Griffin Has Surgery

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Griffin forced into R & R
by Steve Bulpett 
Tuesday, May 2, 2000

Rick Pitino wanted Adrian Griffin to take a break from basketball for
the first part of the offseason. It appears now that the Celtics guard
will have no choice but to follow his coach's orders.

Griffin underwent surgery for tarsal tunnel syndrome on his right foot
and ankle last Wednesday, correcting a problem born when he twisted the
ankle badly in a Jan. 8 game at Chicago.

Celtics physician Dr. Arnold Scheller performed the procedure at New
England Baptist Hospital, repairing a nerve that became entrapped with
the sprain. The surgery was described as a decompression of the nerve.

Griffin will be in a plaster splint for 6-8 weeks, but no lingering
problems are expected.cw-2

The 1999 CBA MVP was a rookie revelation for the Celtics, holding down a
starting role until effects from the ankle injury (he stepped on Bulls
rookie Elton Brand's foot while driving to the hoop) and a general
decline in his play (attributed to fatigue) cut his time.

Noting that Griffin had essentially been playing year-round - in the
CBA, USBL, overseas and NBA tryout camps - trying to reach this level,
Pitino prescribed time away from the game to recover.

``There's no question in my mind he hit a wall,'' Pitino said late in
the season. ``Adrian's not the quickest afoot anyhow, so when that ankle
problem came, it really hurt his quickness. He sort of never recaptured
what he had earlier in the season. But I think with a little rest and a
little fine-tuning, he'll be fine.''

Griffin finished the season averaging 6.7 points and 5.2 rebounds, but
he scored in double figures 15 times in his first 31 full games. After
nine games out with the ankle injury, he reached double figures just
three times in his last 40 games played. His rebound and steal numbers
showed similar slides late in the season.

Griffin began the season by outplaying Vince Carter in a Celtics win at
Toronto (14 points, seven assists), but he scored just 12 points total
in his last nine games.

Still, his teammates fully agree with Pitino that, with rest, Griffin
will be back as he was in November and December.

Antoine Walker was quoted in the Herald as saying, ``I think Adrian's
shown everybody in the league that he can play. I think he's going to
have a long career. I think he came back early off the ankle injury
because he was fighting. When you do that, it kind of messes you up. You
don't get the proper rest for the injury.

``I already talked to him, and he said he's going to take a month off
just to relax. Obviously, he did the CBA thing, the USBL, the summer
league and all the camps. But that's the price you pay when you want to
get to this level. But it's paid off for him. Now it's time for him to
make his move.''

The first move will now be to a reclining chair. Pitino was hoping
Griffin would take the month of May off before beginning light workouts
in June and adding basketball to the routine later that month. The break
caused by the surgery could mean an extra few weeks off, but the
additional time away could end up being a positive in Griffin's
regeneration plan.