JOSH SMITH INJURY UPDATE

[EAambassador]

Tacky cheap shot but whatever... Horford was cleared for contact but I have not seen any report where he's cleared to return to play. Horford said that he doesn't have his full range of motion and that he can't hold his arms up to defend for long because there's no strength. He's also been out 3 months so he has no conditioning, hasn't been able to practice with the team due to the shortened schedule and he hasn't been able to shoot the basketball for very long.

He would not have been cleared for contact if he don't have full range of motion. Full range of motion comes before contact and weight lifting when returning from any injury. Plus LD has stated that they are just waiting for Al to say he can play. I doubt the head coach would say that if he know the staff has not cleared him to play.Anyway, I hope Josh does play because with out him we have no chance unless Teague goes off for 40.

[Admin]

He would not have been cleared for contact if he don't have full range of motion. Full range of motion comes before contact and weight lifting when returning from any injury. Plus LD has stated that they are just waiting for Al to say he can play. I doubt the head coach would say that if he know the staff has not cleared him to play.Anyway, I hope Josh does play because with out him we have no chance unless Teague goes off for 40.

Are you a doctor? Because if not it sounds like you're making quite a leap in your assumption about Al, an assumption that contradicts what Al personally said.

[dlpin]

being cleared for contact just means that the injury has healed to the point where contact alone won't set back the recovery. Doctors make no comment on whether the strength or range of motion is enough to be competitive in the nba because, well, they are doctors, not trainers or basketball coaches. I say this not because of Horford specifically, but I have friends who are former professional athletes, and the stuff they go through even when they are technically "healthy" is the kind of stuff that would have most of us lying on the couch the whole day.

[ag82]

Are you guys saying that you think al is ready to play and contribute positively to this team and choosing not to because he is scared? Just say it outloud, type it, or do whatever you need to do to realize how outrageous that line of thinking is.

[willthepureshooter]

being cleared for contact just means that the injury has healed to the point where contact alone won't set back the recovery. Doctors make no comment on whether the strength or range of motion is enough to be competitive in the nba because, well, they are doctors, not trainers or basketball coaches. I say this not because of Horford specifically, but I have friends who are former professional athletes, and the stuff they go through even when they are technically "healthy" is the kind of stuff that would have most of us lying on the couch the whole day.

Dude please.. There's no way to justify Horfords soft mentality. To put things in perspective, I was swing a baseball bat after my abdominal/kidney surgery. Yeah, I have a rare condition where my kidney developed in my abdomen. Long story but I was swinging a baseball bat two weeks after my surgery. Lol. Hell, I even had a drainage bag strapped to my thigh. Now gauge my pain threshold at age 13 with a grown professional athlete..? He should at least act like he's trying to play. No excuse.. I have no sympathy for the guy. Imagine how many muscles the surgeons cut through during my procedure. I even had to have my kidney trimmed down and a valve replaced with an artifical one. Horford >>>>>>>> C'mon Son!

[Admin]

Dude please.. There's no way to justify Horfords soft mentality. To put things in perspective, I was swing a baseball bat after my abdominal/kidney surgery. Yeah, I have a rare condition where my kidney developed in my abdomen. Long story but I was swinging a baseball bat two weeks after my surgery. Lol. Hell, I even had a drainage bag strapped to my thigh. Now gauge my pain threshold at age 13 with a grown professional athlete..? He should at least act like he's trying to play. No excuse.. I have no sympathy for the guy. Imagine how many muscles the surgeons cut through during my procedure. I even had to have my kidney trimmed down and a valve replaced with an artifical one. Horford >>>>>>>> C'mon Son!

Yeah because that's the same thing as rupturing your pectoral muscle. *Sorry to hear about your situation though.

Al suffered a grade 3 pectoral tear...

http://www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/injury-pain/pectoralis-muscle-strain.html

Grade 3 pectoralis strains are rare, painful, debilitating, and can have long-term effects on strength, power, range of motion, and sports performance. In most cases, the muscle will never regain it original strength.

Grade 3 complete tears usually require surgery; full recovery takes months.

Cross-train in activities that do not stress the pectoralis muscles (walking, jogging, riding a stationary bicycle, lower body water exercises).

Go through each movement required in your sport without pain before resuming training or competition.

