kepdawg
06-15-2007, 06:42 PM
Mavs' Dampier undergoes successful shoulder surgery
Center not expected to miss significant - if any - regular-season action
05:26 PM CDT on Friday, June 15, 2007
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com
Erick Dampier is expected to miss little, if any, of the regular season after undergoing successful shoulder surgery Friday to repair a small tear of the right rotator cuff.
President of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said that Dampier was to be commended for having the surgery early in the summer rather than waiting until closer to the season. Training camp begins in early October with the regular season starting a month later.
"He's done everything we've asked and more," Nelson said of the 6-11 center. "Initially, it was a very small tear and we wanted to let nature take its course and see if it would heal on its own.
"But it wasn't healing as quickly as we'd have liked. So we wanted to go in and clean it up and start fresh with it."
Nelson said the expectation is that Dampier will be cleared for full contact sometime during training camp and that after that it will be a matter of getting his conditioning before he starts playing in games.
It's possible Dampier could miss a few games in the regular season. But the shoulder should be much better than it was at the end of last season, when he had trouble with range of motion.
The surgery was performed in Dallas by Dr. Richard Levy. Dampier is expected to begin rehabilitation in about a week.
Center not expected to miss significant - if any - regular-season action
05:26 PM CDT on Friday, June 15, 2007
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com
Erick Dampier is expected to miss little, if any, of the regular season after undergoing successful shoulder surgery Friday to repair a small tear of the right rotator cuff.
President of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said that Dampier was to be commended for having the surgery early in the summer rather than waiting until closer to the season. Training camp begins in early October with the regular season starting a month later.
"He's done everything we've asked and more," Nelson said of the 6-11 center. "Initially, it was a very small tear and we wanted to let nature take its course and see if it would heal on its own.
"But it wasn't healing as quickly as we'd have liked. So we wanted to go in and clean it up and start fresh with it."
Nelson said the expectation is that Dampier will be cleared for full contact sometime during training camp and that after that it will be a matter of getting his conditioning before he starts playing in games.
It's possible Dampier could miss a few games in the regular season. But the shoulder should be much better than it was at the end of last season, when he had trouble with range of motion.
The surgery was performed in Dallas by Dr. Richard Levy. Dampier is expected to begin rehabilitation in about a week.