Robin Lopez Update

[Cheesebeef]

Not good news. From the AP:

"Suns C Robin Lopez(notes) says there is no timetable for his return from a back injury. He says the bulging disk is to be re-evaluated by doctors next week".

He ain't coming back this year folks. Damn, this team might have had a serious run in it this year.

Oh well, bring everyone back next year (save Barbs), hope we get a little more growth from Sideshow Rob and Goran and Clark ends up improving like those two guys did and we may be looking at one last title run in the Nash era.

 

[carey]

Never thought I'd be pissed about this because I thought he was the next Voskhul, but he's proven me wrong. And the team needs him.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Never thought I'd be pissed about this because I thought he was the next Voskhul, but he's proven me wrong. And the team needs him.

agreed.

 

[jagu]

Suns need to abuse the pick and roll and let Nash and Dragic find corner three point shooters once the opposing defense collapses or drop it to Amare and let him score. Also play more zone and hope the opposing team doesn't shoot a lot of threes. We played great D last night (Mason was hot and he made a lot of threes).

What worries me with the Suns is
Second chance points. Way too many... If the Suns can limit that they can go far. If not they'll promptly get eliminated in a tough series.

 

[TucsonDevil]

The Suns made a serious run in 2006 without a big... until Bell got nipped. Maybe they can get similar breaks in match ups (avoiding the Lakers)? However, even if they survive the West, they stand little chance against Magic/Cleveland without Robin.

 

[Tyler]

I think it would be hillarious to meet up with Shaq and the Cavs in the finals, only to have us win and then show Shaq our ring.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Suns need to abuse the pick and roll and let Nash and Dragic find corner three point shooters once the opposing defense collapses or drop it to Amare and let him score. Also play more zone and hope the opposing team doesn't shoot a lot of threes. We played great D last night (Mason was hot and he made a lot of threes).

What worries me with the Suns is
Second chance points. Way too many... If the Suns can limit that they can go far. If not they'll promptly get eliminated in a tough series.

here's the issue: it wasn't that roger mason got "hot" . . . he's a fairly good shooter, particularly when left wide open. last night he was left wide open. a lot. that's because we had to return to the scrambling defense of doubling low, rotating, etc. we don't have to do those things (and thus we can stay home on the perimeter shooters) when lopez is guarding the basket (i cannot believe i just typed that - consider that my lopez crow).

the commentators alluded to the fact that the spurs were the second best team guarding the 3 point line this year. and that it was a primary reason they've consistently bested us over the previous years. now the reason is quite obvious. it's not that they have superior perimeter defenders. it's not because they're allowed to cheat physically (though they were). it's because they have tim duncan guarding the basket. thus no need to double down. no need to scramble rotations. perimeter defenders could stay home on the shooters making an open look extremely difficult.

shockingly (to me) lopez allowed us to do something similar (albeit a bit less effectively, but still more effectively than we've ever been capable of before this year), and as a result our defense was much better. losing lopez impacted our entire defense. see the games since he's been out. yes, we've been winning, but the margin of victory (i'm guessing here) has decreased, and the caliber of opponent hasn't been nearly as impressive. our offense has remained consistent over this period, but our defense has suffered incredibly. and while we can beat a team like the spurs on a given night with the current lineup, i don't think the doubling down/scrambling defense can be effective against a single team over a prolonged period of time. particularly not a playoff team with multiple 3 point shooters.

bummed that lopez is out. i would've liked our chances against everyone but the lakers in the west with him.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

What worries me with the Suns is
Second chance points. Way too many... If the Suns can limit that they can go far. If not they'll promptly get eliminated in a tough series.

really good point jag. i don't know what the overall rebounding numbers were last night, but it seemed that everytime the spurs could grab an offensive rebound, they did so (and yes, i know that's impossible).

 

[Black Jesus]

I think Amundson is more effective than Collins. What about this Dwyane Jones guy? Can we give him some minutes cause honestly, Collins sucks.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I think Amundson is more effective than Collins. What about this Dwyane Jones guy? Can we give him some minutes cause honestly, Collins sucks.

Yeah, I thought Collins could at least hold down the fort Kurt Thomas style, (a player who ironically we could still use) but he's horrible. I'd run Jones out there for a couple minutes just to see what he can do. It's hard to envision him being worse than Collins.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Yeah, I thought Collins could at least hold down the fort Kurt Thomas style, (a player who ironically we could still use) but he's horrible. I'd run Jones out there for a couple minutes just to see what he can do. It's hard to envision him being worse than Collins.

i'm not entirely sure what collins does other than foul duncan. whenever he was in the game i isolated on him and man, he's more useless than i anticipated.

