[EspressoprodigyParticipant]

So I was looking into some videos of PJ Dozier who is a very intriguing 5 star prospect, when I came across an interview by Bleacher Report where PJ basically states that when he was younger he suffered an ACL injury that did not undergo surgical treatment because of the manevolent effect it could’ve had stunting his growth (is now a 6’7 pg/sg). He went on to say that Jr year in HS, doctors concluded to proceed to the ACL surgery only to find out his ACL had dissapeared???… and that it was safe for him to keep playing.

Is this a mysterious case? Will this limit his potential as a player? Are teams going to be weary of drafting him? Is it impossible for him to get an ACL injury given he does not have one?

The craziest part of it all is, he’s one of the best athletes in the class!

I will be keeping my eyes on him next year because his Jumper is not broken at all and his handles, like a said above, are good enough to play PG, hence ESPN listing him as a 6’6 PG. He really does pack a ton of potential with his (indeed) smooth game. Just looking at him in the court he looks like a NBA prospect handling the rock at his size with such mobility. Does anyone know what his wingspan is?

[herceg_bukuParticipant]

 All the power to him if he feels healthy and can play without it. I had an acl surgery along with meniscus cartlidge and i will tell u, that surgery and recovery aint NO JOKE. Its a tough injury, but with developing technology docotors are treating it better. At the end of the day its all how u approach it and how hard u work to get back on the court.

[herceg_bukuParticipant]

 All the power to him if he feels healthy and can play without it. I had an acl surgery along with meniscus cartlidge and i will tell u, that surgery and recovery aint NO JOKE. Its a tough injury, but with developing technology docotors are treating it better. At the end of the day its all how u approach it and how hard u work to get back on the court.

[kobyzParticipant]

 Dejuan Blair doesn’t have acl in both knees and they say that is way he slipped to the second round in the draft…

[kobyzParticipant]

 Dejuan Blair doesn’t have acl in both knees and they say that is way he slipped to the second round in the draft…

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 It is possible. Dejuan Blair has no acl in either knee and he still made the NBA.  However, it could definitely shorten his career. Its all about adapting your game and your body to be able adjust. I’m sure it will limit his explosiveness, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t be an effective player. 

For a guard in today’s league, which features better athletes than ever, it’ll definitely be a tough obstacle to overcome. Keeping his surrounding muscles ( particularly hamstring, quads) strong, and making sure to get proper rest will be extremely important to prevent further injury to the surrounding tissues and ligaments.

 

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 It is possible. Dejuan Blair has no acl in either knee and he still made the NBA.  However, it could definitely shorten his career. Its all about adapting your game and your body to be able adjust. I’m sure it will limit his explosiveness, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t be an effective player. 

For a guard in today’s league, which features better athletes than ever, it’ll definitely be a tough obstacle to overcome. Keeping his surrounding muscles ( particularly hamstring, quads) strong, and making sure to get proper rest will be extremely important to prevent further injury to the surrounding tissues and ligaments.

 

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

i tore my ACL last may and it was super painful… i havent gotten surgery yet (dont even wanna get into why) i know im taking years off of me playing bball but im obsessed so…. it was actually a blessing for me because my skills have improved a lot

your meniscus is much more important than your ACL.. look at a guy like dejuan blair… once your meniscus wears down to the bone your screwed… your ACL cant repair itself and over time it will be gone once its torn… ligaments and tendons cant heal themselves in general

 

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

i tore my ACL last may and it was super painful… i havent gotten surgery yet (dont even wanna get into why) i know im taking years off of me playing bball but im obsessed so…. it was actually a blessing for me because my skills have improved a lot

your meniscus is much more important than your ACL.. look at a guy like dejuan blair… once your meniscus wears down to the bone your screwed… your ACL cant repair itself and over time it will be gone once its torn… ligaments and tendons cant heal themselves in general

 

[IlladelphParticipant]

 Ligaments and tendons do in fact heal, but it depends on the severity of injury.  A complete ACL tear will not heal by itself.  This ligament will need to be repaired for optimal function/performance.  Not having an ACL (if true) is a significant concern as it is a key stabilizer of the knee joint.  About half of ACL injuries have meniscus injuries as well and that bodes less well for the elite basketball player.

In general, for an elite basketball player with an acute complete ACL tear, the best outcome is immediate reconstruction.

[IlladelphParticipant]

 Ligaments and tendons do in fact heal, but it depends on the severity of injury.  A complete ACL tear will not heal by itself.  This ligament will need to be repaired for optimal function/performance.  Not having an ACL (if true) is a significant concern as it is a key stabilizer of the knee joint.  About half of ACL injuries have meniscus injuries as well and that bodes less well for the elite basketball player.

In general, for an elite basketball player with an acute complete ACL tear, the best outcome is immediate reconstruction.

[Bencelticsfan2346Participant]

 When I read this title on the Main page I thought the full title would be "Playing with no ACLs: the Dejaun Blair story" It would make a great Espn 30 for 30

[Bencelticsfan2346Participant]

 When I read this title on the Main page I thought the full title would be "Playing with no ACLs: the Dejaun Blair story" It would make a great Espn 30 for 30

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I’ve torn my ACL twice and while you can play without one, it’s crazy to do. After my first tear, I didn’t get surgery right away. I let the swelling go down/knee heal and then just built up my quad/lower body strength. When I started playing again, I had a few situations where my knee would like buckle or slip out of place when I cut/planted hard (hurt like hell and would put me out for 2-3 weeks due to swelling/pain). I ended up just getting the surgery because my doctor told me I’d be at a higher risk of knee arthritis if I didn’t. 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I’ve torn my ACL twice and while you can play without one, it’s crazy to do. After my first tear, I didn’t get surgery right away. I let the swelling go down/knee heal and then just built up my quad/lower body strength. When I started playing again, I had a few situations where my knee would like buckle or slip out of place when I cut/planted hard (hurt like hell and would put me out for 2-3 weeks due to swelling/pain). I ended up just getting the surgery because my doctor told me I’d be at a higher risk of knee arthritis if I didn’t. 

