Shane Battier out for at least a couple of games with a sprain in right knee ligament – NBA Update
Last night, in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat forward Shane Battier sustained an injury when Udonis Haslem landed awkwardly on his leg, coming doing after grabbing a rebound. Battier felt the sting immediately and hobbled down to the locker room. He did not return to the game and after Monday’s practice session, confirmed a sprain in his right knee ligament;
"I'm sore, but overall, I feel pretty good," Battier said. "I think it could have been a lot worse than it was. I've sprained an MCL before, so I knew what it felt like. I knew exactly what it was. It wasn't as severe this time."
The last time Battier suffered such an injury was back in the 2009-10 season when he was with the Houston Rockets. That time he sprained a medial collateral ligament in his left knee and has to miss 14 regular season games. The forward will undergo some extensive treatment in the next few days and the fact that Heat next play the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday means that he will only miss a couple of games, if the recovery is swift.
Still, Battier’s absence will leave a major hole in the Heat lineup. While his shooting credentials can be covered up by the likes of Ray Allen, Mike Miller or Rashard Lewis, it is his impeccable defence, especially man-on-man, and starting slot at 4, which will give Erik Spoelstra some headaches.
Battier has been starting as a starting power forward since playoffs last season which has allowed Spoelstra to field Bosh at 5, and that system has been working wonders for Heat. The Heat coach admitted that Shane’s absence will create some problems, especially when it comes to the execution of the small ball system.
"Other guys will have to step up in those intangible categories," Spoelstra said. "It'll come down to who will replace all of those little things that (Battier) does arguably as well as anybody in this league. I'm an optimistic guy. All I know is I'll have a lot of anxiety if Shane doesn't play. I hope we don't have to find out how much we'd miss him."
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