful enough for the team to predict that the All-Star will be ready to play in the season opener Oct. 28.

In what ended up being a minor procedure that lasted about 20 minutes, team physician Don Roberts removed a small flap of cartilage that was causing an irritation in Roy's left knee. The team estimated that Roy could return to full activity in four to eight weeks. Training camp is seven weeks away. "We are very relieved today," general manager Kevin Pritchard said. "I think we all have a collective sigh of relief, because with these knee injuries, a lot can happen, and you are talking about the career of a young man who has put his face on this organization, and (a player) who we care deeply about."

The out-of-the-blue developments were eerily similar to those of last summer, when No. 1 overall draft pick Greg Oden complained of knee soreness and went in for exploratory knee surgery. Doctors found severe cartilage damage and performed microfracture surgery, which ended Oden's season before it started.

On Tuesday of this week, Roy told the Blazers he was having discomfort in his left knee. Roy told the Blazers he did not injure the knee while doing an activity, leading the team to believe it was the result of wear and tear over time. Still, the team held its collective breath until the surgery was completed.

"We were all walking on eggshells around here," Pritchard said. "I can tell you this: I didn't sleep a whole lot last night . . . and I feel very, very good about where we are today. We are in great position to have him ready by the regular season."

Roy, who declined an interview Thursday, will begin his rehabilitation Monday in Portland and is expected to be ready, or nearly ready, for full action when the team opens training camp Sept. 30.

Team athletic trainer Jay Jensen said he plans to be "protective" of Roy during the preseason, saying he won't shy from holding him out of practices or exhibition games in order to have him 100 percent for the season opener.

Perhaps of greater concern is the long-term condition of Roy's knees. This is his third knee surgery since high school: In 2001, while at Garfield High in Seattle, he had surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee. And in November 2004, while a junior at the University of Washington, he had surgery on his right knee. He returned to the court from that surgery in three weeks.

The Blazers, however, can not talk about Roy's knees or health history because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

In two NBA seasons, Roy has missed 33 of 164 games -- 30 because of injury. Just four of those games were because of issues with his knees -- all coming at the end of his rookie season.

 


 

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