On Wednesday afternoon, Nuggets center Mason Plumlee went through his most significant on-court workout since suffering a right calf strain last week.
He walked away encouraged.
“It feels really good,” Plumlee said. “I’m actually surprised at how good it feels considering it’s only been a week. I’ve been with (director of sport medicine) Steve Short, and he’s been great. What I just did there is the most I’ve done so far. It felt good moving around. “
Plumlee has missed four straight games since being injured against the Celtics on Jan. 29. While he has made good progress, both he and the Nuggets medical staff aren’t accelerating the process to get him back in the lineup.
“I haven’t had this type of injury before, but they tell you that you can feel good, you just don’t want to run the risk of injuring it again or not letting it heal all the way,” Plumlee said. “So, I’m just trusting them and their timetable.”
Plumlee will not play in any games prior to the All-Star break. He said, “that extra week” during the break should put him on track to return when playing resumes. And that, of course, depends on Plumlee continuing to make good progress.
Plumlee described the rehab process as, “a lot of physical therapy work, a lot of muscle activation around it, a lot of stretching. And then a lot of time in the weight room.”
MILLSAP UDPATE: Camera phones were up from nearly all media on Wednesday as Paul Millsap took the court and ran through drills using both hands. Millsap, the Nuggets high-profile free agent, has missed 38 games due to left wrist surgery but has started to ramp up his on-court activity.
“As you can see on the court, he’s getting a lot more comfortable,” Malone said. “A lot more activity with the ball in his hands. For a while, it was limited to conditioning. But now he’s back on the court working with the ball – right hand, left hand. Obviously, it’s great to see him out here. It gets you excited to see when we can get him back.”
Christopher Dempsey: christopher.dempsey@altitude.tv and @chrisadempsey on Twitter.