When is the right time for an injured player to return to action?
It's a question the Trail Blazers have faced five times this season, and the team's decisions have had mixed results: Martell Webster (broken left foot) and Steve Blake (separated shoulder) each came back earlier than expected and suffered a setback in his first game.
But Joel Przybilla (broken wrist), Brandon Roy (hamstring) and Greg Oden (foot sprain) either played through or came back from an injury without incident.
"It's a hard thing, a fine line, because you want to win, and the players want to be out there to contribute," Blazers athletic trainer Jay Jensen said. "But at the same time, you don't want the player getting injured further. It's a juggling act."
The latest example came this week, when Blake returned from a separated shoulder in 12 days, which was ahead of the prognosis of two to four weeks. Blake lasted 11 minutes before a hard screen by the L.A. Clippers' Brian Skinner aggravated the shoulder. It was a nightmare scenario. Blake was sidelined not only for the rest of the game, but the next two games as well. He is listed as a game-time decision for tonight's game at New Orleans.
The Blazers say they aren't second-guessing their decision to allow Blake to play because they have been consistent in keeping the three-pronged criteria for a player's return to action: The player must feel ready to play. Jensen must clear him to play after a series of stress-related tests. And coach Nate McMillan has to see the player participate full-speed in a practice before he plays
