Olynyk expected to be out for month with ankle issues

worcester wrote:What happened to Kelly O? Why not even a DNP?

W,

You posted this on the Game On! thread, but I will answer your question here.

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http://www.csnne.com/boston-celtics/olynyk-expected-be-out-month-ankle-issues

Kelly Olynyk's sprained ankle will keep him sidelined for about a month or longer according to Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.

The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of Boston's 90-89 win at Portland on Thursday night when Olynyk landed on the foot of Blazers forward Thomas Robinson.

Stevens said Olynyk is back in Boston and will have additional tests this week to better determine the extent of his injury.

"Unlikely to be available until potential right at or after the all-star break," Stevens told reporters.

Stevens added, "I think it's a sprained ankle. The MRI will tell us more but he got it pretty good. It wasn't just a twist."

Olynyk appeared in all 40 games this season for the Celtics, averaging 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

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gyso

This is not a good thing for his development, but injuries cannot always be prevented.

I think that it will be much better to bring him back slowly hoping that this injury does not become chronic like so many foot and leg injuries seem to be for so many 7 foot type players.

To make something positive, the trainers will likely start on his off season power lifting program while he is out of basketball action.

I don;t think this is ant chronic type injury.


here is a link of when it happened.

https://vine.co/v/OIIhwnQLrq5


painful, I bet.

let him get better until AFTER the all -star break now.

just need Stevens to play Randolph some.

This brings up a point emphasized many times over the years by Tommy Heinsohn. He has repeatedly lamented the fact that so many players fail to get their ankles taped for games. Taping can't necessarily prevent injuries as serious as Kelly's, but it can sometimes prevent lighter injuries or reduce the severity of more severe injuries.

I have no idea whether or not Kelly's ankles were taped, so I'm not chastising him for an oversight he may not have committed. I'm just using this situation to mention what I think is often a related issue.

Sam

Sam,

It boggles my mind that there are NBA players who don't tape their ankles or wear a brace. Until I read your post about Heinsohn's repeated observation that some players don't tape, I just assumed all players had their ankles taped because that's how it was back when I played in college and basketball puts ankles at such high risk.

Here's an article that may be of interest.

http://www.ballnroll.com/basketball?post=645

The Dreaded Ankle Injury
How do players protect that precious joint on the court?
Zach Salzmann / BALLnROLL.com
February 15, 2013

One of the most spectacular and hugely popular moves on the hard-court is the ‘ankle-breaking’ crossover. The ball handler, usually a speedy guard, quickly moves the ball from one hand to the other, changing direction in a flash, and leaving his hapless defender for dead—well, usually seated on the floor wishing the court would swallow him up. Seriously, there’s no way you wouldn’t want to watch this over and over again, unless you’re Andre Miller, of course.

But contrary to the somewhat hyperbolic expression, sick crossovers are not usually responsible for the breaking of a player’s ankle. If they were we might not relish the move with such fervor. Unfortunately, however, ankle injuries are, and always have been, a frequent occurrence in the NBA—and in basketball in general. They’re much more likely to happen this way however.

Steph Curry, a guy with a history of dodgy ankles, comes down on the foot of Blake Griffin, who’s setting the pick, and that’s all she wrote, so to speak. Sure, Eric Gordon’s quick change of direction was a contributing factor to Curry’s injury, but the contact with Griffin’s foot creates the ankle inversion that leaves Curry writhing in pain. And just a few nights ago Rockets’ star James Harden injured his ankle when he stepped on David Lee’s foot as he drove to the rim. When players usually hurt their ankles stepping on another player foot, however, it’s when they’re grabbing a rebound in traffic. Everything is extremely congested down low and the likelihood of bodies—feet included—getting tangled up is high.

With the constant speed and sudden changes of direction involved in an NBA game, ankle injuries are inevitable. Our ankles probably weren’t designed for pivoting and turning with such quickness the way they do during a demanding basketball game. But over the years developments in basketball footwear have come along which have attempted to mitigate the worst effects on that all-important joint where your leg and foot meet.

If you were playing basketball soon after Dr. Naismith invented the game you probably weren’t wearing anything more specialized than a pair of low-top tennis shoes with rubber soles—hardly designed to protect those delicate ankles.



And then Chuck Taylor’s Converse All-Stars came along. The iconic shoe, which has now become more popular among the general population than among those in the basketball world, was designed by Taylor, in collaboration with Converse. Taylor, a basketball player himself, wanted to create a high-top shoe that gave players the extra support and flexibility needed in the game of basketball. During the 70s and 80s, however, brands like Nike, Adidas and Puma, came up with shoes that proved equally as popular for basketball players, and usurped Converse’s grip on the market.

