Will that be taken out? If so, when?
I think this may be an age centered argument. A generational argument.
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No, we donāt know. Nor do we know of any contributing reasons to decisions we arenāt privy to. The online orthopedic stuff is pretty funny imo.
Ha! Was talking about generational differences at work. May be true.
I do think there can be both elements of Melo needing to toughen up AND team collaboration to be reasonably cautious on his return.
Itās cool to think about heroes that played on broken limbs, but we forget about a lot of guys that ruined their careers trying to be macho with injury.
That but more so the floor general. I absolutely reject any notion of him being a floor general. He has zero feel for table setting and tempo control.
This critique is not limited to him but many other all star level pgās. It is a lost art and skill.
I actually am not all that down on him āsitting when healthyā, but he is 100% on the injury prone list and moving quickly to wasted salary cap. Not because of lack of production but because he canāt reliably be counted to be on the floor.
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Maybe Seth can whisper some Steph inspired wisdom into his ears? Weāre certainly at a critical juncture for LaMelo. What is holding him back physically? Is it genetics, is it a lack of diligence in preparation, is it a lack of toughness ā¦ I just donāt know.
Certainly a stated and followed through commitment to a Curry approved rehab and strength building program in the off-season would be a good start, as would seeing him in some form of ankle brace. These are the things that would help inspire some confidence.
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Alright, Iāll speak my mind on this and move on.
Hereās the facts: The only thing has been reported is that ankle brace was the plan, Melo tried practicing with an ankle brace once, and then said he wasnāt going to wear it because it was uncomfortable and āhurt, for realā. He he not worn and ankle brace during a game, and it hasnāt been reported that heās in an ankle brace in practices either. And heās been using tape for his ankle opposed to the ankle brace. Okay.
Opinion Iāve extrapolated from the above data: No, I have not personally had that surgical procedure on my ankle; however, I have worn an ankle brace during basketball off and on for years on my weak ankle. And no, an ankle brace isnāt particularly ācomfortableā-no one loves wearing an ankle brace. But you get used to it-considering the alternative of an ankle setback. And as far as Melo saying the ankle brace āhurtā, I donāt know what to say. If the ankle brace āhurtsā, the athletic tape that is very tightly applied to his ankle before every game should āhurtā also. When applied correctly, tape should be pretty tight. Athletic tape for ankles is better than nothing, but I can tell you that it is insufficient compared to a formal ankle brace. Tape becomes more and more loose as you wear it during the game.
To me, it feels irresponsible to not protect his health by playing without the brace. Based on the data we have, it sounds like he tried to practice once with an ankle brace and said ānoā. This is the worldwide pinnacle of basketball-the NBA. I feel really certain that Melo can have access to any ankle brace on earth. There are many of them. He could get one custom made. Or have the money to start his own ankle brace manufacturing company.
But he tried one once, said no, quickly hurts his ankle, and is still sitting on the sidelines.
He just signed a 5 year/$260m deal to stay in Charlotte. So yes, people are warranted to ask questions like these and voice concern about how decisions were made/or not made. Heās played in 184/290 potential games, so roughly 63% of games.
Iām not casting personal aspersions on Melo, Iām not even talking about his game. I really like LaMelo Ball, but I want to see more from a guy who just signed a $260m deal. And if that means doing something he doesnāt like for a while to stay healthy-like wearing an ankle brace, well so be it.
Iām not sure that anyone is playing āarmchair orthopedicā by suggesting that a guy with a surgically repaired ankle that he has injured several times should probably protect his weak ankle with the use of a brace. However, Iām not going to pretend I understand the minutiae of this particular surgical procedure Melo had. Lastly, I can say with certainty that ankle braces offer superior support and protection to just athletic tape. I donāt need to be an orthopedic specialist to tell you that-itās just why ankle braces exist.
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You are extrapolating a lot from a single flippant comment from a guy primarily speaks in light commentary. We donāt know squat. Should we? Maybe. But from the organization that might still be gathering information on the status of the Hornets name change, Iām not so sure itās out of the norm.