 

[slinslin]

This isn't news.

This is the same thing we knew last week already and thus means nothing.

It is totally up in the air how the re-evaluation goes.

And the other thing: I hope we can somehow add 1-2 young talented players in the draft and offseason to fill our future line-up in case Amare leaves. Preferably a PF/C hybrid , a young SG with size. Also need a quality backup Center somehow. Then if we suck next year hope to get the BPA in the lottery as our next franchise player.

Lopez
Mr.X
Clark
Mr.Y
Dragic

 

[ASUCHRIS]

really good point jag. i don't know what the overall rebounding numbers were last night, but it seemed that everytime the spurs could grab an offensive rebound, they did so (and yes, i know that's impossible).

The Spurs had 20...Amare had 8 boards, but only 2 defensive. About time he starts rebounding as aggressively on the defensive end as he does on the offensive. The Spurs had a pretty bad performance last night, it was a really nice win, but against good teams, we'll get burned. Just such a shame about Lopez...I really think we'd have a fighters chance to make the finals with him.

 

[Covert Rain]

I don't get this thread. Nothing had changed. There was no set time table for Lopez's return from the report I heard on the radio. There never was. They said they would reevaluate him and that is it. Though I will tell you that you normally don't heal from a bulging disc which is a herniated disc.

I have 2 in my back. They were caused by all the years taking hits in football. They can cause me some serious back spasms sometimes when they act up. My doctor said that I could try strengthening exercises that could help correct the poor alignment and build up the muscles surrounding the the discs. Aside from that there is not much they can do. It doesn't go away. So when it is bad, I take Advil and when I go to the gym, I try and do "extra" stuff for my back.

However, it's also degenerative and doesn't get better over time. The opposite is true. All you can do is try and prolong the further degeneration until eventually you need surgery.

Hopefully, it's not a sever case and they can help him with some strength training but even that takes times. So, my guess is that Lopez will not be ready for at least the 1st round if at all.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The Suns made a serious run in 2006 without a big... until Bell got nipped. Maybe they can get similar breaks in match ups (avoiding the Lakers)? However, even if they survive the West, they stand little chance against Magic/Cleveland without Robin.

true, but the west is MUCH tougher than it was back then. That 54 win Suns team only had to face a 45 win laker team and a 46 win clipper team to get there.

Any chance for them to duplicate that run starts with getting the 2 or 3 seed and hoping the lakers get knocked off before we have to face them, much like the mavs did with Spurs.

 

[Cheesebeef]

This isn't news.

This is the same thing we knew last week already and thus means nothing.

It is totally up in the air how the re-evaluation goes.

And the other thing: I hope we can somehow add 1-2 young talented players in the draft and offseason to fill our future line-up in case Amare leaves. Preferably a PF/C hybrid , a young SG with size. Also need a quality backup Center somehow. Then if we suck next year hope to get the BPA in the lottery as our next franchise player.

Lopez
Mr.X
Clark
Mr.Y
Dragic

huh? He was supposed to be re-evaluated after the road trip and apparently nothing is different now as it was then... which means no progression. you're right nothing's changed, but that's not a good thing.

 

[SactownSunsFan]

huh? He was supposed to be re-evaluated after the road trip and apparently nothing is different now as it was then... which means no progression. you're right nothing's changed, but that's not a good thing.

Maybe I'm wrong, but he was supposed to rest a week, rehab a week, and then get reevaluated. That reevaluation isn't due until around the 11th.

 

[slinslin]

Maybe I'm wrong, but he was supposed to rest a week, rehab a week, and then get reevaluated. That reevaluation isn't due until around the 11th.

Yes, I can't remember anything saying that the re-evaluation would be just after the road trip.
In fact I thought it was supposed to be on Monday or something.

In fact the linked article doesn't tell us any news. There is no mention of him being re-evaluated.
It is just something that we have heard for the last week already that there is no time table for his return.
We knew that from the very beginning.

 

[DeAnna]

Bulging disc is not the same as herniated disc. I have 2 bulging in my neck, but they are not herniated.

I said in another post that his brother had surgery for the same problem while at Stanford. I think Robin is headed for the same outcome.

 

[WildBB]

In his brief time here, he dosn't seem like he's someone they can count on to be there when they need him.

