Rose’s injury not common in NBA
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Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose reacts after an injury Saturday during the fourth quarter of Game 1 in the first round of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers in Chicago. The Bulls won 103-91. Associated Press |
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New York Knicks' Iman Shumpert, center, is helped up from the court after an injury Saturday in the second half during an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs in Miami. Associated Press |
Until Saturday, a torn ACL was a relatively uncommon injury among NBA players.
But then Derrick Rose and New York rookie Iman Shumpert, an Oak Park native, tore ACLs in their left knees in a span of a few hours. Minnesota rookie Ricky Rubio suffered a torn ACL on March 9.
Several other NBA players who have suffered ACL injuries changed teams not long after the injuries occurred. The list includes Utah's Al Jefferson, Indiana's David West, Denver's Al Harrington, Utah's Josh Howard and Memphis' Tony Allen.
Two case studies that most closely resemble Rose's situation go back a few years.
New York guard Baron Davis is considered relatively old and slow these days, but early in his career he often displayed spectacular athleticism while playing for the Charlotte Hornets. He did all that after recovering from an ACL injury suffered during his freshman year at UCLA.
Another example is Jamal Crawford, who tore his ACL in the summer following his rookie season with the Bulls in 2001. Crawford was a developing player at the time, but he used plenty of speed and quickness to become a reliable NBA shooting guard during the past decade.
There have been comparisons made to Clippers guard Chris Paul, but his knee surgery involved the meniscus cartilage, not the ACL.
