SUNS: Surgery KOs Voskuhl

Surgery KOs Voskuhl

Suns center Jake Voskuhl is expected to resume working out in a week and a half after undergoing an emergency apendectomy on Dec. 12.

(NBAE Photos)

Posted: Dec 13 2004 11:16AM

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 11, 2004

The Suns had done nearly as well in the health department as the win column until center Jake Voskuhl underwent an emergency appendectomy early Friday.

Voskuhl, 27, practiced Thursday without any pain, but went to the emergency room later that night. He will resume working out in a week and a half, Suns head trainer Aaron Nelson said. The average recovery takes about a month, according to Nelson.

"But, obviously, we're dealing with an elite athlete," Nelson said. "We're not putting a timetable on it. We're leaving it open for how he can heal. Everyone's different."

Because Phoenix placed power forward Jackson Vroman on the injured list Tuesday and activated small forward Zarko Cabarkapa, point guard Yuta Tabuse was the only option to replace Voskuhl. Vroman must remain on the injured list for five games. He next can play Dec. 17 game at Seattle.

Tabuse had been on the injured list since the Suns signed Bo Outlaw on Nov. 8.

The regular rotation has stayed healthy except for the four games Leandro Barbosa missed with ankle tendinitis.

For more Phoenix Suns coverage, check out www.azcentral.com, Arizona's homepage.

Nelson said corrective therapy and exercise has helped prevent the normal strains and spasms. Each player undergoes an assessment to see what injuries he may be predisposed to and then works on a program to counter it.

"In the course of the last three years, it has decreased a great amount of treatments we're doing and the games missed," Nelson said.

Remember me?

The NBA's top three assists men in recent years all had Suns ties, but the trio used to be Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Stephon Marbury. But even with Kidd just getting back, the top three remain linked to Phoenix.

Charlotte's Brevin Knight is ranked second in assists, between Nash and Marbury, just a year after he left Phoenix early last season in a trade for Jahidi White, who is his Bobcats teammate. Knight was with Phoenix for about five weeks after being acquired in the trade that sent Jake Tsakalidis and Outlaw to Memphis.

White, acquired from Phoenix in the expansion draft, has struggled with a shoulder injury that may put him on the injured list soon.

Free throw

The Suns' road win Wednesday against the Lakers drew the team's highest telecast rating in nearly two years. The 8.0 rating, which peaked at 9.6 toward the end of the game, came on the first night that Cox Communications moved Ch. 45 (KUTP) to Ch. 9.