Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard’s back surgery successful – NBA Update
The Orlando Magic’s super star centre Dwight Howard had surgery on his back this past Friday and the early news is that the procedure went well. Howard was operation was carried out by Dr. Robert Watkins Sr. and Robert Watkins Jr. in Los Angeles.
The centre had complained of back pain and it was earlier thought that Howard had back spasms. After massages and therapy the situation did not improve much and Dwight flew out to Los Angeles where he was diagnosed with a herniated disc.
The operation has been a success, according to the surgeons. It has also been stated that Howard will be back to full fitness but a time table can only be discussed when he begins rehabilitation and his body’s reaction is gauged.
"The more formal core stabilization program will begin in three weeks," Watkins Sr. said in a statement. "The timing of his return to basketball will depend on his response to the rehabilitation program. We anticipate a full recovery."
What is already known is that Howard will miss the remainder of the current NBA season, as well as the playoffs. That is a tough call for the Orlando Magic, who rely on Howard a lot and have designed their game to play around him.
His coach Stan Van Gundy is all but aware of the problems Howard’s absence would cause Orlando in the post season.
"Nobody wants to play without Dwight headed into the playoffs," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Friday.
The Magic however were already expecting the worse once Howard was diagnosed with the herniated disc. When it was thought he was out with spasms, Van Gundy had hoped that the player would be back for the playoffs.
Afterwards though it was pretty clear to everyone within the franchise that he would indeed be out for a long time and did not stand a chance to return even in the post season.
"I don't think the news of the surgery did anything one way or another to our group," Van Gundy said. "I think we've been operating with the expectation that we wouldn't have him back.”
Dwight is also set to miss the London Olympics in the summer and he will now be aiming to make a return in time for pre-season of the next campaign. The next NBA season could also be the last Howard plays in an Orlando jersey as his contract with the Magic
will run out in 2013.
With Howard already having agreed a one year extension after a long saga, it is unlikely he will renew with the Magic after the next campaign. The best they can hope for is drastically changing the personnel around him and hope he likes the new outfit enough
to stay.
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