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Back issues have always been tricky to deal with, especially for big men in the NBA. The discomfort it brings makes it difficult to do simple movements, just like how New York Knicks forward Enes Kanter feels now whenever he walks.
Having to deal with back spasms and being forced to miss his team’s last two games, the Turkish international admitted, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, that he is struggling to walk without any pain, and that he “cried like a little baby” because of it in their locker room.
Enes Kanter also talked about his chances of returning to action on Monday when the Knicks take on the Portland Trail Blazers.
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“I'm not going to make the decision, (the team doctors) are going to make the decision,” he said. “I'll play with pain probably 95 percent of the season, every season. If they think it's not going to affect me in the long run, it doesn't matter, I'll play. …
“If they don't give me the green light, there's nothing I can do about it. But I want to play Monday for sure.”
Kanter’s potential return will be a welcome development for the Knicks, who have lost three of their last five games, leading to their current two-game losing streak. That resulted to their record to drop to 10-9 for the season.
The 25-year-old has been playing well for the Knicks so far this year, with averages of 13.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 26.2 minutes per game. Enes Kanter will also give his team a lot of versatility and depth in their frontcourt rotation, and should receive his usual amount of playing time if he is healthy enough to see action on the night.
