That article is pretty suspect. First of all, it only looks at the season immediately following surgery. Let's remember that the player has been out of the game for quite a while recovering. I'd like to see comparisons with players who have simply
sat out, uninjured for that amount of time. But second, I don't know about you, but I'd be pretty scared playing after surgery. I'd be tentative in the extreme. So I think a better study would look at the overall trajectory and the following seasons.
Third, notice that there isn't really a pattern. One of the best recoveries was by Dominique Wilkins, who was pretty old (in NBA terms) at the time.
Fourth, notice that there is no indication that they're (a) playing the same role, (b) for the same team. Your stats are likely to change if you change teams.
Fifth, medical technology marches on. It used to be that an achilles injury was an
instant career-ender. Not so any more. So a fair comparison for Wes would focus only on recent recoverers.
Sixth, it doesn't acknowledge the different types of players and different types of game. Somebody who relied a lot on their athleticism would be likely to be more affected than somebody like, say, Luis Scola. Wes has never been a great athlete or had a game predicated on quickness.
I'm encouraged to see Jonas Jerebko on there. He's actually had a very solid season for the Celtics, and I completely forgot that he'd ruptured his achilles. Sign him AND Wes and have him tell Wes what he did.
