Tyler Johnson, who had surgery Wednesday to a repair a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder and is expected to miss at least two months, told of the Miami Herald that there is no guarantee he will return at all this season. As Navarro points out, the Heat‘s regular season ends April 13th and the playoffs begin the weekend of April 16th. Johnson would be 10 weeks into his recovery by then.
“The doctors said it’s going to be two to three months before I can resume contact,” Johnson said. “It’s a possibility [I could be back for the playoffs]. But we’ve just got to see. Again, we’re not trying to rush it back. If it feels healthy by then, and I’m actually able to contribute and not just be out there trying to figure it out during the playoffs, [then I’ll play]. [The playoffs are] not the time to try and figure out if you can go. If there’s a couple practices before it, I’ll try and practice and figure out what I can do.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Cavs coach Tyronn Lue remains on good terms with former coach David Blatt and told Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he is unaffected by criticsm he has received from Blatt supporters.
- With DeMarre Carroll out, Terrence Ross has been one of the most valuable Raptors, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Star details. Ross has experienced a positive turnaround after a slow start to the season, Wolstat writes. The Raptors inked Ross to a lucrative three-year extension in November despite his inconsistencies over his career.
- The Magic must make deals at the deadline because after a promising start, Orlando now seems disenchanted and has lacked consistency, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel opines. Several players have struggled this season for the Magic, and Tobias Harris has yet to take the next step to stardom, Schmitz writes.
Go Ross