Rewind to last year, the NBA Lockout was in full swing and Denver Nuggets fans wondered if the amnesty clause would be used and, in fact, it would be used on Al Harrington. However, little did they know Al Harrington worked hard during the lockout including concentrating on his health and his workouts specifically.
Fast forward to January, with the condensed season in full throttle, Al Harrington had emerged as Denver’s 6th man.
Out of the first 9 games Denver had played last season, Harrington had scored double digits in 8 of them. His stat line said it all: 15.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG and has the second best PER on the Denver squad with a 22.36. He sat at 10.5 points per game last season, and while this was a small sample size, Harrington proved to be a glue guy for Denver and became another scoring option as well as a consistent rebounder.
Al Harrington was part of the heart — if not the heart — of Denver’s tough season last year.
Unfortunately, he tore his meniscus in April — but still managed to endure his pain and play through the playoffs — and although he had surgery to correct this, he developed a staph infection, and multiple other surgeries. Needless to say, Al won”t be ready for training camp, but proclaims he will be read for the season as told to Inside Hoops.
InsideHoops.com: What’s the latest on you and your surgery?
Al Harrington: I had tore my meniscus in April, towards the end of the season or whatever, and got it fixed after Game 7 or whatever. And then I got a staph infection. So I was sick, man. I had like three surgeries. And then a couple weeks later, they checked my knee again and it still was kinda cloudy in there. So I had to wait six weeks and take medicine… and then I had surgery again this Monday. Hopefully it’s the last one.
InsideHoops.com: So if everything goes as planned and hoped, when will you be ready to play basketball?
Harrington: I’ll be ready for the first game of the season. I don’t think I’ll be ready for training camp. First game of the season is my goal. I think I can make it happen.
Give that Al Harrington is on crutches and has fought a staph infection, the assumption he will miss the early part of the season and may seen limited minutes for much of the season. Thankfully, the Denver Nuggets are as deep as an ocean and Denver may just see what Anthony Randolph is really made of.
Or maybe not as Al Harrington has surprised fans before.
