Unfortunately another post was deleted that I had commented on and so I thought it more suitable to create a Post to try and give some words of experience to help with expectations.

In the summer of 1994, I had just played and unfortunately lost in the quarter finals of the British College Championship, to a team from Sheffield Unversity that consisted of 3 of the Sheffield Sharks's National Championship team, so I didnt feel so bad.

A couple of days later at practice I took a rebound, made a fast break right, but just as I went at full speed, I clipped the guy's ankle who had turned the opposite way that I had just rebounded. Thus at full sprint, my foot was now turned 90 degrees to the left and down, so that outside of my foot was now the first thing to hit the ground, at full sprint.

"CRACK", sure enough, my ankle collapsed with a proper crack that everyone in the gym heard and I thought there and then whilst screaming my head off, that I had broken my ankle. I was rushed to hospital in Leeds and the doctors found by sheer chance that the bone had not broken, but that I had torn the right achilles, but again fortunately not all the way across.

The end result was a boot cast for 2 months, brace and crutches for another 2 months, walking excercise for 2 months thereafter and after 6 months I returned to the Basketball gym, not to shoot hoops, but to run and run, and run, and run. Up and down the hall, simply building strength back into the ankle, all the while, wearing an ankle support.

8 months after the injury I started shooting hoops and making jump shots again, all the while wearing an ankle brace which takes some getting used to, but also "SLOWS" you down.

The following season I could still feel the ankle was not 100% and I continued to wear the ankle support everytime I played for that following year, but to this day, my ankle now clicks if I rotate it.

So enough of the background and to the point of the post.

Monta's injury is pretty similar in terms of severity, however he has time, some of the best resources and specialists all working to get him fit again. But time and time again I read comments here of "well when he comes back in December we will have another great weapon again", etc etc.

To those people, I urge you not to be disappointed if it takes a little longer. I was pretty much the same age as Monta when I did my ankle and it is trully incredible how well the body heals and he is galaxies ahead of me in terms of being an athlete than I was, so he will heal fast, but give the guy chance to bed himself in slowly.

He will no doubt have to use an ankle brace to start off with and he simply wont have the confidence for the first month or so, to truly go at it, the way he used to, without a little voice in his head saying "watch the ankle". You dont mean to, it just happens and just that thought, takes a second off your initial run.

Therefore I encourage you to have sensible expectations of Monta when he comes back, as it is going to take a LOT of gym time and practice, before he is ready to hit the court in an NBA environment. Remember he has to be 100% certain that if big Ronny T, of a KG lands on his ankle, it is strong enough not to instantly pop, and put him back further than he is now.

Now I am not the doctor involved in his case, but having been through a similar process, I just wanted some people to know that may not have faced an injury like this, how difficult it is, what bloody hard work it is to recover and "managing expectations" is the key here.

If he can come back and for the first couple of months, simply draw another defensive player to him, due to the threat, then he opens the court slightly for the other guys. Hopefully, then, if possible and due to increased ball movement and better defense, we reach the playoffs, THEN, he might just be fully fit to give us a sign of the pre-Moped Ellis.

But a fully fit, same as old Monta Ellis on December 26th against Boston, I dont think there is a hope in hell! Certianly not for a game of that status and the tempo that it is likely to be played.

My prediction for his return would be at home either on Jan 11th - Indiana, or Jan 14 - Sacramento. Just my guess. We'll see how the boy wander does.

I still dont like the way he handled himself follwoing the event or the bahaviour of his agent since, but I do wish him the fastest recovery possible and the safest return to action possible as he certainly provides firepower and threat that other teams find hard to match.