Crawford faces painful reality

Link:The details of Jamal Crawford’s ankle injury sounded eerily similar to that of former Knick Kurt Thomas: stress fracture, surgery, uncertain future.

“I hope that Jamal takes his time and doesn’t rush back,” Thomas says. “The last thing you want to do is reinjure it.”

Thomas speaks from first-hand experience and cautions that Crawford’s rehabilitation could be a long, painful process. A decade ago, Thomas suffered a stress fracture to his right ankle, the same injury that has likely ended Crawford’s season.

From 1996 through 1998, Thomas was limited to 23 games because of chronic ankle problems. Despite having surgery, Thomas reinjured his ankle, creating concerns that his career was over. He eventually recovered and is averaging 5.3 points and 6.0 rebounds for the Suns this season, though he missed five weeks with a hyperextended elbow.

The Knicks are painting an optimistic picture for Crawford’s recovery. Their best-case scenario has Crawford, who had surgery on Friday, returning for the playoffs.

In fact, the Knicks’ chances of reaching the postseason improve each day. Having Crawford ready by late April is another story. His injury is a significant loss for a team fighting to reach the playoffs for only the second time since 2001. The Knicks say that Crawford can begin his rehab next week.

What they can’t say is when or how he sustained the injury. Indeed, the circumstances surrounding it are confusing at best. The Knicks maintain that Crawford was playing with pain for roughly two to three weeks. However, Crawford’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, gave a much different timetable.

“This has been going on for months,” Goodwin said.

The injury raises questions of whether Crawford was at risk by playing with discomfort. The longer it went undetected, the more damage he could have done.

“If you don’t know you have a stress fracture and you keep playing it only gets worse,” Thomas said. “I should know.”

Dr. Lisa Callahan, the Knicks’ director of player care, has not commented on Crawford’s injury. In previous years, the Knicks routinely had their medical staff provide general information regarding player injuries. The noted orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Answorth Allen, has never been given the opportunity to address the media since replacing longtime Knicks physician Dr. Norman Scott.