http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/426477.html
Ailene Voisin: Petrie, Kings are tempering fear reflex
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Columnist
Last Updated 12:30 am PDT Thursday, October 11, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
In a few years, Spencer Hawes could be enjoying a productive, lucrative career and fulfilling all the lofty expectations that tag along with NBA lottery picks. But right now the numbers don't add up. Four knee procedures by age 19 -- including the dreaded microfracture surgery -- should have Kings basketball officials furiously reviewing old medical reports, wondering if they somehow missed the sign.
Danger: Beware of 7-footers with bad knees.
Although Hawes is only the latest in a lengthening list of NBA prospects and/or players to undergo knee surgery before they're barely old enough to cast a vote, Geoff Petrie's concern isn't about Greg Oden, Robert Swift, Sean May or Amare Stoudemire. Right now he must be thinking about Chris Webber and Shareef Abdur-Rahim, hoping that he hasn't unwittingly added another gifted, gimp-kneed big man to the roster.
The current approach seems to be this: Plan for the best and ignore the possibility for the worst, because, really, what are the other choices?
Petrie made his decision in June. He worked Hawes out, evaluated his medical history, watched the Chicago Bulls pluck Joakim Noah seconds before the Kings were put on the clock, then selected the Seattle native at No. 10 because of his skills and his size, and because of the organization's desperate need for both.
"It's an assessment you make at the time, based on a lot of things," Petrie said Wednesday, a few hours after Hawes underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. "His draftability was not a function of his medical history. If we didn't take him, Philly was going to take him at No. 12. The fact that he got hurt is a little bit of a setback, but we never thought it was anything ominous."
No regrets. No remorse. Not yet, anyway.
Still, the numbers make you wince. Three surgeries on the left knee (that the Kings know of) -- including the microfracture procedure at age 14 -- and another arthroscopy on the right knee before his freshman year at Washington. That's four reasons before the kid scores his first NBA points, plenty of reasons to ponder the unpleasant: Is Hawes damaged goods, destined for a career shortened by chronic knee ailments -- a perfectly reasonable assumption, given the pounding absorbed nightly by NBA players -- or will he grow up and stay healthy and render the conversation moot?
Interestingly, the Kings have been buckled by knee injuries a few times these past few years. Tariq Abdul-Wahad never fully recovered from surgery to repair torn cartilage. Abdur-Rahim, who was signed to a five-year contract after the New Jersey Nets looked at his X-rays and had second thoughts, labored to run the floor during his two seasons before having a knee scoped last summer. And Webber, an MVP candidate when he crumpled to the court during the 2003 playoffs in Dallas, underwent the microfracture procedure that consists of drilling holes into the knee, facilitating blood flow and the formation of protective scar tissue. After that, he never came close to regaining his explosiveness and quickness, or his dominance.
"There is a tendency to jump at the worst possible conclusion," Petrie noted. "Microfracture is not a death sentence. It can be, but it isn't always. A lot of players come back (Doug Christie among them) from that and play for a long time. When guys get them in their early teens, they heal up and go on. Everybody's knee is different."
It is worth noting here that Petrie has an exemplary draft record, so he is a tough executive to second-guess. Additionally, given his own experiences, the very issue of knee injuries is personal and professional. An excellent three-sport star in high school who was drafted by the Washington Senators, Petrie attended Princeton and later became co-NBA Rookie of the Year with Dave Cowens in 1970-71. But Petrie retired at the absurd age of 27 after repeated knee surgeries.
"I had surgery once," he added, "after working out on my own, practicing my crossover dribble. I thought, That doesn't quite feel right. So you never know what can happen. There are so many guys in every draft who have had some (medical) procedures."
Even for those with two good knees, the draft is a game of mistakes. Unlike baseball, swing and miss once, and you're out. When Noah went to the Bulls, the Kings were left with the option of taking their chances with Hawes, the remaining legitimate center prospect, or selecting someone they didn't need or like.
A few years from now, maybe it will all make sense. Maybe Petrie will have made another shrewd move, the Kings will have successfully been rebuilt, and Hawes will be a healthy millionaire signed to his second multiyear contract. Maybe. Maybe not.
Knees are creaky, and creepy.
About the writer: Reach Ailene Voisin at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com.
