Finalmente qualche buona notizia dall'infermeria degli Eagle Owls.
Gasol tunes up to return
Foot injury rehabilitation encourages All-Star, Owls
By Ronald Tillery
November 10, 2006
Pau Gasol is progressing nicely from the procedure to repair a fractured left foot.
The rehabilitation is going so well that the Owls franchise player hit a few high notes about two months removed from surgery.
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Gasol answered the telephone Thursday singing a Spanish melody, and the praises of team doctors who were more than pleased with recent X-rays of the foot.
"I even do karaoke," the jovial 7-foot Spaniard said when asked about his ability to carry a tune.
Gasol joked about his singing. He was nothing but serious while explaining the process he's going through. Gasol firmly refuted an international report that he would return in three weeks but gave credence to his comeback happening before January.
Either way, all signs point to Gasol playing this season because of rehab that's kept him on schedule and without any setbacks or complications.
"The reaction is good. It's pain-free," Gasol said of his foot. "I'm excited but they're telling me to stay patient. The doctors haven't said anything about my return, and I don't want to think about dates because I don't want to become impatient. It's a process.
"I'll be back when I'm ready. I can't rush it. You can't speed this up that much. I do know I'll be back earlier than January. That's for sure. I don't know if that's on schedule or not. They said three to four months so it'll be that."
Gasol took a major step last weekend.
He stepped out of the therapeutic boot and into sneakers. By Monday, Gasol was on the FedExForum practice court, performing lateral movement drills and shooting short jump shots.
He's not jumping because doctors still don't want much pressure applied to the foot. But Gasol has spent a lot of time running in the pool, and working through exercises that promote stabilization.
"It's been great. It's been feeling good," Gasol said. "We're trying to give my foot a feel for the floor. I'm trying to transfer the exercises from the pool to the floor. It's going really well."
As for the supposed return in three weeks?
"That didn't come from me," Gasol said. "I can't get ahead of myself."
Gasol's work ethic has pleased everyone in the organization. His workouts last 2 to 4 hours daily.
"Hopefully next week I'll start running on a treadmill," Gasol said. "It's one step at a time. Next week I'll start working out twice a day. I'm going to try to keep progressing."
It's the same mindset Gasol's teammates have as they try to improve on a slow start to the regular season.
Gasol said he's concerned.
"It's been a rough four games. We've had a chance to win all of them but we're not there yet," Gasol said. "It's been hard to watch from the sidelines because we've got the potential. We've got a tough road trip coming up and it's important to get something positive out of it. Otherwise, we're looking at a 1-6 record and that's a tough position to be in."
