Paulus and Pocius undergo successful surgeries

[pratt '04]

From goduke.com (http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=835303):

“Both Greg and Martynas played with these injuries the entire 2005-06 season,” said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “I am very proud of the toughness they showed in playing through their respective injuries and being important contributors to our team. Now, they both begin a long healing process. We expect a full recovery for both of them and look forward to the two of them returning at full strength for next season.”



(I assume Coach K meant the 2006-2007 season).

[TheDuke11]

well at least Poc is coming back next year. Thats really frikin great news.

[Kewlswim]

Hi,

I think the speculation that he was leaving was from others not anything he ever said or intimated. I also believe that maybe his injury hindered his playing time. The team is pretty tight lipped about these sorts of things. I am very happy that both young men are getting the treatment they need. However, how does this affect their schoolwork are they taking this semester off?

GO DUKE!

[Jumbo]

because I'm generally not one for an "I told you so." But I definitely said something to the following effect multiple times during the season: "Don't be surprised at all if we find out after the year that Greg's foot never healed, and that it will require surgery."
In addition, in several of the Marty threads, I mentioned that his ankle was "really messed up." My comments were dismissed by a number of posters. Looks like it was, indeed, messed up.
Anyway, good luck to both of them in their recoveries, and hopefully these injuries explain some of the struggles both encountered this season.

[feldspar]

because I'm generally not one for an "I told you so." But I definitely said something to the following effect multiple times during the season: "Don't be surprised at all if we find out after the year that Greg's foot never healed, and that it will require surgery."
In addition, in several of the Marty threads, I mentioned that his ankle was "really messed up." My comments were dismissed by a number of posters. Looks like it was, indeed, messed up.
Anyway, good luck to both of them in their recoveries, and hopefully these injuries explain some of the struggles both encountered this season.

Agreed. This explains a lot, I think.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

because I'm generally not one for an "I told you so." But I definitely said something to the following effect multiple times during the season: "Don't be surprised at all if we find out after the year that Greg's foot never healed, and that it will require surgery."
In addition, in several of the Marty threads, I mentioned that his ankle was "really messed up." My comments were dismissed by a number of posters. Looks like it was, indeed, messed up.
Anyway, good luck to both of them in their recoveries, and hopefully these injuries explain some of the struggles both encountered this season.

I never doubted you for a minute, Jumbo.

As to Marty, I wouldn't be too surprised if he becomes a major player for us next year, perhaps even the star that Jerry West hinted at when he signed with Duke. Regardless of who here prognosticates about next year's minutes (which I always think is a tremendous waste of time to both write and read, hence I don't) if the kid can play when he's healthy, the kid can play, and he will.

[Bob Green]

Jumbo - Your analysis/opinion is consistently accurate. Thanks for keeping the rest of us informed. Hopefully, Greg and Marty heal quickly and completely and are ready to go next year.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

[VaDukie]

I can't deny that I was drifting into the Greg doubters camp early in the year, but his hard work won me over that by the end of the year he had become my favorite player. I look forward to what he can do when he's healthy!

[Madrasdukie]

because I'm generally not one for an "I told you so." But I definitely said something to the following effect multiple times during the season: "Don't be surprised at all if we find out after the year that Greg's foot never healed, and that it will require surgery."
In addition, in several of the Marty threads, I mentioned that his ankle was "really messed up." My comments were dismissed by a number of posters. Looks like it was, indeed, messed up.
Anyway, good luck to both of them in their recoveries, and hopefully these injuries explain some of the struggles both encountered this season.

Yup! I remember you saying that about Paulus. As a matter of fact, independently, I had also raised the possibility of a Paulus injury affecting his performance, in one of those threads that was debating Paulus' effectiveness (or lack thereof) as a pg this past season.

I'm glad the surgeries went on well.
Speedy recovery guys.

[Richard Berg]

I don't know why there was any mystery. Marty spent much of this year's Matthew Laurence interview talking about his injuries. (In fairness, Laurence had to coax it out of him; as many have said, the team likes to keep internal problems close to their chest.)