The basketball shoes that today’s players wear are undoubtedly made of a higher quality material than those that Chuck Taylor, and the likes of George Mikan and Bob Cousy wore. They provide more support for the foot and lessen the impact on the knees. But in recent years players like Kobe Bryant have moved away from the high-top shoe, towards what would be considered a mid-top sneaker. Many players complain that high-tops restrict the amount of mobility they have on the court. They’d rather take the risk of wearing a mid or low-top shoe and be able to move around the court with more freedom. And there is a school of thought that states that wearing high-top shoes becomes a crutch of sorts; the ankle is never fully able to gain enough strength because of the excess support. It would be better, according to those who adhere to that position, to wear low-top shoes and work on strengthening your ankles through exercise.

However, according to study done by the National Athletic Trainer’s Association, and published by the Journal of Athletic Training in 2000, high-top footwear reduces the amount of ankle inversion athletes experience. According to the study, “High-top shoes reduced the amount of inversion by 4.5°, the maximum rate of inversion by 100.1°/s, and the average rate of inversion by 73.00°/s when compared with low-top shoes. Depending upon the loading conditions, subjects wearing high-top shoes may reduce their risk of ankle sprains”.



However, the study does go on to say that high-top sneakers are not a sure fire way to prevent ankle injuries. And many players obviously know this. Bryant received quite the backlash back in 2008 for his low-top Kobe IV’s but he responded by saying: “I’ve been playing basketball all my life, and I’ve rolled my ankles plenty wearing high-tops. If you come down on somebody’s foot, you’re going to roll your ankle and there’s not a lot you can do about it”. Bryant wanted the freedom that a low or a mid-top sneaker gave him and he was willing to take the risk for that extra mobility.



Ultimately many players in the NBA tape their ankles and wear some kind of extra support that somewhat nullifies the controversy over wearing low-top sneakers. Steph Curry, owner of the NBA’s most delicate ankles, wears the ZAMST A2-DX ankle brace. Curry said regarding the brace, “Over the past two seasons, I’ve used a lot of different braces to help reinforce my right ankle. The ZAMST A2-DX is the only product that has given me full confidence to play without the fear of reinjuring my ankle”.

Ankle brace or no ankle brace, Curry’s still had a couple scary moments with that ankle this season, but essentially it’s illustrative of the fact that braces and tape have become almost as important as the shoe for a player with suspect ankles. Ankle injuries, as Bryant asserted, will always be part of the game of basketball regardless of the type of sneaker involved, but players can take precaution to lessen the risk. Unfortunately for some, they feel the extra support is detrimental to their overall mobility.

The debate will go on, but whether a player’s wearing high-tops or low-tops, let’s hope that we see more of the figurative ankle-breaking crossovers, and not so much of the much less entertaining, career threatening variety.

Interesting article, Outside. Among other things, it reinforces the idea that one should never underestimate the importance of apparel and medical advances/equipment in era-to-era comparisons.

Sam

Gosh I wished I wooda taped mine up in 1996. In March of 96 I twisted my right ankle pretty bad.... it hasn't quite hurting yet... sometimes I limp a bit from it even...


Live and learn... Or mebbe not...

One thing not addressed by these articles is that many of todays players, especially in basketball and football, where ankle taping once was prevalent, are now shying away from the practice because they feel it restricts mobility and, in turn, impinges on speed.  There is some mention about moving to mid-top shoes for that reason.

To my own experience, I stayed away from having my ankles taped in either sport because I though it slowed me down.  I did roll or sprain them several times, but felt the risk-reward trade-off was well worth it.

NYCelt,

That's an argument I've heard, but I think it's based on an initial impression by athletes when they first try taping. Once you do it regularly for a while, it feels normal. I never felt that taping impeded my ability to cut or slowed me down, but ankle injuries sure did.

There's another line of reasoning I heard from Kareem. He said once that he didn't like taping ankles because he felt it just transferred the risk of injury up to the knees. While I can understand the idea, I think it was his own personal justification for not wearing tape, and I've never seen any studies or even anecdotal evidence that athletes who tape ankles have more knee injuries.

For us casual players, it's to each his or her own. For the pros, the team has an investment to protect, and if it's justified, they could mandate it.

What I'd really like to see is information about how many NBA players don't tape or wear a brace and who they are -- starters vs. reserves, big guys vs. little guys, that kind of thing.

Outside,

I googled "taping ankles nba," and the following was the first site on the list.  I'm sure that, if you googled, you'd find more pertinent information.  I don't know how credible the source is, but the article presented some interesting considerations, including the possible effect of ankle wrapping on not only the knee but also the hip.  Its main conclusion is that research needs to emphasize dynamic causes of ankle sprains rather than on sprains received in more static environments (such as a treadmill).

Sam

Effects of Ankle Taping on Performance and Safety
Doug Dupont
Contributor - Health and Fitness News, Reviews
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You might not see it as much in a standard recreational gym, but in the sports setting wrapping the ankles is a common practice. It's a typical practice for athletes who spend a lot of time running, such as basketball players, but I even know freestyle and submission wrestlers who wrap their ankles religiously. Their usual list of necessary sports gear might include shorts, maybe a shirt, and ankle tape - and that's not an exaggeration. Many even avoid cups, although they usually wear underwear.



