I just received an e-mail from someone in the Sixers organization a couple of minutes ago. Elton Brand will have an MRI tonight, results probably tomorrow.
I'm going to interject my own personal history with this injury. I'm not a doctor, this is just my experience with a dislocated shoulder.
When I was a junior in high school, I slid head-first into second base while attempting to steal the bag. I avoided the tag, but over-slid the bag. I tried to lunge back with my right hand to get the bag, but my left arm was trapped under my chest. Initially, it felt like something was terribly wrong with my body, but it didn't hurt that much. When I rolled over onto my back, the shoulder popped back into place and that's when the pain came. Probably the most excruciating pain I've ever felt in my life.
It was a dislocation, we were in the middle of our season, making a push for the playoffs. The doctors said that without surgery it would probably happen again, and again. Each time the ligaments would get looser and looser. Surgery meant months of rehab. I opted to immobilize it in a sling for 10 days, then I was back on the field.
Over the next 10 years or so, I'd say my shoulder popped out of joint probably 10-20 times per year. Ironically, it never happened during a baseball game again. It happened almost exclusively when I was playing basketball. There's a physical movement that's unique to basketball that turns your arm into a lever and causes more torque in the shoulder than damaged, or stretched out, ligaments can handle.
Imagine this, a basketball is thrown just out of reach, you have to fully extend your arm to reach it. You get just the tips of your fingers on the ball, the only thing left to stabilize your arm is your shoulder at the point. Your wrist is locked, your elbow is locked, all the torque goes directly to your shoulder. You'd be surprised how often it happens in a basketball game.
That's why, even without the MRI, I think the odds of Elton Brand returning quickly are extremely low. If I had to bet, I'd say this is going to require surgery and a long rehab period.
Again, just my personal experience, but I thought I'd share it. If you recall, Dwyane Wade had the same injury, although I think it was more severe, two years ago. He didn't get the surgery initially, then barely made it back, and probably shouldn't have. He had surgery in the off season.
Keep in mind that we don't know the severity of the injury, and we really don't know if it was a separation or a dislocation.
That's all I have for tonight. Let's wait to see what the official word is tomorrow, then we'll take a long, hard look at what this team should do going forward.
Iggy's face - he knows what's coming
I can second Brian's thoughts on dislocated shoulder injuries... I dislocated my left (throwing shoulder) which was first called "tendinitis" by the training staff at my high school, and again by my doctor.
I was diving back into the bag at first base on a pickoff move and I felt my arm pop and then click, after the click came the pain. I came out of the game and didn't play the next 7 games, or about 2 and a half weeks.
I warmed up in the bullpen to enter a game in relief throwing about 50%, Coach called me to go pitch and 2 pitches later my pitching career was over. I had surgery, and now my shoulder feels good but when I rotate my arms around to loosen up I can hear a click in my left shoulder and if it's quiet it sounds like a bag of sand is grinding in there. No more pain, but during softball season at work I'm glad we play 2 games a week because I don't think I could deal with the stiffness more than once a week.
Ugh. Just thinking about it makes my shoulder ache. I think we both lucky with the first injury, too. If it gets stuck out and has to be physically popped back in, that's some serious ligament damage and pain.
My thinking is that I already felt Brand wasn't feel healed from his surgery or his ankle sprain this year, I hope they play this smart and make sure there is no doubt that brand is 100% healed before getting him back on the court. Just signed him to a long term deal and already fired the coach this year, do not push this guy too soon on a team that really isn't built to go anywhere with the cavs and the celtics looking obscenely good this year. Think smart and long term, and let Brand fully heal and rehab and don't rush him back - please
Agreed. Rushing him back would be a big mistake.
Hence, it's what I expect the sixers to do
And it sounds like it
ESPN 950 text to my phone - 1 month - with fracture of humeral head bone and a tear of the labrum - that sounds like rushing to me
here's a question; when is the last time the Sixers DIDN'T rush a player back from an injury? the last Sixer i remember making a full recovery from a major injury is Eric Snow, who had like 2 plates and 5 screws put in his ankle after the 2000-2001 dream. other than that, all i can recall are the Monty Williams, Matt Geigers, Aaron McKies, etc. how confident are we really in the abilities of Dr. Jack McPhilemy. let's get some of the miracle workers on the Suns training staff to take a look at this.
They took their time w/ Willie Green. Then gave him an obscene extension.
Trust Billy King to look a gift horse in the mouth and then kiss it
I have never heard that expression. I looked it up. Seems like a good one.
The team played better last night without Sammy or Elton in the line up. Speights looked really good as well. Was Brand a big waste of money? Also, I said it last year and I will say it now, Reggie Evens is a great player to have on the team. I compare him to Dennis Rodman back in the day, he does the dirty under the basket stuff and puts a fire into this team. He should be playing alot more. Now that Brand is out, Speights should start with Reggie the first person in for Sammy.
The sixers are not a better team without Elton Brand - the sixers are now basically the same team they were last year with Miller, Iguodala and Williams not playing as well.