Memphis Grizzlies centre Steven Adams is continuing to manage the troublesome knee injury that saw him miss the back end of the NBA season.
Adams is reluctant to guarantee anything ahead of the new season, set to tip off later this month, but is optimistic he will be fit to start it, following a long summer of rehabilitation.
The big Kiwi centre continues to be vague around the exact nature of the knee injury – that kept him sidelined from January, right through until the Grizzlies finals campaign ended – other than to say it was not ideal because there were a few complications.
“We’ve been rehabbing all summer so think we’re in a pretty good position,” Adams said at the Grizzlies media day.
“Can’t guarantee anything but this next week, in particular, this training camp, will be good info.”
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Steven Adams speaks to reporters at the Memphis Grizzlies’ media day.
Originally said to be out for six weeks with a PCL sprain, Adams was then kept out of the finals, several months later in May.
He was quizzed at Monday’s media day (Tuesday NZT) on whether his knee would allow him to play an NBA game right now, but said with 82 games in the season, he wasn’t focusing on that.
“It would be irresponsible for me to say that I’m ready to go right now, because the build-up is important, Adams said.
“We’re in a good spot to ramp up but it is going to be day by day,” he said.
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Steven Adams (left) was forced to watch the back end of last season from the bench.
Adams said he messed his knee up when he dove on the ground but didn’t reveal the injury diagnosis, simply referring to it as a sore knee and that there were further setbacks during last season.
“It doesn’t happen to everyone but in my particular case it did,” he said.
Memphis Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman was more optimistic on Adams’ condition at media day, saying that they will be cautious with him, but insisted he’s ready to return.
“Steven is cleared for live play here in camp,” Kleiman said.
“We will be conservative ramping him up,” he said. “Any time you have a case where he just literally hasn’t played, we’re going to be cautious and make sure we’re taking it one step at a time.
“But Steven is cleared and in a good place.”
The NBA pre-season is less than a week away with the season proper to begin for the Grizzlies on October 27 (NZT) against one of Adams’ old teams, the New Orleans Pelicans.