[SMO]

Wow, I suddenly feel much more optimistic about next year. Just goes to show how much most of us don't know about what's going on with the team.


because I'm generally not one for an "I told you so." But I definitely said something to the following effect multiple times during the season: "Don't be surprised at all if we find out after the year that Greg's foot never healed, and that it will require surgery."
In addition, in several of the Marty threads, I mentioned that his ankle was "really messed up." My comments were dismissed by a number of posters. Looks like it was, indeed, messed up.
Anyway, good luck to both of them in their recoveries, and hopefully these injuries explain some of the struggles both encountered this season.

[willywoody]

anyone have any more details on the surgeries? just wondering what they had done.

[greybeard]

Does everybody assume that surgeries on something as complex as an ankle or foot is going to make it "all better." I hope very much that the repairs done serve to improve the quality of life for these guys, and that that includes allowing them to play the game that they so clearly love more nearly as before. "All better" is for story books, imo.

[throatybeard]

Why does everybody assume that surgeries on something as complex as an ankle or foot is going to make it "all better." I hope very much that the repairs done serve to improve the quality of life for these guys, and that that includes allowing them to play the game that they so clearly love more nearly as before. "All better" is for story books, imo.

Where did anyone say "all better," except for in your own post?

[greybeard]

Where did anyone say "all better," except for in your own post?

No one actually said that. My point is that I am concerned for these kids; hope the surgies do whatever it is that they hope to do. I had a real wrist problem once. My orthopod, who had operated on my knees, happened to be the MAN with regard to wrists. Anyway, he treated me for more than half a year and kept on refusing to do an MRI. Said, that he was going to try everything he could to make the thing better (cortizone, immolization, etc); said he would do an MRI if none of it worked; that surgery was not all that it was cracked up to be, and outcomes were rarely as clean cut as people imagine. I'm just extrapolating, yodeling, actually.

Like I say, I'm rooting for Paulus, as I have all season, and for Marty too, although he is not someone I am familiar with.

Take a look at what's going on with former NFL players; ask them about the efficacy of surgery. Or not.

[feldspar]

No one actually said that.
So why'd you put it in quotes I wonder.

[grossbus]

"In Jumbo I trust."

if you live long enough, apparently anything can happen :)

jumbo, i hope you are right about psycho going pro, too.

i am really glad marty is coming back and anticipate a good year for him (with much playing time).

[greybeard]

So why'd you put it in quotes I wonder.

I thought that I was being clear, but I wasn't. I put it in quotes and then said "No one had" to acknowledge that I was wrong.

I should have said more about what I meant by that acknowledgment. I meant to say that I was not only wrong in my premise about what people were saying relative to the operations, but also that I was wrong in putting myself in opposition to the other posts. I am argumentative by nature (you think), but most often just really want to be heard.

In this instance, my purpose was to continue to put out front an issue I feel passionate about, and have for over 25 years--the incidence of injury in sports and the longterm impact that such injuries have on the quality of life of many people.

Raising awareness, and keeping the issue out front. Others might feel, and the vast majority do, that the costs are worth it. As long as people are assessing the reality of such costs, that surgeries do not "make it all better," even in the short run, and contribute to an entirely more serious set of problems in the long run, then I feel that my perspectives might be of value to others who share my passion for the world of sport, and for the great game, in particular.

[mgtr]

While I am sorry that anyone needs surgery, on balance I believe this is just startlingly good news. If Greg and Marty are 100% next year, and we have three quality players coming in, and Zoubek and Thomas improve, and, and, if pigs could fly..... Well, there are a lot of ifs, but Coach K has shown over the years his ability to manage such issue. I am optimistic.

[npdevil27]

because I'm generally not one for an "I told you so." But I definitely said something to the following effect multiple times during the season: "Don't be surprised at all if we find out after the year that Greg's foot never healed, and that it will require surgery."
In addition, in several of the Marty threads, I mentioned that his ankle was "really messed up." My comments were dismissed by a number of posters. Looks like it was, indeed, messed up.
Anyway, good luck to both of them in their recoveries, and hopefully these injuries explain some of the struggles both encountered this season.

