Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
A surprising end to McGruder’s year
Forward undergoing surgery for leg fracture
KANSAS CITY — Rodney McGruder thought it was nothing. It is why he continued to play. And why he never expected the devastating news that was delivered after finishing Wednesday’s preseason victory over the Washington Wizards at AmericanAirlines Arena.
“I’ve been having a little shin pain,” McGruder said Friday. “I thought it was like shin splints. So I’ve been going to treatment, just stuff like that, and try to help with that, the healing process.
“But after a while we didn’t see any progress and soreness going away, so we took X-rays after the game. Then we found out I had a stress fracture.”
McGruder has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of his left tibia. He had started the previous five exhibitions before being reduced to spectator for Friday’s preseason finale against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Sprint Center.
His season could be over before it starts, the Heat to open their 2017-18 schedule Wednesday at the Amway Center
against the Orlando Magic.
Surgery is scheduled for Tuesday. McGruder said playing through the discomfort was possible but not recommended due to the risk of a full break.
“That’s a gruesome injury that you’ve seen some guys deal with in the past and I don’t want to go through anything like that,” he said. “I’d rather take the proper steps with treatment and taking care of it.”
The Heat continue to maintain that any recovery timetable is premature until after the procedure, with McGruder expected to be sidelined for half the season, if not more.
“I’m not too sure on the timetable. I don’t want to set my mind for that, and it may be something sooner,” he said.
McGruder’s 65 starts last season were the fifth-highest total by a rookie in franchise history.
Now coach Erik Spoelstra has to turn to Plan B.
“Every team, you have to figure things out,” he said. “One of the things we said coming into this year, arguably our best strength was our depth. And we’ll have to go a little bit deeper now.
“Guys are ready to step in. Will they provide what he does? We’re not expecting them to be a Rodney McGruder out there. It’s the ultimate compliment: Can you bring some of those intangible qualities?
“We have a lot of guys that do a lot of similar things in their own personality, their own way. We have a mindset that we’ll figure that part out.”
A year ago, McGruder was on the bubble to even make the roster, after a whirlwind since going undrafted out of Kansas State in 2013 and then toiling in Hungary and the developmental league.
“You feel for Rodney,” Spoelstra said. “He brings so much passion, purity, a competitive spirit, a positive energy that you feel for him. We’ll figure out what to do with the team, that’s secondary.”
And yet there McGruder was, at the morning shootaround, having made the trip to support his teammates, who he cannot support on the court.
“It’s very frustrating,” he said. “But everything happens for a reason. I don’t know the reason behind it, but we have to trust it.”
Team captain Udonis Haslem said days such as Friday are important for McGruder to be with the team. Haslem mentioned the foot injury that sidelined him in November 2010 and did not have him back until the 2011 Eastern Conference finals.
“The first thing I told Rod when I heard about his situation is he’s got to stay strong mentally,” Haslem said. “I just referenced back to my situation when I got hurt and I came back in the playoffs against Chicago. And the first thing I had to do was pick myself up and mentally, stay strong, and make sure I came into the gym every day and be around the team, even though I wasn’t able to practice and do anything.
“It’s just so easy to disconnect, sit home, be miserable and feel worthless. But you got to get in the gym stay in the weight room and stay mentally involved.”
The Heat initially had planned to wait a day before announcing the injury. The shock was that severe.
“I didn’t cry. I just prayed on it,” McGruder said when informed. “I just wanted to be a part of this from day one. This is a minor setback.”
Spoelstra said he has no doubt that McGruder will yet have an impact, possibly sooner rather than later.
“I do know one thing about that man,” he said, “whatever they say it is, he’ll come back healthier and better, sooner than most human beings.”