I said before, humans are terrible gap fillers, and so weāve been filling in whatever narrative our personal insecurities or biases think is most likely.
First off, I never had major ankle problems, my thing was always my shoulder. But from my experiences, I thought ankle braces were not as supportive as tape? Maybe Iām wrong, but whenever I did twist my ankle, Iād go into the training room to get taped up, and would keep getting the tape until I fully healed. The braces were never as strong or customized to my ankle, and if the tape gets loose, you can always retape it pretty quickly.
But as for Melo, as a professional player with a(n) (alleged) professional franchise, Iād assume his health is the top priority for everyone involved. Iām sure the proper protocol was followed regarding surgery and treatment plan to strengthen the ankle, and the proper course of rehab made by doctors.
Granted, our strength and training staff always seemed to be a problem from the outside, which seems to have been confirmed by recent reporting and SchnallPlot statements. Why do we just assume Melo is just too cool to wear the right braces, rather than a deep discussion and conclusion with the medical staff? He was wearing them in preseason training, maybe they tried different ones to see what worked, and with the discomfort, the staff said the difference between tape and the brace wasnāt significant, so letās go with keeping the tape tight and retaping during halftime.
And maybe this was a good decision until the freak landing when his ankle inverted in a later game, then reaggravated during the Spurs game when he was determined to gut out a win on an obviously hurt ankle. Again, probably another staff failure to protect him, but the narrative that he isnāt competitive or doesnāt care enough to play with an injury should go out right there. I was at that game, he easily couldāve left the game, but chose to lead the team to a rare victory.
To my eyes, heās ultra competitive, wants to win, is a damn good player, his frame is too weak, and our strength and conditioning staff sucks at building him up and protecting him with the right decisions and treatments.
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All Hornets with @Plowright has an excellent podcast today about the injuries. Specifically Lamelo and Mark.
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For those looking for the link kindly mentioned above, see below.
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Wonder what if anything that says about Mark Williamsā¦
I think it means more than likely, Williams wonāt return this season. Iām ok with that. Back injuries can be difficult. He needs to get 100% healthy, then get in shape and see how he feels. With Lamelo, I suspect he will be back this season. I wouldnāt mind seeing him on a minutes restriction. Especially if his discomfort is caused by the hardware in his ankle. If that hardware is going to be removed, I would take it out as soon as it can be. Even if itās during the season. Having both Lamelo and Mark ready to go by camp next year is vital.
I listened to part of it again. Great job @Plowright.
I mean its a 10 day contract which he can sign 2 of. So not sure you can take too much from it honestly. Will be around the same time Williams will be āreevaluatedā. The main thing we can take from it is that Nnaji isnāt coming over this season most likely.
Liking the Bolden pickup. Appears to have good physical tools. Shot 17-43 from three in the '21-22 g-league, his highest volume season.
I donāt feel that Iām extrapolating from āone flippant commentā, or adding many layers of some bias, or connecting the dots to fit some narrative. I provided more context in addition to the Melo quote.
I think itās irresponsible to not wear an ankle brace for a guy that has a delicate ankle. The guy who just signed a $260m deal. I donāt think thatās some overreaction on my part to say thatās worth discussing.
Given that this screenshot below is what Iāve been concerned about for some time, given our rosterās chronic injury issues. I have wondered if training and medical staff is mismanaged, or lack of management. When it happens year after year, it starts looking like more than just bad luck.
Given year after year of injuries our roster faces-I donāt think itās too wild to be concerned about how meloās ankle situation was handled. And question Meloās flippant comment about ankle braces.
But we donāt know the exact details of the whole situation, but what I can say without doubt is that the hornets need to overhaul and drastically improve their internal systems-like training and medical staff.
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I just want to see some basketball. I havenāt felt this excited about watching hornets basketball in a while.
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The more I look into Bolden, Iām wondering if he could develop into a poor manās Brook Lopez. A 3-and-D center is a nice cheat code for any struggling team.
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