This was going to be the season Shawn Bradley broke through in the NBA. He would return from a knee injury, and the Philadelphia 76ers would get off to a fresh start with a new coach.
So much for optimism.The 7-foot-6 center reinjured his left knee and skipped off the court in pain during Philadelphia's 105-98 exhibition victory over Minnesota on Wednesday night in Provo. All the questions concerning the team's future returned with the injury.
Coach John Lucas said Bradley will miss the remainder of the preseason and is sidelined indefinitely while doctors determine the extent of the injury. They don't believe it's as serious as the dislocated kneecap that forced him to miss the final 32 games of his rookie season.
"It isn't near the swelling he had last year," Lucas said by telephone from Los Angeles. "He has had some range of motion in it. Guys can get injured at any time. I talked to him, he seemed positive, and we'll just have to go on from here."
Dr. Stephen Lombardo, an orthopedic specialist at the Kerlan and Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles, did not have a specific diagnosis Thursday. Bradley was to undergo more tests in Philadelphia today.
Bradley hurt the knee while attempting to block a shot by Doug West during the Timberwolves' first possession. Bradley landed on West's foot and crumbled into the basketball standard at the BYU Marriott Center.
"He won't play any more preseason games, and we'll go from there," Lucas said. "We'll see where he is based on when he's looked at by our physician. We don't have a time frame (for his return)."
Lucas also said forward Scott Williams, acquired from the Chicago Bulls in the offseason, also will miss the remainder of the exhibition season with muscle problems in his lower back. The injury is not believed serious, but requires rest.
Philadelphia has four games remaining on its exhibition schedule before opening the regular season against Milwaukee on Nov. 4.
The injuries leave Philadelphia thin along its front line. Williams was expected to man the power forward spot, along with first-round pick Sharone Wright.
"We'll just find things and experiment with lineups," Lucas said. "We'll be looking at different offenses and see what we can run."
The Sixers were hoping for a big season out of Bradley after he underwent a strenuous weight program with former Mr. Universe Lee Haney and workouts with NBA career scoring leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Bradley signed an 8-year, $44.2 million contract after he was chosen second overall in the 1993 draft. He averaged 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds and blocked 147 shots in 49 games last season, but was criticized for getting pushed around by the league's stronger centers.
Bradley played poorly in the preseason, shooting 22 percent from the field, but Lucas was looking toward improving the team in his first year. Now, he's not even sure who will start the season.
"We played how I think we were going to look this season," Lucas said. "We'll just find things and experiment with lineups. We'll be looking at different offenses and see what we can run."