Almost two weeks after sustaining a right MCL sprain in his knee during a game at Miami, New Orleans Pelicans power forward Ryan Anderson says he’s made progress in his rehabilitation and efforts to return to action. The 26-year-old has not participated in any basketball activity since the Feb. 21 injury, but recently was able to get out of a cumbersome knee brace he had been wearing. He has been focusing on strength and mobility exercises. Anderson’s initial timetable to return was 2-4 weeks.
“Recovery has been a process. I’m really working a lot on getting mobility back, just walking,” Anderson said. “The past week, I’ve made big strides, as far as getting out of a big knee brace. My flexibility is a lot better, as far as rotation. I haven’t tried anything on the court yet. We’re still doing some pool work and I did stuff on the arc trainer, which is kind of a treadmill that takes some of the weight off your body. It’s tough, but it’s something I have to do to get better.”
Anderson did not have a specific target date for getting back on the floor, with him obviously needing to return to basketball activity first before he can proceed.
“It’s really when my body feels good,” he said of his eventual return. “The strength work is going to be a part of it the next few weeks, building back up. Obviously I want to get back as soon as I can.”
Unfortunately for Anderson, in-season injuries have marked his past two NBA seasons. He played in 22 games in 2013-14 before a season-ending collision with Boston’s Gerald Wallace. He’s appeared in 52 of New Orleans’ 61 games in 2014-15, missing games in two separate chunks immediately before and after the All-Star break.
“I’m not super concerned about getting back into the rhythm. I’ve come back from injuries before,” Anderson said. “But it’s something that the team is playing so great right now, I want to come back and be able to help that team improve even more. But it’s been great watching the guys play. They’re playing so well. I just want to get back and help the team best I can.
“This is a group I’m used to playing with and obviously we’ve made big improvements with the guys we’ve added. Norris (Cole) has been playing great. Lexi (Ajinca) has been doing a great job. I think we have a group that’s really used to playing with each other and guys who are new who understand how to play the game. I’m not too concerned with that. I just want to come back healthy and win games.”
Other notes from Friday’s shootaround:
- New Orleans (33-28) can move into eighth place tonight with a win, after chasing Oklahoma City (34-28) from behind for a lengthy stretch. Anthony Davis on the Pelicans having a chance to move into the top eight Friday: “It’s a good feeling. We know what’s at stake. We know that we’re in a tough situation. OKC is a great team. So is Phoenix. We’ve got to make sure we take care of business, especially at home. That’s what we want, we want that pressure. I think a lot of people doubted us, said that we weren’t going to make it. The season’s not over. We want to continue to fight. If we do (make the playoffs), we do. If we don’t, we know we gave our all to the best of our ability to put ourselves in that situation.”