After missing just 11 games over his last 5+ seasons, the Raptors will have to play without their All-Star.
As many feared following the Raptors’ Friday night loss to the Dallas Mavericks, shooting guard DeMar DeRozan will be out indefinitely after tearing his abductor tendon, reports Raptors Media Relations.
Update on @Raptors DeMar DeRozan. Tests revealed torn left adductor longus tendon. No timetable for return to bball activity. #rtz
— RaptorsMR (@RaptorsMR) November 29, 2014
The injury came during the third quarter of Friday’s contest against Dallas. DeRozan lost his footing on a drive to the basket, and looked to be in immediate pain. A timeout was called thereafter, and DeRozan was helped off the court by teammates and trainers. He did not return to the game.
Losing DeRozan puts the Raptors in uncharted waters, as DeRozan has been a steadying ironman for the Raptors over the past half-decade. Although he has gotten off to a rocky start this season, DeRozan, is still tops in scoring (19.4) and minutes (33.6 per game).
In his stead, the Raptors will likely look to one of Greivis Vasquez or Lou Williams to fill DeRozan’s void in the starting lineup. Inevitably, with one of the key pillars of the team out, his absence will have to be made up by the remainder of the squad. James Johnson could also be a candidate to see increased minutes, although his lack of shooting ability would seriously hamper the Raptors’ spacing in their starting lineup.
Given his strong play as of late, Williams seems like the likely favorite to snag DeRozan’s spot in the interim. He provides an extended measure of floor spacing and ball handling, but his lack of physical strength could pose defensive woes against larger wing players. The move, then, could be to mix and match depending on lineups, but it’s still too early to speculate.
DeRozan will be travelling with the team as they embark on a brief three-game Western Conference road trip. The Raptors are slated to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.
On a final note, from all of us here at Raptors Republic, and every NBA fan out there, get well soon, DeMar. We’re looking forward to seeing you back on the court healthy, and better than ever. #ProveEm.
Update:
I’m no doctor, and according to this report, it took about 3 months to recover from a similar injury:
Avulsion injuries of the adductor longus muscle tendon are rare and a challenge to manage especially in athletes. There has been little published literature on the outcome of conservative and operative treatment for these injuries. We report the first case of an acute adductor longus avulsion injury which was surgically repaired in a professional equestrian rider. Return to full preinjury function was achieved at 3 months with surgical repair using 3 suture anchors.
Update 2:
Danny Amendola of the Patriots had the same injury and was out for six weeks:
Normal recovery time, even without surgery, is anywhere from two to six weeks
Update 3:
As per USA Today, he could be out for less than a month:
At USAT: Source says Raptors' DeMar DeRozan hopeful he'll return in four weeks or less – http://t.co/XEVc8P5x8z
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) November 29, 2014
Update 4:
Here’s a lot more detail any this type of injury:
The location of DeRozan’s tendon tear remains a key factor in determining his length of absence and any potential treatment options. In the best case scenario, the tear is situated near the musculotendinous junction, the area where the tendon and muscle tissue connect. Generally players with these types of injuries do not require surgery and can return somewhere between four to six weeks. The InStreetClothes.com database puts the average missed time for a groin strain reported as Grade 2 or higher at 19 games (roughly six weeks). USA Today’s Sam Amick reports there is optimism that DeRozan could return in four weeks, suggesting this is the type of injury the Raptors guard has suffered.
However things would get more complicated if the tear is located at the point where the adductor longus tendon connects to the pubic bone. This injury is classified as an avulsion injury and generally warrants surgery. If DeRozan ultimately needs a trip to the operating room, his estimated time of recovery could stretch to eight weeks or more, although the case of Kendrick Perkins does provide some reason for optimism. Last season, the Oklahoma City center returned to action 17 games (37 days) after undergoing groin surgery.
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