Pippen Out Indefinitely After Surgery
Trail Blazers forward Scottie Pippen will be sidelined indefinitely after arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone fragment in his right elbow.
Pippen underwent the operation Monday evening in Birmingham, Ala., at the clinic of Dr. James Andrews, a noted arthroscopic surgeon who has worked with several other pro teams.
The team said the operation was successful but refused to give other details. Coach Mike Dunleavy deferred to team trainer Jay Jensen, who refused to speak to reporters.
Pippen has missed 10 of the last 11 games with tendinitis in the elbow of his shooting arm. He was placed on the injured list last Thursday.
Dunleavy said it's not known how long the seven-time All-Star will be out.
"I think they evaluate after a week's time. But any kind of scope, you're going to be out 2-6 weeks, I would think," Dunleavy said at the team shootaround before Tuesday night's game against Chicago.
Detlef Schrempf, who retired on the first day of training camp in early October, could be back soon. Schrempf, 37, averaged 7.5 points and 4.3 rebounds for the Blazers last season and has remained on the roster. Stacey Augmon has started at small forward in Pippen's place.
Pippen, 35, is in his second season with the Blazers after winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls, followed by a miserable season in Houston. He was traded to the Blazers in October 1999 in a seven-player deal.
Pippen, in his 13th season, is averaging 10.5 points and 5.1 rebounds, his lowest numbers since his rookie year. He has been bothered by minor injuries, but played very well during a 12-game stretch beginning in mid-December.
He averaged 15.3 points and 6.3 rebounds during that span, and made 53 percent of his shots. He had a season-high 24 points and nine assists in a victory over Indiana on Jan. 3. But after scoring 22 in a win at Boston five nights later, his right arm stiffened up.
He missed the next six games and, after a two-point performance in a loss to the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 20, the injury became too painful to play again. He had the elbow examined by several doctors on the road before going to Andrews.
Portland has won eight of the 10 games Pippen has missed, and the Blazers are preparing to be without him for an extended period.
"This is a good challenge for us as a team," point guard Damon Stoudamire said. "Obviously, we're going to miss him. But we've been here before. Now we've just got to try to ste it up everybody, as a unit to try to give us what he was giving us."
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