With the 2022-23 NBA season approaching, the Orlando Sentinel is unveiling a five-part sequence of Orlando Magic storylines to regulate heading into coaching camp, which kicks off on Sept. 27 at their new state-of-the-art AdventHealth Coaching Heart. Half one addressed whether or not the Magic did sufficient to show round their capturing woes.
Half Two: Well being
The Magic’s season hasn’t began but, however they have already got injury-related questions.
Participant-availability inquiries got here continuously for president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and coach Jamahl Mosley in mild of the Magic having essentially the most video games missed (449) due to accidents and the league’s well being and security protocols in line with ManGamesLost.com, an damage analytics web site.
They’ll face related questions on Media Day, which takes place Monday, due to the uncertainty of Gary Harris and Jonathan Isaac’s standing.
Isaac hasn’t performed since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee within the bubble on Aug. 2, 2020, after the league returned from a four-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harris, who signed a 2-year, $26 million contract extension to return to Orlando earlier than free company formally began July 1, had arthroscopic surgical procedure on Aug. 31 to carry out a meniscectomy in his left knee after tearing cartilage.
Jalen Suggs additionally had surgical procedure in late April to handle a “slight” stress fracture in his proper ankle, however he’s anticipated to totally take part in camp after progressing to on-court work in mid-June and taking part in in at the least one pickup sport throughout the offseason.
Probably the most uncertainty surrounds Isaac.
Isaac’s missed the final two seasons due to the ACL damage.
He had a setback when he suffered a “minor proper hamstring damage” that required surgical procedure throughout his March 15 rehab session — a few hours after the group introduced he’d miss the rest of the 2021-22 season.
The Magic, like most NBA groups in relation to accidents in recent times, have been hesitant to place a timeline on Isaac’s return all through his rehab.
However there have been encouraging indicators for his progress.
Isaac hasn’t been seen carrying a brace or sleeve over his left leg throughout his particular person periods in a number of months. He additionally posted an Instagram story of himself dunking in late August after principally being seen by the media taking standstill soar pictures earlier than his hamstring damage.
“As for JI, he’s progressing,” Mosley mentioned on the Magic’s official podcast, Pod Squad. “He’s following all the protocols we've for him for rehab. He’s staying on that monitor daily they usually hold monitoring it to see how he continues to progress. No grand information on time of when [he’ll return], however he stays on the identical path on daily basis along with his work ethic, habits and desirous to get again on the market. No one’s working tougher.”
There’s a larger grasp on Harris’ damage.
Daniel Kharrazi, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, informed the Sentinel a meniscectomy is a “quite common process,” including it usually can take as much as two months for an athlete to return.
“Consider the meniscus as a cushion between the bones and joints that provides you padding,” Kharrazi mentioned. “When that tears, it creates irritation and ache contained in the knee. In skilled gamers, if it creates signs, we suggest arthroscopically fixing it so it may well return to regular.”
A 6-8 week restoration interval would give Harris a tentative return timeframe for mid-to-late October.
Orlando performs seven video games within the opening month, so Harris shouldn’t miss an excessive amount of of the season — if he misses any. He’ll doubtless be sidelined or at the least restricted for many of camp.
Tony Wanich, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon on the HSS Sports activities Medication Institute in New York, mentioned getting again full vary of movement and giving the knee sufficient time to adapt are emphasised for post-meniscectomy rehab.
“Any time you do any kind of knee/joint surgical procedure, there’s a threat for scar tissue formation, which might result in lack of movement and stiffness within the knee,” Wanich added. “Specializing in ensuring they get well their vary of movement is essential. The opposite half is ensuring the knee has sufficient time to adapt to this new scenario. What I imply by that's you’ve received this knee the place it’s misplaced a bit little bit of a cushion. Each time you do run and soar, there’s extra influence that will get placed on that bone. The physique adapts to that, however that is why you’ve received to fret about dashing gamers again too rapidly. If the bone doesn’t have sufficient time to adapt and modify, that would delay the restoration as a result of it’s placing an excessive amount of influence on the bone.”
Harris and Isaac may have very important roles for the Magic in 2022-23.
The final time Isaac performed, he was one of many league’s finest defenders and was constructing a résuméto be thought-about elite on that finish of the ground. That was greater than 2½ years in the past, however Isaac may nonetheless have the skillset to be a high-level defender.
Harris was one of many Magic’s most constant 3-and-D contributors final season and will slot in a number of lineups Mosley decides to make use of. He had a bounce-back 2021-22, taking part in extra video games (61) and scoring extra effectively than he has in a couple of seasons.
How impactful they’ll be will rely on the place they’re at healthwise to start out camp.
This text first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. E-mail Khobi Value at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or observe him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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