Ailene Voisin: Petrie, Kings are tempering fear reflex
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Columnist
Last Updated 12:30 am PDT Thursday, October 11, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
In a few years, Spencer Hawes could be enjoying a productive, lucrative career and fulfilling all the lofty expectations that tag along with NBA lottery picks. But right now the numbers don't add up. Four knee procedures by age 19 -- including the dreaded microfracture surgery -- should have Kings basketball officials furiously reviewing old medical reports, wondering if they somehow missed the sign.
Danger: Beware of 7-footers with bad knees.
Although Hawes is only the latest in a lengthening list of NBA prospects and/or players to undergo knee surgery before they're barely old enough to cast a vote, Geoff Petrie's concern isn't about Greg Oden, Robert Swift, Sean May or Amare Stoudemire. Right now he must be thinking about Chris Webber and Shareef Abdur-Rahim, hoping that he hasn't unwittingly added another gifted, gimp-kneed big man to the roster.
The current approach seems to be this: Plan for the best and ignore the possibility for the worst, because, really, what are the other choices?
Petrie made his decision in June. He worked Hawes out, evaluated his medical history, watched the Chicago Bulls pluck Joakim Noah seconds before the Kings were put on the clock, then selected the Seattle native at No. 10 because of his skills and his size, and because of the organization's desperate need for both.
"It's an assessment you make at the time, based on a lot of things," Petrie said Wednesday, a few hours after Hawes underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. "His draftability was not a function of his medical history. If we didn't take him, Philly was going to take him at No. 12. The fact that he got hurt is a little bit of a setback, but we never thought it was anything ominous."
No regrets. No remorse. Not yet, anyway.
Still, the numbers make you wince. Three surgeries on the left knee (that the Kings know of) -- including the microfracture procedure at age 14 -- and another arthroscopy on the right knee before his freshman year at Washington. That's four reasons before the kid scores his first NBA points, plenty of reasons to ponder the unpleasant: Is Hawes damaged goods, destined for a career shortened by chronic knee ailments -- a perfectly reasonable assumption, given the pounding absorbed nightly by NBA players -- or will he grow up and stay healthy and render the conversation moot?
Interestingly, the Kings have been buckled by knee injuries a few times these past few years. Tariq Abdul-Wahad never fully recovered from surgery to repair torn cartilage. Abdur-Rahim, who was signed to a five-year contract after the New Jersey Nets looked at his X-rays and had second thoughts, labored to run the floor during his two seasons before having a knee scoped last summer. And Webber, an MVP candidate when he crumpled to the court during the 2003 playoffs in Dallas, underwent the microfracture procedure that consists of drilling holes into the knee, facilitating blood flow and the formation of protective scar tissue. After that, he never came close to regaining his explosiveness and quickness, or his dominance.
"There is a tendency to jump at the worst possible conclusion," Petrie noted. "Microfracture is not a death sentence. It can be, but it isn't always. A lot of players come back (Doug Christie among them) from that and play for a long time. When guys get them in their early teens, they heal up and go on. Everybody's knee is different."
It is worth noting here that Petrie has an exemplary draft record, so he is a tough executive to second-guess. Additionally, given his own experiences, the very issue of knee injuries is personal and professional. An excellent three-sport star in high school who was drafted by the Washington Senators, Petrie attended Princeton and later became co-NBA Rookie of the Year with Dave Cowens in 1970-71. But Petrie retired at the absurd age of 27 after repeated knee surgeries.
"I had surgery once," he added, "after working out on my own, practicing my crossover dribble. I thought, That doesn't quite feel right. So you never know what can happen. There are so many guys in every draft who have had some (medical) procedures."
Even for those with two good knees, the draft is a game of mistakes. Unlike baseball, swing and miss once, and you're out. When Noah went to the Bulls, the Kings were left with the option of taking their chances with Hawes, the remaining legitimate center prospect, or selecting someone they didn't need or like.
A few years from now, maybe it will all make sense. Maybe Petrie will have made another shrewd move, the Kings will have successfully been rebuilt, and Hawes will be a healthy millionaire signed to his second multiyear contract. Maybe. Maybe not.
Knees are creaky, and creepy.
About the writer: Reach Ailene Voisin at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com.
