Opponent: San Antonio Spurs
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: KeyArena, Seattle
TV: KONG (Ch. 6/16)
Radio: KJR (950 AM)
For a team needing some good news, word that injured guard Ray Allen will return to practice today was welcome indeed.
Allen, who has missed the entire season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove bone and cartilage fragments from his right ankle on Nov. 1, said he expects to do everything his teammates do at this morning’s workout, though maybe not for as long.
“There won’t be anything I won’t be able to do,” he said.
Allen was idle for the first 5 1/2 weeks after his surgery, then started training by himself while his teammates were on their recent Eastern Conference road trip. Before Wednesday’s game, he did wind sprints at KeyArena.
“He has been on the treadmill, but that’s the first time I’ve seen him sprint up and down the court,” said Seattle coach Nate McMillan. “He looked OK. But a lot of times, (running straight) is the easy part. When you make cuts after ankle surgery, a lot of times that’s when you feel that injury a little more.”
The team’s medical staff not only will monitor Allen during today’s workout, but they will want to evaluate him Friday morning for swelling and soreness. Because he is unsure how his ankle will respond, he has no idea when he might return to the active roster.
“If it was totally up to me, I’d be out there right now,” Allen said, “but the date is totally dependent on how practice goes.”
Allen made his first road trip of the season this week, joining the team in Phoenix for Tuesday’s game.
“It was great to travel on the plane and just be with the team again,” he said. “If you’re on the injured list and if you don’t play in the games, you don’t feel like you’re contributing.”
Allen admits he is eager for today’s workout, comparing himself to “a little kid (at) Christmas,” he said. “Now I’m going to be excited about Christmas for two reasons – for Christmas itself and because my time to get back on the court is nearing Christmas. It somewhat presents a great gift for myself. If I continue to work, I can look at this holiday season and say, ‘This is when I got back on the floor.’”
Young gun: Count McMillan among the folks who think Denver’s 19-year-old Carmelo Anthony is the real deal.
“Out of all the rookies I’ve seen, I think LeBron (James of Cleveland) and Carmelo are going to be really good,” McMillan said. “(Anthony) has a real good feel for the game. I’m surprised at the feel he has already at this level, and being so young. He seems to be in control. He understands the game. He can pass the ball, handle the ball and he can post up.”
With Denver off to a 16-9 start, “he’s a big part of their success.”
Familiar face: Mark Pope, the 1991 graduate of Bellevue’s Interlake High School who played two seasons at the University of Washington before transferring to Kentucky, is on the Nuggets’ injured list with knee tendinitis. He was in street clothes on the Denver bench during Wednesday’s game.
Rich Myhre
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