Checking in on Sam Dalembert's Rehab

Sam Dalembert goes through some reps on a leg press to rebuild strength in his knee and leg.

by Mike Lieberman, Sixers.com
posted June 11, 2003

With the Sixers season ending a little less than a month ago, most of the players took some time off for the bodies to heal from the bumps and bruises of an 82-game season. That is all Sixers but one - center Samuel Dalembert who has been continuously rehabbing his left knee.

"It's worse than people imagine. It challenges you mentally and physically," said Dalembert after one of his summer workouts at the Sixers practice facility.

Dalembert missed the entire 2002-03 season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee in the preseason. Doctors at Tenet/Graduate Hospital performed the surgery that addressed two large chondral defects in his knee.

"It was a heartbreaker. Before the season started, I was trying to move on, progress and step up my game to another level," Dalembert said of the injury.

In his first season with the Sixers, Dalembert showed some promise in the 34 games that he played in, averaging 1.5 points and 2 rebounds in 5.2 minutes per game. He made some improvements the following year in training camp. Until he had the surgery, Dalembert was averaging 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 20.0 minutes in four preseason games.

The center admitted that at times the rehabbing proccess has been frustrating for him.

"Sometimes it takes a while to see progress, that's the worst thing," Dalembert said. "You have to keep going. You might come for two months straight and say 'I don't see any progress.' You see the progress in the mirror, but you don't feel any progress. You have to keep going. Mentally, this whole thing is affecting you, not being able to play the whole time."

Dalembert Quick Facts An early-entry candidate out of Seton Hall, filing for the Draft after his sophomore year Selected by the Sixers with 26th pick in the First Round of the 2001 NBA Draft Despite playing only two years at Seton Hall, he is the school's all-time leader in blocked shots (167) Has missed a total of 110 game due to injury in his first two seasons in the league (all 82 in 2002-03) As a rookie averaged 1.5ppg and 2rpg in 5.2mpg in 34 games

According to Sixers Director Sports Medicine Jim McNutly, Dalembert has been doing well in getting back and in shape to play again.

"Sam has progressed nicely. We still have somethings to do," said McNulty. "Over the last six weeks, he has made some very nice strides in regaining his strength and form, as far as running and the quickness and jumping."

Towards the end of the season, Dalembert finally began to play in some half court games and recently started to run full court once again.

So, when can we expect to see Slammin' Sammy back in a Sixers uniform and playing again?

Dalembert is pretty confident that he'll be back in action as a Sixer when they play in the Reebok Summer League up in Boston and McNulty is confident as well.

"The surgery he had requires almost a good 8-10 months of non-impact loading on it. We have taken him a long very, very slowly. We are hoping that he will be able to go full action when we go into Summer League. That will be about that 8-10 month period of when his surgery was."