Ray Allen has bone spurs

in his ankle. Says they are about the size of grains of sand, not as big as the ones that required surgery in 2007.

Well, there we have it. I believe there are only two cures for bone spurs, surgery and rest. Ray has gotten some rest, and that's a good thing, but can he get enough and still be effective in these playoffs?

We shall see.

bob

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And rest doesn't cure the bone spurs, it just alleviates the inflammation that they cause. Surgery is the cure.

Lots of players have played with bone spurs with minimal impact, others can't play until they have surgery. We'll see how well Ray can do with them.

dboss wrote:Not good news. Celts need Allen to not only play but to play well. Who will get his minutes? Dolling, sasha, daniels..what about moore?

Dboss

dboss,

Good question. My would not be Dooling, since they're not the same position, so Sasha and Q are more likely.

Both of them are solid defenders, but they're not shooters. Moore is a shooter and there are times you just need a microwave.

bob

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Here's hoping we see more Moore. Just a few months ago, we did a poll and I think most board members saw greater potential in Moore than Bradley. We may have been right (which would be great!) Of course, now it's the playoffs, pressure's on and potential counts for little. But if he plays the next two games, and in the first round, he's subbed in early and gets in the flow of the game, I think he'll rise to the occasion. Hawk

hawksnestbeach wrote:Here's hoping we see more Moore. Just a few months ago, we did a poll and I think most board members saw greater potential in Moore than Bradley. We may have been right (which would be great!) Of course, now it's the playoffs, pressure's on and potential counts for little. But if he plays the next two games, and in the first round, he's subbed in early and gets in the flow of the game, I think he'll rise to the occasion. Hawk

Think you are more apt to see MOORE on the side a milk carton than on the floor in a playoff game.

beat

Beat,
You're probably right. Doc did go to Moore early when Ray was out, but unless we go deep into the playoffs and are desperate, I doubt he'll get many minutes. Still I think, even as rookie he's better than Dooling. Hawk

hawk

His time may come next year after playing in a summer league and a proper training camp. This year he really had little chance to earn minutes.

Of course who knows what the roster will look like in October anyway.

beat

Dooling has played much better in the last month....is playing hard on defense - and unlike Moore, actually knows the plays.

I think Moore will be a player in the NBA someday. That day isnt going to be this season IMO.

Can the bone spurs that Allen has now cause further damage to his ankles or increased pain & swelling by playing, or is the swelling an up & down issue depending on Ray's activity level? If he is doing damage by any further playing, would the Celtics be better served by shutting him down for surgery, and seeing if he can make it back by late May or early June, if the Celtics progress that far?

My understanding is that bone spurs are highly variable in both the pain and swelling they cause and the potential for further damage. A lot depends on the location of the spur and how much it impacts the surrounding tissue. In Ray's case, it sounds like it's affecting the tissue significantly enough to cause persistent swelling.

I think shutting him down now and having surgery would mean the end of his season. Each case is different, but remember that KG's knee issue in 2009 was caused by bone spurs, and it took him a long time to recover from that after surgery.

Outside

Doesn't look good I knew the cortisone shot was a bad thing, all that does is mask the pain temporarily and now it looks like the injury got worse.....this may be it for Ray, hopefully AB, Pietrus, Sasha and Moore can help give us enough 3 point shooting.