Tim Brown/The Oregonian
Portland Trail Blazers’ small forward Evan Turner will miss between five and six weeks after breaking the third metacarpal in his right hand.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, there’s also this: He’s been reduced to wearing a house robe outside because his coats don’t fit over the cast on his hand.
Turner on Thursday spoke for the first time since learning he’d miss more than a month, a setback that significantly hampers the Blazers’ chase for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
In a brief question-and-answer session with reporters at the Moda Center, Turner talked about the pitfalls of wearing a cast, the timing of his injury and the frustration that comes with breaking a bone just as he was starting to find his groove.
Here’s a transcript of the interview:
What was your reaction when you heard you’d be out five to six weeks?
“I understood it. I broke a bone in my back, back in college, and it took like four weeks. So I comprehended it. Obviously the biggest thing is just getting healthy. Hopefully we’re closer to five weeks than anything else. I have to listen to my trainers and stuff, and that’s pretty much it. I’m not worried about it, not going to milk it or anything. The quicker I can come back the better.”
Is it extra frustrating because you had just been moved to the starting lineup and were starting to find your place?
“That was definitely tough. On top of the position we’re in. We need all the bodies we have. So it’s definitely frustrating. I guess one perk is it’s just a bone. It wasn’t anything worse. And then, on top (of that), the All-Star break is going to take a week. So hopefully I don’t miss too much.”
Did it feel like you were just getting comfortable, then this happens?
“Yeah. Like I said, sometimes when something good happens to you, five more bad things are going to happen. That’s why I milk the good things. It’s going to work itself out. Everything’s going to be fine. Like I said, I’m lucky one of the weeks is going to be during the All-Star week. It’s only one bone. That’s it. It’s going to be all right.”
What will you do in the meantime to stay in shape?
“Just lift weights … stay in shape. I had a pretty good workout today. I can still do cardio, it’s not like it’s my legs or anything. I’m going to prep like I’m going to come back and play 30 minutes, so I can hit the ground running. Stay in shape, just keep it cool.”
Did you know it was broken?
“I didn’t think so, because I thought it would have hurt more. I felt like I had got hit (in) the funny bone. It just felt numb. It didn’t feel like it was anything crazy, like it was crazy hurt. I was just trying to get the feel back in my hands and keep playing. I didn’t think it was anything like that. But I knew I couldn’t grip the ball too well. So that was pretty much it. But I’ve been hit before, hurt before, things like that and I thought it would have felt way worse than how I felt.”
Are you a quick healer; do you think you’ll be on the short end of 5-6 weeks?
“Yeah, I think so. I broke my back in college on Dec. 5, 2009. My first game was Jan. 2006, 2010. So that took a month. I was 21 at the time; I’m old now. I just have to do what I need to do. Most importantly, I just have to listen to my trainers and not rush anything, but do what I can.”
What’s the next step? When will they take the cast off and check it out?
“I think I might get evaluated in like a week. That’s pretty much it. I’m going to be back. I’m going to prepare, like I said, like I’m going to hit the ground and play 30 minutes. I’m not going to get too down and I’m not going to do that whole thing where I practice two weeks and then I play. That never made sense to me. So if I’m going to practice, I’m going to play.”
What’s the worst thing about wearing that cast?
“Trying to find coats I could put on. Today, I had to wear my robe out.”
Your house robe?
“Yeah, my house robe. I always wear robes, but I was trying to move on from doing that. Next, probably my jewelry, putting my earrings on. I tried to sign a couple signatures and couldn’t. I guess a lot of different stuff. Opening up water.”
Still looks swollen?
“Does it? I probably just have big fingers. It runs in the family.”
You’re a big video game guy right? This has to hurt that.
“I don’t know. In this situation, my brothers and stuff may have an upper hand on me, you know what I’m saying. But only for a few weeks. It’ll be all good.”
Painful?
“When it first happened, no, it didn’t hurt at all. Now it kind of feels sore. But when it first happened, it … just felt like it was numb. The next morning when I woke up, it felt a little painful. I didn’t feel like it was a broken hand, per say. I thought that would feel worse.”
Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman
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