And I guess Elvis Dumervil and Bertrand Berry are a sissies too for missing several months after suffering the same injury.

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15683159

Muscle tear is a tough one

Former Broncos defensive end Bertrand Berry can sympathize.

Berry, who retired this year after 12 seasons, tore his left pectoral muscle in a game in 2005, when he was playing for the Arizona Cardinals. Berry and the Cardinals almost immediately decided to have the injury surgically repaired by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, and Berry missed the final eight games of that season.

"When I first did it, it felt like a snap," Berry said. "I actually played another play, which probably wasn't good. It didn't quite feel as violent as a torn pec would seem, but when you feel it you know something is definitely wrong."

Berry said the key to Dumervil's rehabilitation process will be to slowly rebuild the strength and then the range of motion. Berry, who played for the Broncos from 2001-2003, said he had no long-term affects from the injury once he completed his rehab.

"Sometimes when you're doing bench press you might have a little ache, and as years go on you might feel something, but as far as football, it shouldn't affect his style of play," Berry said. "He should be the same Elvis of old. It's not a career-changing injury."

[ngc7]

LMAO you guys argue more then married couples.

[EAambassador]

Are you a doctor? Because if not it sounds like you're making quite a leap in your assumption about Al, an assumption that contradicts what Al personally said.

First off I live with Chrons thus experience abdominal pain a lot and if I sat out every time I experience a flare I will be out of work frequent and I have played in basketball games before with the pain. I also just tore my left Achilles playing ball on March 24 and I know the progress of returning from a major injury and believe me a Achilles is way worst than a pectoral muscle injury. Im no doctor but I am currently finishing up a degree in Health and Physical Education so I think I know a little about sports injuries and due to my own experiences I do know there are some things and some situations you have to push through. Edited May 2, 2012 by EAambassador

[AHF]

I see no reason to think that Al is just sitting out because he is scared or lazy. Given his attitude last time we played the Celtics in the playoffs and his dislike for PP, I find that particularly unlikely. Undeserved bashing until there is something much more definitive in the press as far as I am concerned.

[EAambassador]

I see no reason to think that Al is just sitting out because he is scared or lazy. Given his attitude last time we played the Celtics in the playoffs and his dislike for PP, I find that particularly unlikely. Undeserved bashing until there is something much more definitive in the press as far as I am concerned.

There has been multiple signs to me already of Al being a fake tough guy.

[BrazilianHawk]

I wish all Al bashers had an oportunity to say these things lookind at his face.

[Admin]

First off I live with Chrons thus experience abdominal pain a lot and if I sat out every time I experience a flare I will be out of work frequent and I have played in basketball games before with the pain. I also just tore my left Achilles playing ball on March 24 and I know the progress of returning from a major injury and believe me a Achilles is way worst than a pectoral muscle injury. Im no doctor but I am currently finishing up a degree in Health and Physical Education so I think I know a little about sports injuries and due to my own experiences I do know there are some things and some situations you have to push through.

If only Al were dealing with Chrons or trying to come back from an Achilles tear, which BTW would have kept him out the entire year as well, then you MIGHT have sound room to talk here but you're not a doctor and you have no private knowledge of his medical condition. You're just trying to go out of your way to throw dirt on a player who has busted his butt in college and in the pros and is dealing with an injury that other professional athletes have had and have also had their seasons end from it. But yeah, we should totally listen to you and dog Al for this.

[thecampster]

If only Al were dealing with Chrons or trying to come back from an Achilles tear, which BTW would have kept him out the entire year as well, then you MIGHT have sound room to talk here but you're not a doctor and you have no private knowledge of his medical condition. You're just trying to go out of your way to throw dirt on a player who has busted his butt in college and in the pros and is dealing with an injury that other professional athletes have had and have also had their seasons end from it. But yeah, we should totally listen to you and dog Al for this.

Sorry Dolf, but I have to disagree here. I too suffer with something terrible. Every day I wake up, log on to Hawksquawk and get this extreme sharp pain in the fold of flesh where my upper legs meet. My head throbs from reading comments on here and no amount of Preparation-H can dull the pain in my rear it is to listen to Hawksquawkers complain. Yet I log on everyday and even manage to go the extra mile and mash out a comment or two with absolutely no pay. The least Al can do is go out for 32 minutes a game dodging KG elbows, the paid headhunting of Hollins, getting shoved in the back to the ground by Bass risking a career ending injury and our chances in further rounds should we get there to satisfy my need to feel superior to inbred Bostonians. C'mon Horf...man up and take one for the fans on the Squawk. Edited May 3, 2012 by thecampster

[hawkman]

I wish all Al bashers had an oportunity to say these things lookind at his face.