Although there are a few reasons people tape their ankles, the most common is to restrict the range of motion. The idea is that if we limit the extremes of the ankle’s range of motion we can help prevent ankle injuries. Indeed, lateral ankle sprains account for most leg injuries. Some athletes and coaches have questioned how ankle wrapping affects an athlete’s ability to move. A study published this month in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning addressed this topic.



Let’s get to the bottom of the researchers' conclusions, because there’s a fair bit to discuss here and not everything is as it seems. The researchers examined the role of taping in various joints, not just the ankle itself. They found that the ankle tape did not affect the motion of the ankle or knee on a treadmill running test, but it did reduce hyperextension of the hip. Since hip flexor tightness is an extremely common problem, this should be duly noted by all athletes and coaches who favor tape. There was no change in economy either, meaning it didn’t take more energy to overcome the stiffness of the tape while running.



Now, let’s get deeper into the results. There was a lot of individual variation in both of the above points. Some of the athletes did indeed experience increased energy demands and various alterations to their joint motions, although reduced hip mobility seemed to be pretty much universal.



I think for anyone involved in athletics, it’s important that we go beyond this particular study's results. As mentioned earlier, lateral ankle sprains are the most common leg injury, but no one is getting a lateral ankle sprain on a treadmill, which is what the researchers used in their tests. Lateral ankle sprains come from more dynamic activities we find in the field, on the court, or on the mat, where the answer isn’t so clear-cut.



For an ankle wrap to be effective, it must limit the ankle’s range of motion. However, when dynamic demands are high, that motion needs to come from somewhere, and it may move up the chain. The researchers noted that some athletes feel more confident with their ankles taped, knowing they won’t roll an ankle, but the force required for dynamic movement might just move on up to the knee. It’s a bit of rhetoric, but I can comfortably say I’d rather sprain an ankle and be out for a game than pop a knee ligament if I had to choose between the two.



It’s clear that in fairly static activities, ankle wrapping doesn’t have much negative effect, except on hip mobility. But this isn’t really where we need ankle protection anyway. As the researchers note, more information is needed on the effects of ankle wrapping in a more dynamic setting. In the meantime, I’m going to keep my ankle strong through exercise and leave it unwrapped.

© 2015 Breaking Muscle. All Rights Reserved.

Sam,

The article would seem to provide justification for NYCelt's preferred approach of not taping, but as it points out, the study was done with athletes on a treadmill, which is hardly an ideal study for basketball players.

I'd amend one of his statements to read as follows: for an ankle wrap to be effective, it must limit the ankle’s range of motion at the extreme and allow for normal range of motion during normal activity. That's what I felt proper ankle taping did -- it reduced the rotation of the ankle once it gave out, thereby preventing or reducing the severity of ankle injuries, while allowing me to do everything I normally would while playing.

The author says he would prefer to sprain an ankle over tearing knee ligaments, but I don't think it's that simple. My guess is that he would change his opinion about taping if he had a serious ankle injury, as compared to a run-of-the-mill ankle sprain. I had a grade III (complete) tear of the lateral ankle ligaments at age 14, it affected me the rest of my playing days, and I have occasional issues with it now. I always taped it after that, even for rec league or pickup games, and I never had a knee-related issue from the taping.

There's probably room for more than one approach, but I'd think that after having a serious ankle sprain like Smart did earlier this season (and Olynyk may have had this time), taping would be called for, even after the athlete has ostensibly "recovered," in order to protect that joint.

Outside,

I never thought about a taped ankle transferring the risk to the knees.  As I said, I never taped, and even though my pickup games are fewer and farther between now, still don't.  I have, however, had surgery on my right knee three times and currently have a torn meniscus in the left that rehab has taken care of, so I guess you can tear knees up without ankle tape!  I've actually had two meniscus tears without being in the heat of battle at the time, so maybe ankle tape isn't a threat to me there.

Interestingly enough, even though I have a custom brace for the knee, I feel it restricts movement even more than tape so I go without it most of the time. Of course my occasional pick up games, and annual coaches touch football game ("The Turkey Bowl," every Thanksgiving morning!  One game for the kids, one for the coaches.) are hardly the grinder a professional athlete endures.

Even though I don't personally care for it, I have to say it may be more of an issue between the ears than around the joints.  Or perhaps a matter of having the job done properly by a knowledgeable enough trainer. At least that may be true for the amateur or recreational athlete.

Regards

I still remember when Tom Sanders reported for his first Celtics practice (or perhaps it was his first game). He came in with huge knee pads and various other protective devices. (I don't know whether taping was included or whether tape had even been invented by that time.) Red took one look and exploded. "Grt rid of that stuff" (or something like that.) But, more often than not, Satch wore what looked like a woman's corset on his knees.

Sam