Gordon to avoid surgery, will rehab 4-6 weeks
by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports
New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon confirmed via text message to USA TODAY Sports that he will avoid surgery on his ailing right knee and spend the next four to six weeks rehabbing.
The 23-year-old Gordon, whose time in New Orleans has been nothing short of bizarre after he was traded there as part of the Chris Paul deal with the Clippers last December, was reportedly considering microfracture surgery as a possible solution to the knee problems that forced him to miss all but nine games last season. The strangest of summers between Gordon and his team, then, has continued into the season that matters most.
Gordon made it clear during his restricted free agency tour in July that he didn’t want to play for the Hornets, signing a four-year, $58 million maximum contract offer sheet from Phoenix and then – in a move that is certainly not the norm – releasing a statement that expressed his strong desire to play in Phoenix and concluded with, “I strongly feel they are the right franchise for me. Phoenix is just where my heart is now.”
Despite the fact that Gordon avoided contact with Hornets team officials during that time and brought plenty of criticism from the team’s fanbase, New Orleans matched the Suns’ offer and made him the centerpiece of a roster that now includes big man and top draft pick Anthony Davis of Kentucky.
Gordon had since softened his stance entering training camp, saying he was prepared to be a valuable member of the Hornets and put the bizarre past behind them. Now, however, it’s safe to say the strain of their relationship will remain. Gordon averaged 22.3 points per game in his final season of the Clippers and was a key member of the Team USA squad that won a gold medal in the 2010 FIBA championship.
… [For more on Hornets' Eric Gordon to avoid surgery, will rehab 4-6 weeks, click here.]
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