MIAMI (AP) - Heat forward Dorell Wright will have debris removed from his surgically repaired left knee on Tuesday, which will further delay his comeback plans.
The team said Monday night that Wright is not having anything repaired in the joint, but that team doctors believe "loose bodies" within the knee are disrupting his rehabilitation and recovery.Wright had surgery on March 3 to repair a torn left meniscus, and said shortly afterward that he expected the rehabilitation process to take up to six months.
But it's already been nearly nine months, and the team hopes that this procedure will have him back on the practice floor within "2 1/2 to 3 weeks," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Monday night after Miami lost to the Houston Rockets.
Wright, a fifth-year forward whom the Heat drafted out of prep school, has played in just one game this season, logging six minutes against Sacramento on Oct. 31.
"He had to take the last two days off and we're going to re-evaluate it," Spoelstra said. "It's one of those things that's been frustrating for him. That's what happens with guys that come back from knee surgeries. You just never know. Everybody's knee reacts differently."
Spoelstra said there have been times where Wright's knee feels strong, and others - particularly after consecutive days of workouts - when he's experiencing pain and swelling.
Last week, Wright said he was "about 85 percent" but did not have a timetable for returning to the lineup.
