Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph will begin rehabbing his injured right knee this week according to team physician Dr. Fred Azar.
Randolph suffered a partially torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee during a January 1 game against the Chicago Bulls.
Grizzlies teammate O.J. Mayo inadvertently fell into Randolph’s legs with a minute left in the first quarter. Randolph was originally believed to have a badly bruised knee, but an MRI revealed the tear.
Doctor Azar classified Randolph’s torn MCL as a Grade 2 injury, meaning that the ligament wasn’t so badly damaged that it required surgery.
After the initial examination revealed the tear, Doctor Azar said it would take six to eight weeks before Randolph could return to action.
Losing Randolph was a huge blow to the Grizzlies following the news that Darrell Arthur was lost for the season due to a torn Achilles.
Doctor Azar is confident that Randolph will fully recover from the injury and return to the Grizzlies’ lineup with a little more than half of the regular season remaining.
If Randolph does need the full eight weeks to recover, he will have missed 31 games. At the latest, he’s expected to return on March 2 against the Toronto Raptors.