Do you have the stones to call Smoove 'Birdbrain' to his face?

[thecampster]

Do you have the stones to call Smoove 'Birdbrain' to his face?

In the burbs, we call that getting spanked.

Edited May 3, 2012 by thecampster

[EAambassador]

If only Al were dealing with Chrons or trying to come back from an Achilles tear, which BTW would have kept him out the entire year as well, then you MIGHT have sound room to talk here but you're not a doctor and you have no private knowledge of his medical condition. You're just trying to go out of your way to throw dirt on a player who has busted his butt in college and in the pros and is dealing with an injury that other professional athletes have had and have also had their seasons end from it. But yeah, we should totally listen to you and dog Al for this.

I will gladly say something to Al about him not returning and how he gets paid way too much to not even attempt to tough it out to help this team and bring this city something to be happy about. I wish I can run in to Joe as well so I can give him a piece of my mind as well. I strategically do not by tickets to certain games because I know the passion I have for this team and I will probably fight one of the many transplants at Phillips rooting for the other team. I also know if I sat close to our bench and say it was Game 2 and I know they can hear me believe me I would have let them all know how I feel. If only the actual players cared as much as I do this franchise would have made it at least to a conference final by now. Al should be happy he does not have to deal with something that will haunt him for life because he sure would not get anything done. This situation is the last of many that Al has shown me his true colors and like you I once believed he was a tough guy and our leader but this happenedhttp-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AXOyypxSA8notice how Al is the first on the scene and he allows his teammate to get swung on by another player and he just stands there looking dumb with his arms out. Josh comes and gets involved in the madness but no not Horf who is suppose to be our known tough guy. Also do none of you guys remember what Amar'e said about him? At the start of the clip you see Al block Amare and get excited, which I have no problem with, but Amar'e did and called him out on it. Amar'e stated afterwards to the media that Al is not that guy he portrays and basically calls him a punk. The next game up in New York and Al disappears. I still had my doubts and believed he wasn't a punk. Then the chicago series last yr happened. I don't know about you guys but I believe we would have won that series if our 2 time allstar and 3rd team all nba guy played up to all his accolades, but he didn't. Instead he publicly admits that Noah is making him timid, even though he was obviously playing that way, but who does that? Al is a solid player, he just isn't who we thought he was.When he does return, which will probably be next season, I do not want to hear any complaints from him about playing center when Josh and Ivan have done it with no complaints. This is not the 80's or 90's Horf! There is only 3 centers he truly have to worry about in the whole league and he does not play them every game. I do not want to see Al come back trying to bang centers bigger than him and trying to use his speed against centers his size. All he has to do is switch that up and he would be a lot more successful in the paint and he won't take the beating he and his daddy often whine about.Anyways, GO HAWKS! Edited May 3, 2012 by EAambassador

[Admin]

Sorry but what part of HE IS UNABLE TO HOLD HIS ARMS UP TO DEFEND DUE TO LOSING STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE IN THE CHEST are you not understanding?? How in the world can that possibly help the Hawks???

[Guest]

Practice contact (in a controlled environment) vs. in-game contact (uncontrolled) - two entirely different things.

[Admin]

Practice contact (in a controlled environment) vs. in-game contact (uncontrolled) - two entirely different things.

And not only that but Al specifically said one of the big problems is that with the condensed schedule he doesn't get a chance to practice with the team since they rarely ever get to practice and I doubt much is changing in the playoffs. And we've seen Josh Smith take an elbow or shove in the back 2-3 times and hit the deck, mostly from Brandon Bass, and if Al were to take that kind of hit with the weight loss that he's clearly suffered and the lack of strength and conditioning who knows what it might o to him.

[willthepureshooter]

LOL. It's been a longtime Dolfan. Contact is contact, no matter if its controlled or uncontrolled. And by the way, major kidney surgery is waay worse than Horfys grade 3 muscle tear. So please sell that logic to someone else..