Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant said Monday that while Andrew Bynum is progressing well after undergoing two surgeries on his knees in March, there's currently no timetable for his return, according to Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer.
NBA news roundup: No timetables for Andrew Bynum, Russell Westbrook; Raymond Felton says Knicks were too old last year
The return dates for Bynum and Westbrook are unknown, but the Thunder point guard is confident he’ll be better than ever when he comes back.
Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Grant applauded all the work that Bynum has put in, saying the big man has shown more commitment than most players he has seen in 20 years. Grant understands the risk that came with signing Bynum, but there’s cautious optimism the 25-year-old can make it back to the court and return to form as one of the NBA’s best centers.
Cavs coach Mike Brown also offered an update on Bynum, saying the center is currently running on treadmills but isn't cleared for contact, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Brown went on to say he believes Bynum could still become one of the best centers not only in the NBA today, but ever.
With Cavs training camp just a week away, it’s almost a certainty that Bynum won’t be ready for it. However, Grant and Brown don’t seem all too worried about it, and they would both rather see Bynum take his time and make sure he’s as healthy as possible before he returns to the court.
Westbrook vows to return a better player
Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook has spent all summer rehabbing from knee surgery, and there's currently no timetable for when he'll be able to return to full basketball activities, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman.
However, Westbrook is as confident as ever, and he believes he’ll be a better player whenever he returns to the court:
“I’m going to come back and be better,” Westbrook said matter-of-factly Monday, with the same unshakable swagger he’s always shown.
Westbrook injured his knee in the first round of the postseason against the Houston Rockets and underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus. The point guard's absence was missed dearly, as the Thunder were dispatched by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round.
Westbrook is expected to partake in certain parts of camp before he’s finally cleared for full activity. He’s not worried about any type of timetable, simply doing what he can to get strength back in his knee in preparation for the season.
Felton thinks Knicks were too old last season
The New York Knicks were the oldest team in NBA history last year, with players like Rasheed Wallace, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni and Kenyon Martin part of the roster.
By the end of the year, most of those players were either injured or ineffective, and point guard Raymond Felton believes that was one of the main reasons the Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers in the postseason, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post:
“We’re a younger team this year,” Felton said at an Under Armour appearance at Macy’s in Herald Square. “Kurt Thomas, Rasheed, love them like brothers. [But] those guys were 38, 39, 40 years old. Once they got injuries, they’re out and it hurt us last year. We’ve added Metta [World Peace], [Andrea] Bargnani, Kenyon [Martin] and Amar’e [Stoudemire] are coming back. Tim Hardaway [Jr.] looks great by the way. I’ve been most impressed with him. It gives us depth at that big spot and youth. Those guys are younger.”
While Felton is certainly correct about the Knicks being younger, Martin and Metta World Peace aren't exactly spring chickens. Meanwhile, both Stoudemire and Bargnani are injury prone, so that's definitely a worry heading into the season.
Felton gave an update on Bargnani, who missed EuroBasket 2013 with pneumonia but is now working out with the Knicks. Felton said Bargnani is looking good in workouts, but the Italian is still lacking the proper conditioning.
As for Felton himself, he said he has lost between 10 and 15 pounds this offseason and is feeling as good as he ever has. Needless to say, there’s no shortage of optimism coming from Felton heading into the year.
Ainge expects Rondo back by December
There's currently no timetable for the return of Rajon Rondo from a torn ACL, but Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge was on the Toucher and Rich Show in Boston and said he anticipates Rondo will be back on the floor by December.
Rondo first said after the injury that he hoped to have an Adrian Peterson-like return, but that’s looking more and more unlikely. Ainge said he would be “shocked” if his star point guard is ready for the season opener.
Rondo tore his ACL against the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 25 and underwent surgery Feb. 12.
Arenas won’t join Clippers camp, will head back to China
Gilbert Arenas won't be joining the Los Angeles Clippers for training camp, instead opting to head back to China for the upcoming season, according to an interview he did with HipHollywood.
Arenas worked out at the Clippers’ training facility earlier in the offseason, and he reportedly looked good. There was a report last week saying the Clippers may extend Arenas a camp invite, but he prefers the short season in China as opposed to the long grind of the NBA season.
Arenas played for the Shanghai Sharks last season, averaging 20.7 points in 14 games.
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