At the risk of starting a huge debate... if Paulus' foot never fully healed, why on God's green earth was he allowed to play? This has been a disturbing pattern over the last several years, with the likes of Paulus, Nelson, McClure, Dockery all coming back quicker than expected from injuries, and when the season ends the public finds out that they were never back to full health. I don't get it... I'd much rather have had GP sit out half the year and come back at full steam.

[greybeard]

You guys are killing me. I've been saying since the season began, that Paulus's continued injury was plainly visable and completely explained the difficulties that he was encountering on the court. While I thought that he shouldn't have been on the court, I repeatedly mentioned to all his detractors that the kid was being incredibly brave by putting himself out there when he knew he would be embarassed because of that injury and by providing incredible leadership by doing so.

Not to toot my own horn or nothing, but even the devil is due his due. Yeah, I know, not all the time.

Watch him carefully next year, and, if he still has difficulties with traps on occasion, or bustin past people pressuring him, well, I've been saying it all year and will continue to--the guy is a born leader and, if K wants him out there, that's good enough for me.

That said, I share the hope that his recovery is such that he will be able to pursue his passion (I probably do the same and hate myself in the morning) with the skill and effectiveness I know that the young man possesses, which, contrary to his detractors, I have always believed makes him one of the stellar points in the college game.

[pfrduke]

At the risk of starting a huge debate... if Paulus' foot never fully healed, why on God's green earth was he allowed to play? This has been a disturbing pattern over the last several years, with the likes of Paulus, Nelson, McClure, Dockery all coming back quicker than expected from injuries, and when the season ends the public finds out that they were never back to full health. I don't get it... I'd much rather have had GP sit out half the year and come back at full steam.

It's a question of what you're looking for with "fully healed." There are some injuries that will never fully heal. There are others that may eventually fully heal, but don't necessarily get any worse if you exercise through them. Then there are the injuries that either completely inhibit you, or would get substantially worse if you play through them. I'd be willing to bet that everyone on this message board has played through an injury at some point in time, even though they weren't at full steam.

If the doctors tell the players they won't suffer any further harm by playing through an injury, then why make them sit until they're 100%? It happens all the time, with athletes in all sports, that people will play through injuries and then get surgery at season's end. Personally, and assuming that the injury is not one that will seriously worsen if played through, I'll take 30 games of Paulus at 80-90% over 10 games at 100%.

Now, I certainly don't know what the circumstances of the injuries to Greg and Marty were - how inhibiting they were, how long it would have taken for "full recovery," and how much harm they did by continuing to play through them. But saying they should only play if they're at "full health" is a little too simple - if full health was the standard, I'd imagine it would be difficult to field a team by the time January rolls around, let alone March.

[GMR]

Remember, folks, who had surgery following last year's season, then couldn't practice all summer long, and that was a primary reason why he didn't show the improvement most expected out of him during this just completed season.

I know back surgery is completely different than ankle/foot surgery, but what is the expected recovery time for both? Can we expect both Greg and Marty working hard this summer on improvement in their games? I believe the combination of hard summer work plus needed weight gains/conditioning/working on the weights will be essential for each player if Duke is to show improvement over this past season.

GMR

[willywoody]

since it's only turning april, they will likely have a couple of good months prior to beginning fall semester after recovering from surgery.


as we don't really know what injuries they had or what surgery was done any more speculation is useless.

[phaedrus]

since it's only turning april, they will likely have a couple of good months prior to beginning fall semester after recovering from surgery.



aren't you glad they got an extra couple weeks to recover from surgery?

[throatybeard]

It's a question of what you're looking for with "fully healed."

I'm not a doctor, so I'm at a loss as to whether it's anything like "all better."

[willywoody]

aren't you glad they got an extra couple weeks to recover from surgery?


after watching singler and co. tonight, it might not be such a bad thing. what's done is done, how many days till the blue-white game?