Nuggets F Al Harrington was a huge part of the Nuggets’ success last season. He was the stretch forward they needed to space the floor, did some attacking on the offensive glass, and played surprisingly good defense, interrupting passing lanes and contesting in the post.
But the Nuggets will be missing him for he beginning of next season, after multiple surgeries and a staph infection has slowed him down. Inside Hoops spoke with Harrington who says that while he won’t be ready for training camp, he doesn’t expect to miss any games.InsideHoops.com: What’s the latest on you and your surgery?
Al Harrington: I had tore my meniscus in April, towards the end of the season or whatever, and got it fixed after Game 7 or whatever. And then I got a staph infection. So I was sick, man. I had like three surgeries. And then a couple weeks later, they checked my knee again and it still was kinda cloudy in there. So I had to wait six weeks and take medicine… and then I had surgery again this Monday. Hopefully it’s the last one.
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InsideHoops.com: So if everything goes as planned and hoped, when will you be ready to play basketball?
Harrington: I’ll be ready for the first game of the season. I don’t think I’ll be ready for training camp. First game of the season is my goal. I think I can make it happen.
via Exclusive: Al Harrington healing after multiple off-season surgeries :InsideHoops.
Any time a player has multiple surgeries and a staph infection, and says “I think I’ll be ready for training camp” you can expect there to be some drag and for him to likely miss the start of the year. The Nuggets will miss him, particularly after letting Chris “Birdman” Andersen go in an amnesty waiver. But they run small-ball enough they should be able to slide anyway, and they have some players to fill in. It’ll be interesting to see what comes of training camp with different players filling in Harrington’s role.
Also, staph infections are scary and it’s good to hear that Harrington came out OK.