Interesting article on Oladipo, who could be an "X Factor" in the playoffs if healthy, and his rehab here:
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2022/3/23/22991383/victor-oladipo-injury-miami-heat. One thing in the article that I didn't know is that his second surgery in 2021 was a result of the first surgery not going correctly. (Not in this article, but elsewhere Oladipo describes how in his first rehab he never felt right and would wake up with sharp pains in his knee - probably a good time to switch doctors.) And then there was this description of his rehab:
Oladipo was starting over completely. He even had to learn how to walk again, according to Valdes. Following his surgery in New York, Oladipo worked out at the National Basketball Players Association facility in Manhattan, where he would get steps in on a low-impact underwater treadmill. Only when Dr. Glashow was convinced the tendon was fully attached again did Oladipo begin strength training in Miami.
There was good reason for the abundance of caution. Among basketball players, quadricep injuries are relatively uncommon. According to InStreetClothes.com, only Tony Parker, Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, and Malcolm Brogdon are among the few players to have missed extended time in recent years with quadriceps tendon injuries. “There was nothing from a quad tendon aspect to go off of,” said Stefan Valdes, who has a doctorate in physical therapy and has treated Oladipo for the past two years. “Previously, tendons were thought of like, once they become degenerative, they’re basically dead tissue.”
Not anymore. Science and medicine have changed since Parker’s 2017 injury essentially ended his career as a starter. Not only can the tendon heal, but it can also become stronger and more resilient when trained at the right intensity.
At Movement Lab in Miami Lakes, Valdes’s days with Oladipo included at least 90 minutes of lifting and another two hours of basketball drills. They brought in force plates to analyze imbalances in Oladipo’s body and utilized blood-flow-restriction training to isolate the muscle without putting stress on the joints. Valdes said it can make a 20-pound goblet squat feel like 300 pounds. “When utilizing this method, it allows you to train at [a high] intensity while still protecting the surgery,” Valdes said. Everything they did was meant to make Oladipo stronger than ever, which meant pushing his body beyond its limits.
“It becomes more of a mental thing,” Valdes said.
In August, Oladipo agreed to re-sign with the Heat on a minimum deal, and then returned to training camp in October. He still wasn’t sprinting at full speed, nor was he ready for full-contact drills. Together, Valdes and the Heat’s strength-and-conditioning team would relay Oladipo’s rehab assignments to the coaching staff.
“Give him 20 minutes, get him spot shots, get him 45 minutes, make him run, get him tired. Stuff like that,” said Heat assistant coach Anthony Carter.
Rooting for him to come back but seems like next year is more likely than this year. Amazing what medicine/rehab can do these days.
