SEATTLE – Having seen Nick Collison’s surgical scar, which starts at the top of his left shoulder and curls down beneath his armpit, Seattle SuperSonics forward Rashard Lewis cringes at the thought of undergoing a similar operation.
“It’s ugly,” Lewis said, describing his teammate’s scalpel-marred flesh. “You can see those stitches and tell they just cut him all the way open and kind of opened him up.”
Shoulders and surgeries were the topics of the day at Sonics practice Monday, one day after Lewis’ left shoulder slipped painfully during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Though Lewis immediately left the game, not to return, the determination was actually a minor injury. If he feels fit, he has been cleared to play against the Phoenix Suns tonight, though a decision may not be made until just before the 6 p.m. tipoff.
The greater concern, though, is the possibility of continuing recurrences of an ailment that has shadowed Lewis since he suffered a partial dislocation, or subluxation, of his shoulder in an April 27, 2002, playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs. Though Lewis has kept the condition in check with specific exercises to tighten the shoulder muscles and ligaments, his shoulder slipped slightly in a game last Tuesday in New Jersey, followed by Sunday’s incident.
“I don’t want to be cut open,” Lewis said. “That’s the last thing I want to. But if it keeps happening throughout this season, and if it keeps getting worse and worse, then the first thing I would look at is trying to have minor surgery at the beginning of the summer to let it heal over the summer.
“But if I play out (the season) and if it’s fine, then I’ll just leave it,” he said.
Having seen how quickly Lewis clutched at his shoulder in the Milwaukee game, his face contorted by pain, Seattle coach Nate McMillan said it was not hard to imagine a severe injury.
“The first thing that went through everybody’s mind, and it’s no secret, when he grabbed his shoulder was that it could have slipped out (of the socket),” McMillan said, referring to a complete dislocation.
Still, not wanting to engage in worst-case speculations, “I don’t think you worry about what may happen until it happens,” he added. “You can kill yourself thinking about something that may happen in April, if it does (at all). Rashard just needs to continue rehabbing it, trying to strengthen it, and just play.”
Lewis skipped Monday’s practice to see a Seattle specialist and the diagnosis, Lewis said after returning to the team’s practice facility, was encouraging.
“(The doctor) said that as long as it hadn’t slipped all the way out of place, then it should be fine,” Lewis said. “But if it continues to do it or if it comes all the way out, that’s when we have to worry.”
If that happens, Lewis could conceivably face the same type of operation Collison underwent earlier this season. The rookie forward, who suffered a complete dislocation during training camp in early October, traveled to New York for subsequent surgery to tighten his shoulder ligaments. Collison, who is expected to undergo a second and perhaps less drastic procedure on his right shoulder in the coming weeks, will miss the entire season, but is expected to be healthy for the 2004-05 NBA season.
Lewis said he had not had any shoulder problems this season until last week’s New Jersey game. Part of the problem may have been his exercise regimen, which involves push-ups and weightlifting with dumbbells, and which, he admitted, “I got away from a little bit … and I think that’s the reason I may have (been hurt).”
“I’m confident that (the shoulder) is still stable,” he went on, “and that I can continue to play. Right now I’m feeling fine, but it just depends on how many more times it slips out. If it comes out the way it did in that San Antonio playoff series, that’s when I’ll look into having surgery. But right now I’m still confident that it’s OK.”
Allen update: Guard Ray Allen, who had arthroscopic surgery to remove bone and cartilage fragments from his right ankle on Nov. 1, traveled with the team to Phoenix on Monday night. Allen, a three-time All-Star and the team’s top scorer from last season, has begun running and shooting jump shots, but has yet to join his teammates for a practice and remains on the injured list.
Though no date has been given for Allen’s return to the practice court, it seems likely it will happen in the next week, with perhaps a return to the active roster sometime after Christmas.
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