Sixers' Williams could be healthy for the playoffs
On Sunday, 76ers guard Lou Williams said he was confident he'd be ready for the NBA playoffs. Last week, Williams listed his status as "hopeful," but progress during recent treatment sessions has Williams more optimistic that he will be available when the team's first-round playoff series begins this weekend.
On Sunday, 76ers guard Lou Williams said he was confident he'd be ready for the NBA playoffs.
Last week, Williams listed his status as "hopeful," but progress during recent treatment sessions has Williams more optimistic that he will be available when the team's first-round playoff series begins this weekend.
Williams strained his right hamstring against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 2 and the Sixers have sorely missed the reserve guard's presence. They lost against Milwaukee and were beaten by Boston and New York before slipping by a bad Toronto team Friday night.
"I feel really confident that I'll be ready to play come playoff time," Williams said. "I think I've made a lot of progress. I'm happy where I'm at with all of the rehab. I'm able to run and shoot a little bit, get some movement, which is able to give me some confidence."
The Sixers have not offered a date for Williams' return, saying only that an MRI exam confirmed the injury and that he would be evaluated continually. Williams said he would not play again during the regular season, which continues Monday at home against the Orlando Magic and concludes Wednesday with a home game against Detroit.
After Sunday's practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Williams relayed Saturday's long day of treatment: swimming, stretching, cardio, exercises, and shooting.
Williams said he has been taking some one-dribble, pull-up jumpers.
On Saturday, Sixers coach Doug Collins heard from the team's trainer, Kevin Johnson, who told him that Williams had made great strides.
Collins called this "good news."
"K.J. texted me about 1 o'clock and just said Lou got in the swimex and felt really good about that and did some conditioning lightly and did some one-dribble shooting," Collins said. "I think Lou was excited."
Williams said he was aiming to return to full-contact practice on Thursday or Friday. The Sixers will have two or three practice days after Wednesday's final regular-season game and before the start of the playoffs.
"That's my goal," Williams said. "I would hope to get a couple of days of full contact."
Back to work. The Sixers took Saturday off but had a long workout Sunday in advance of both Monday's game against the Magic and their impending playoff series. Collins said he was pleased with the way his team responded after the off day, adding the Sixers reviewed some things, specifically on offense.
"We have to start thinking we could be in a playoff game six days from now," Collins said.
The Sixers are 41-39, good for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. They will play either the Boston Celtics or the Miami Heat when the playoffs begin.
