Paul George Shoulder: Update on Oklahoma City Thunder All Star’s Injury

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George played through soreness in his shoulder throughout the NBA Playoffs.

George initially injured his shoulder against the Denver Nuggets. Details of that injury are not known. He sat out three games and returned against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

George scored 25 points and hauled in five rebounds in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 131-120 loss.

In March, I reported that George had a minor tear in his rotator cuff.

 

Other symptoms include joint stiffness, or you can developing something called a frozen shoulder.

X-rays are said to show associated spikes of the bone and if there is a full thickness
tear of the rotator cuff, the arm bone (humerus) tends to ride up.

Rest, ice and physical therapy are usually the best tratments for rotator cuff injuries. If the injury is severe and involves a complete tear of the muscle or tendon, you might need surgery.

Injections and/or physical therapy could also be applied.

For reference: Kobe Bryant tore his rotator cuff in 2016 and he missed a string of games because of it. “Today, I got up in the morning. I went through my routine, and [the] shoulder is like, I couldn’t really move the thing,” Bryant once told ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.

“Usually, the night before, it’s kind of a telltale sign with how much it hurts when I sleep.”

“I lay down in bed sometimes, it just aches. Just sitting there, it just aches. I prop it up with a pillow. There’s a whole technique of how to lay on my side and all this other stuff. Nights like that, it’s pretty tough. Then, in the morning, you get up and hope it’s a little bit better.”

George expressed that his shoulder felt okay after that game. “I was a little rusty, the rhythm was a little off,” he said.

Per USA Today’s Thunder Wire: 

“Not just for myself, but with my guys out there. But I feel fine. As much as I was getting tugged and grabbed, the shoulder held up.”

So what exactly is a rotator cuff injury?

Per the Mayo Clinic: It’s an injury of the tendons under the deltoid muscle.

Pain usually arises from overhead work. For everyday people, putting things into high cupboards or serving at tennis could be the culprit.

In 56 games prior to the All-Star break, George averaged 28.7 points on 45.3 percent shooting from the field and 40.6 percent from three-point range. He averaged 26.4 points on 33.6 percent shooting from the field and 33.6 percent from beyond the arc in 21 games after the All-Star break.

The fact of the matter is injuries are part of the game. It’s what goes on during the game. I don’t have any excuses for it. I was out there and I was able to compete. I was limited to a sense sometimes but it didn’t stop me from competing.

George missed four games due to the injury — three in March and the regular-season finale on April 10. As he played through the injury, it was evident that he was less than 100 percent but he has proven that it will take a lot for him to be held out of a game.

After the regular season ended, George revealed to reporters that the injury was so severe that he couldn’t lift his arm after the game against the Houston Rockets on April 9. His status for Game 1 against the Portland Trail Blazers was in question but he managed to play in all five playoff games.

George averaged 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists during the playoffs while he shot 43.6 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from three-point range. While his injury was front and center at his exit interview, he didn’t offer too many details on the extent of it.

I’ll address it pretty soon, try to nip it in the bud right away. Not much [pain] at that point [in the playoffs]. I’m not going to discuss what it is. I’m not going address what the actual injury is but I will address it soon, try to get it fixed and get back out there come this next season.

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