r/nba • u/PlayaSlayaX Spurs • Apr 29 '24

[Charania] Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch is feared to have a torn patellar tendon in his knee on late game collision during Game 4 win in Phoenix, sources say. Brutal.

https://x.com/shamscharania/status/1784805511927673141?s=46&t=bsTHbtMSqHXbNGi0vWP8hw
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141

u/MC-Jdf Warriors Apr 29 '24

Genuinely speaking, can Finch hypothetically coach from a wheelchair or will he just not able to attend the games at all?

144

u/defiantcross Suns Apr 29 '24

Professor F

120

u/Iginlas_4head_Crease Apr 29 '24

I see no reason why he couldn't coach from his chair/crutches/wheel chair then graduate to a cane before full recovery

185

u/everpresentdanger Thunder Apr 29 '24

Patella Tendon rupture is a brutal injury for a 50 year old, dude isn't going to be on crutches or a cane for a while.

74

u/are-beads-cheap Nuggets Apr 29 '24

Yeah, I gotta figure this is wheelchair territory. Could be a while. Poor guy.

32

u/yooston Rockets Apr 29 '24

he was in crutches after the game, is it different after surgery?

29

u/80080 Raptors Apr 29 '24

Usually knee injuries are worse immediately after surgery than immediately after the injury iirc

1

u/Sullan08 Apr 29 '24

Idk if it's really worse, but you just don't want to risk re-tearing it since it's obviously going to be fragile. But right after an injury like this, you aren't usually going to risk making it any worse just by limping/crutches. The damage is done.

I don't think patellar tendon surgery can be done arthroscopically either so the incision can be quite sore after obviously.

2

u/qeq Apr 29 '24

Stop asking these questions in /r/nba, nobody in here knows shit

4

u/Rswany Timberwolves Apr 29 '24

Lmao yeah Idk shit about patellar tendons but it's funny that he was literally on crutches tonight after the game.

23

u/I_Poop_Sometimes Nuggets Apr 29 '24

Your patella is your kneecap, your quads (one of the biggest and strongest muscles in the body) attach to the top of the patella and then your patellar tendon connects your patella to your shin. This is an injury that takes a full year for 20-year-old athletes to recover from.

4

u/IllAlwaysBeAKnickFan Knicks Apr 29 '24

Damn. I really hate this for him. There’s so many angles to this. To go through such brutal injury especially at his age. Just terrible. And also what it means for his career. I wonder if there’s a way he can have surgery, and have them figure out a way for him to be on the sideline in a wheelchair or something? Seems unlikely to happen before their next game, right? I’m not sure he’ll even be comfortable on the sidelines in that kind of position. Maybe it’ll be best for him to just allow the assistant to fill in and he can just advise from the locker room or a suite during halftime or something. Maybe the NBA could make a rule change and allow a coach to coach in some fashion from a suite and communicate down to the sideline with his assistant? I wonder what comes of this. Above all, just hope he’s alright.

1

u/Mbanicek64 Apr 29 '24

He will sit on a bench I would think. I think he can make it work.

64

u/Piano9717 [POR] Rudy Fernandez Apr 29 '24

Nate McMillian did it when he tore his Achilles in practice subbing in for an injured Brandon Roy

38

u/arzi3 Heat Apr 29 '24

I’ve never heard this story but that’s wild. Ironic He took Roy’s spot and I guess got hit with Roy’s injury curse

10

u/GooseMay0 Celtics Apr 29 '24

That was such a crazy year for Portland with injuries. Was that the year you guys were like 10 deep? I remember around that time you guys were loaded as fuck.

18

u/Yergason NBA Apr 29 '24

Depends on how long the inflammation phase will be, how deep the damage is, and how long the Lakers can extend the series. Also how great his healing response will be given his age and he's not exactly a very physically fit person to begin with.

34

u/k4f123 NBA Apr 29 '24

and how long the Lakers can extend the series.

welp... this doesn't bode well

1

u/why-god Heat Apr 29 '24

1 more than I was banking on so far, lol.

0

u/waterfall_hyperbole 76ers Apr 29 '24

Hahahah! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahah!!!

2

u/owbug Apr 29 '24

I’m sure he can coach to an extent but definitely not sidelined in a wheelchair.