The joy the Philadelphia 76ers fans had when they traded for Andrew Bynum has been tempered with news that the 7-footer’s injury is taking time to heal, so much so that he might not be able to return to action until January. The franchise released an update on Bynum – who has not appeared in any of their regular season games, or preseason either – saying that he has been re-evaluated and would now be cleared to resume normal basketball activity by December 10.
From the media release :
Andrew received a fresh MRI and was seen again by Dr. Altchek this past week on Monday, November 5.
At that evaluation, Dr. Altcheck extended Andrew’s return date for a second time by an additional three weeks. However, in what the Sixers believe is an optimistic sign, Dr. Altchek also indicated that Andrew could immediately resume low impact exercise. Low impact exercise for a period of two weeks is to be followed by three weeks of conditioning on an anti-gravity treadmill. The doctors and the team will be closely watching how Bynum’s knee responds during this five week regimen. Upon successful completion, Bynum is expected to be able to resume normal basketball activity.
If the current prognosis holds unchanged, Bynum would be cleared to resume normal basketball activity by approximately December 10. In addition, the team estimates that Bynum in turn will need an additional 1-4 weeks thereafter for conditioning, training and practice before being able to resume game play with significant minutes.
Tony DiLeo, the 76ers General Manager said, “We know that Sixers fans are eager to see Andrew Bynum play and shine in a 76ers uniform. We also know that no one is more eager to see Andrew play for the Sixers than Andrew himself. He fully realizes the key contribution he can make to the team. Hopefully, that day is coming soon.”