I mean it's a bulging disk...there's nothing that could have been done, but it's one thing after another.

Maybe he'll grow through it...but I kind of doubt it. Backs don't heal easy, especially for big athletes.

 

[Covert Rain]

Bulging disc is not the same as herniated disc. I have 2 bulging in my neck, but they are not herniated.

I said in another post that his brother had surgery for the same problem while at Stanford. I think Robin is headed for the same outcome.

Basically they are the same thing just with a slightly different amount of severity. This is was my orthopedic surgeon told me. That both are a weakening or crack of the cartridge that holds the softer material in place.

With a bulging disc, the walls have deteriorated causing the pressure of the softer material to protrude out of it's normal space. When it's herniated there is usually a crack in the cartilage where the softer material actually squeezes out of it's normal space.

In both cases the softer material doesn't stay in place and it causes almost the exact same symptoms.

At any rate, neither ever goes away. There isn't a non surgical cure. In the short term, you build up the surrounding muscle to take pressure of the spinal column which is suppose to reduce the pressure being exerted on the disc. However, it will more then likely will get worse over time. It is very common for it to go from one severity level to the next over time. I have personally made the choice to skip surgery unless the pain ever becomes too unbearable.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Basically they are the same thing just with a slightly different amount of severity. This is was my orthopedic surgeon told me. That both are a weakening or crack of the cartridge that holds the softer material in place.

With a bulging disc, the walls have deteriorated causing the pressure of the softer material to protrude out of it's normal space. When it's herniated there is usually a crack in the cartilage where the softer material actually squeezes out.

In both cases they cause almost the exact same symptoms.

At any rate, neither ever goes away. There isn't a non surgical cure. In the short term, you build up the surrounding muscle to take pressure of the spinal column which is suppose to reduce the pressure being exerted on the disc. However, it will more then likely get worse over time. It is very common for it to go from one severity level to the next over time. I have personally made the choice to skip surgery unless the pain ever becomes too unbearable.

take this for what it's worth, but as the son of an orthapedic surgeon and as someone who's had THREE back surgeries themselves, the above is on the money.

i don't expect Robin back this season, however these guys get better therapy then anyone else in the world and the Suns guys are pretty much the best so I don't think this will hamper him from here on in. He'll have issues every once in a while but as long as the disc's not extruded or he doesn't have quadri-aquina (there's no way that's spelled right), as long as they are conservative with him, he should be okay. maybe a micro-discectomy if the pain lingers but even with that he should be fine by next season.

 

[Mainstreet]

Basically they are the same thing just with a slightly different amount of severity. This is was my orthopedic surgeon told me. That both are a weakening or crack of the cartridge that holds the softer material in place.

With a bulging disc, the walls have deteriorated causing the pressure of the softer material to protrude out of it's normal space. When it's herniated there is usually a crack in the cartilage where the softer material actually squeezes out.

I wanted to add sort of an asterik to the above. I have a herniated disc which occurred many years ago and at least in my case it is so much worse than a bulging disc (which was the case before it herniated). When my disc herniated it did not just send out soft material but a chip broke off which touched the nerve in my spine. I couldn't walk for the longest time. I should have had surgery but I elected to let it heal by itself. What a mistake. Now it's too late unless I want to do the rods and I'm not going to do that.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I wanted to add sort of an asterik to the above. I have a herniated disc which occurred many years ago and at least in my case it is so much worse than a bulging disc (which was the case before it herniated). When my disc herniated it did not just send out soft material but a chip broke off which touched the nerve in my spine. I couldn't walk for the longest time. I should have had surgery but I elected to let it heal by itself. What a mistake. Now it's too late unless I want to do the rods and I'm not going to do that.

Mainstreet, you sure that you're disc wasn't extruded? That's what mine was when a chip broke off and then started floating around my nerves in my spine.

and really, rods? how long ago was this? have you been to a doctor lately? they've made a lot of progress over the years.

 

[Cheesewater]

Since we're sharing...

I had a double microdiscectomy in January 2009. Material between L4 and L5 was sticking out and pressing on my sciatic nerve. I couldn't sit up, stand, or walk. The pain was debilitating. I was walking mere hours after surgery. With the exercises and therapy I am hoping to put off the inevitable future surgeries. I am pain free now, even with the weakened discs...I'm old though.

They have made great progress in back procedures lately (my brother got rods 20 something years ago), but I was just reading an article yesterday about complications and it wasn't good. Take care of your backs people.