[GBeeParticipant]

 No ACL or not I really like his game and I think he’s one of the more underrated guards in his class.  I think he’s a better player and long-term prospect than a few names ranked ahead of him because of how well-rounded his game is and because he has legitimate point skills at 6’6. Unlike some of those other combos who are labeled as such because they have tweener size and/or don’t know how to play without the ball, this kid knows how to distribute, make plays for others and run an offense.  Shoot, pass, handle, IQ, etc, he’s got a a lot going for him, but he does have a very thin build.  I’d be more concerned about that than a missing ACL that he’s clearly grown accustomed to playing with.  He’s athletic as is without it, but he doesn’t rely on his athleticism as he does have all-around skill and intelligence. The lack of ACL might put his longevity into question, but I’m talking about post-peak years where he might experience arthritis, bad tendonitis earlier than others.

[GBeeParticipant]

 No ACL or not I really like his game and I think he’s one of the more underrated guards in his class.  I think he’s a better player and long-term prospect than a few names ranked ahead of him because of how well-rounded his game is and because he has legitimate point skills at 6’6. Unlike some of those other combos who are labeled as such because they have tweener size and/or don’t know how to play without the ball, this kid knows how to distribute, make plays for others and run an offense.  Shoot, pass, handle, IQ, etc, he’s got a a lot going for him, but he does have a very thin build.  I’d be more concerned about that than a missing ACL that he’s clearly grown accustomed to playing with.  He’s athletic as is without it, but he doesn’t rely on his athleticism as he does have all-around skill and intelligence. The lack of ACL might put his longevity into question, but I’m talking about post-peak years where he might experience arthritis, bad tendonitis earlier than others.

[bdiddy5115Participant]

I just tore my ACL/Meniscus/MCL (playing bball – early July) and got surgery 17 days ago. Like it was mentioned earlier, this surgery/recovery is no joke. I’ve talked to/read from others who’ve had similar surgeries that coming back around full strength is far from a given, even with the advancements made in recent decades.

Part of that is mental, and I know that even if I do get back to 100% physically, I never want to go through this again (plus the fact that it’ll take a year+ to get there), and that thought alone will certainly hold my game back. Granted, if you played professionally, you’d have to suck it up and find a way to get over it, but I don’t, so I’m not sure if getting back to playing regularly is a good idea.

But yeah, you can function without your ACL. I was walking around fine (and even shooting around) a few weeks after tearing up my knee (pre-surgery). I’m sure I could’ve gotten back to playing eventually without any surgery, but I’m sure the chances of my knee giving out completely would be pretty high.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bdiddy5115Participant]

I just tore my ACL/Meniscus/MCL (playing bball – early July) and got surgery 17 days ago. Like it was mentioned earlier, this surgery/recovery is no joke. I’ve talked to/read from others who’ve had similar surgeries that coming back around full strength is far from a given, even with the advancements made in recent decades.

Part of that is mental, and I know that even if I do get back to 100% physically, I never want to go through this again (plus the fact that it’ll take a year+ to get there), and that thought alone will certainly hold my game back. Granted, if you played professionally, you’d have to suck it up and find a way to get over it, but I don’t, so I’m not sure if getting back to playing regularly is a good idea.

But yeah, you can function without your ACL. I was walking around fine (and even shooting around) a few weeks after tearing up my knee (pre-surgery). I’m sure I could’ve gotten back to playing eventually without any surgery, but I’m sure the chances of my knee giving out completely would be pretty high.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Until you’ve torn an ACL and had that surgery, you just can’t understand it. That’s why I never gave D Rose a hard time. This injury and surgery/rehab is a nightmare. People just don’t understand it. Especially from a mental perspective… I get the chills still just thinking about tearing mine. People call D Rose mentally weak, but to me it’s the opposite… You HAVE to be mentally strong to go through what he has and still come back a great athlete and trusting your body. 

Good luck though! Go hard with your physical therapy and just make sure you do all of the quad strengthening, range of motion, etc excercises. It all gets better, but just takes time. 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Until you’ve torn an ACL and had that surgery, you just can’t understand it. That’s why I never gave D Rose a hard time. This injury and surgery/rehab is a nightmare. People just don’t understand it. Especially from a mental perspective… I get the chills still just thinking about tearing mine. People call D Rose mentally weak, but to me it’s the opposite… You HAVE to be mentally strong to go through what he has and still come back a great athlete and trusting your body. 

Good luck though! Go hard with your physical therapy and just make sure you do all of the quad strengthening, range of motion, etc excercises. It all gets better, but just takes time. 

[ChoppyParticipant]

 My Dad had the same injury. Tearing the ACL and MCL is way worse, as it completely ruins the stability of the knee. He did his back in the 80s when they were still figuring out ways to fix them properly. He had 3 surgeries and has screws, staples and even Kevlar in his knee. Good luck on your recovery. 

[ChoppyParticipant]

 My Dad had the same injury. Tearing the ACL and MCL is way worse, as it completely ruins the stability of the knee. He did his back in the 80s when they were still figuring out ways to fix them properly. He had 3 surgeries and has screws, staples and even Kevlar in his knee. Good luck on your recovery. 

[Author]

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