FanHouse NBA Injuries

A little while ago, we were confused by the status of Blazers' rookie LaMarcus Aldridge. He seemed poised to take over the team, and then suddenly, he was out with an unspecified ailment. Well, it looks like that's sorted itself out, and the news ain't the best.

According to The Oregonian, Aldridge will miss the rest of the season, maybe more. His rapid heartbeat was caused by Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, which True Hoop has all the details on. As for his NBA future:

Aldridge...has received treatment from Dr. Daniel Oseran at St. Vincent's. The condition is not considered career-threatening - the Trail Blazers believe he'll resume physical activity soon and could play on the team's summer-league squad.

While "heart condition" and "twenty-one year-old" are never two things you want to read in the same article, it sounds like the situation is under control. Even if he does have to miss additional time or stop playing altogether, it's good that this condition got caught when it did. As has been noted a zillion times, Aldridge is both a tremendous prospect and a fine young man, making it impossible to not be concerned for him.

Things are really, really not going well for the Washington Wizards. It all began last weekend, with that fluke loss to Toronto. Then, Caron Butler's serious injury. Then, losing Gilbert Arenas, which capped off back-to-back losses to the Bobcats.

Well, here's a shred of hope. According to The Washington Times, Butler is trying come back way sooner than originally planned:

While the team's medical staff has said he will be out at least six weeks, Butler is going to do everything possible to play in the first round this month.

"I'm really looking forward to getting out there in the playoffs," Butler said. "It's going to be hard for them to keep me from that court. I'm seriously thinking about pushing it. I'm going to give it a shot; I'm not ruling it out."

I know Butler's an indomitable competitor, is that team's will, and all that. And certainly, he and Jamison could team up to get the Wizards out of the first round. But that's assuming it's time for him to come back. Last year against the Wiz, Larry Hughes rushed back from a seriously broken finger. He was barely himself, and very nearly did more harm than good for the struggling Cavs offense. Butler might think the team needs him, but unless he's actually ready to play, whether or not he decided to suit up might be a moot point.

I was tremendously stoked to see Zach Randolph shut it down, mostly because it opened up some stable minutes (and touches) for rookie LaMarcus Aldridge. Well, looks like I'll have to wait a little bit to see what Aldridge is made of. During Saturday's Clippers game, the big man was taken to the ER after experiencing dizziness and an accelerated heart rate. At the time, he was diagnosed with dehydration.

Now, they're not so sure. From The Oregonian:

After wearing a heart monitor Monday for 24 hours, the resulting tests were ruled inconclusive. In addition, two doctors had conflicting views of the tests, prompting the Blazers to seek further advice.

The Blazers would not reveal what the doctors' conclusions were, nor would they comment on possible ailments.

New GM Kevin Pritchard doesn't "want to get everybody inflated and going crazy over this." Still, wouldn't it be better to get some official word out there rather than have people assuming the worst? Between Eddy Curry, Rony Turiaf, and Fred Hoiberg, it's not like heart problems are absent from the NBA landscape. Whether we're talking Aldridge long-term value, or his fans' genuine concern for him, this air of mystery seems like it could do as much harm as good.

What a terrible weekend for the Washington Wizards. First, they lose a game on some serious bad luck. Now, Caron Butler, their third All-Star and an absolutely pivotal presence in last year's playoffs, is gone for the season. The fractured hand he sustained last night should keep him out indefinitely, with the second or third round a hypothetical glimmer of hope.

The Wizards are going to miss him, big time. Eddie Jordan will tell you as much, and his words should chill Wizards fans. From Wizards Insider:

"Caron is probably going to be gone for a long time, maybe the season...We're going to miss his numbers obviously, that's plain and simple. His mindset, his toughness, his aggressive nature, and the blue-collar approach to the game."

So maybe you think Jordan is just paying respect to the fallen. Well, chew on the numbers: this season, the Wiz are 2-7 without Butler. This isn't as bad as losing Arenas would be, but arguably worse than life without Jamison.

The Blazers just got a heck of a lot more interesting. First, franchise favorite and total visionary Kevin Pritchard got named the new general manager. And now, they're getting a chance to see what their young guns can do. According to The Oregonian, Zach Randolph will have season-ending surgery. The details from the official press relase:

Portland Trail Blazers forward Zach Randolph underwent successful surgery today to repair ligaments and remove bone fragments in his right hand...The injury, which occurred during the Trail Blazers' March 25 game at Minnesota, will require Randolph to spend the next five weeks in a cast.

Oh well. Randolph is outrageously talented and a mess as a franchise cornerstone. What this means, though, is that we get to see some consistent focus on LaMarcus Aldridge and maybe even some minutes for Travis Outlaw. Aldridge has some people calling him the best player out of the 2006 draft, while the ever-tantalizing Outlaw is a restricted free agent this summer. If these two can follow through on their potential, Randolph all of a sudden becomes a lot more expendable.

Also, with the Blazers headed for another lottery pick, these last few games could help shed some early light on their draft plans. Although if you think about it, that team's main need seems to be a few more years of maturity on their players.