Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Mystery Injury Puzzles Fans

Several weeks into the NBA season, Georgetown alumnus Otto Porter is still sitting on the sidelines at Verizon Center. Since being drafted third overall last year by the Washington Wizards, Porter sustained two injuries that have kept him off the floor: a strained right hamstring in mid-July and a strained right hip flexor in mid-September. Anxiously anticipating his return, D.C. basketball fans have endured a long, frustrating waiting game.
The hardest part about Porter’s situation is the ambiguity of it all. He has been listed as “day-to-day” for what seems like an eternity, as days of riding on the training bike have turned into weeks and months of sitting and watching on the bench. We know that his hip and hamstring are strained, but we do not really understand the severity of the injuries. Are the Wizards keeping something under wraps? Is it worse than it sounds?
Porter’s young NBA career has been nothing but ominous. On July 17, he left a summer league game against the Denver Nuggets with a tight right hamstring. For the rest of the summer, he did more bike riding than dribbling or shooting, with little positive news coming out of the front office. Then, on Sept. 28, Otto hurt himself again after slipping during a pickup game. Though he traveled with the team to Brazil in early October, he still had not returned to practice and even after meeting with doctors in mid-October, there was still no update. In fact, the most telling indication of Porter’s situation came Oct. 29, when Head Coach Randy Wittman admitted that he didn’t know who Porter was, as he has had no chance to coach him yet.
Fittingly, a reporter asked, “Is it a muscle thing, like, what the hell is it?” Indeed, that is the question. No one seems to know, and if anyone does, they are certainly not telling us.
Meanwhile, “I don’t know” is the only thing that we are hearing. Wittman has been at a loss for words, constantly playing mum and referring to his lack of knowledge when fielding questions from radio hosts and reporters. Four months after Porter’s initial injury, there is still no timetable for his return. All we do know is that the pain is still “lingering.” Sometimes, it sounds much worse than that – as of late October, Porter was not even able to shoot standing still.
That is definitely not what we want or expected to hear. When he left Georgetown two years shy of graduation, hopes were high that Otto could be the Hoyas’ latest NBA star, following in the footsteps of Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert and Greg Monroe. He had no serious injury concerns while playing at Georgetown and was able to endure the big, physical play of Big East basketball.
In addition to their expectations for Porter as an individual, fans are hoping the Wizards can be competitive this season. Believe it or not, the Wizards actually have a shot at being halfway decent this year. They certainly have a young and exciting roster capable of putting together some wins. Drafted first overall in 2010, Kentucky standout John Wall is running the point, averaging 17 points and eight assists per game over the past three seasons. The Wizards acquired veteran forward Nene Hilario in 2011 and drafted guard Bradley Beal third overall in 2012. Although the team is off to a disappointing 3-7 start this season, they have played close games against Philadelphia, Miami and Brooklyn while barely losing to Oklahoma City in overtime.
The NBA has a long season ahead, and if Otto can be anywhere near as good as Georgetown fans know he can be, the Wizards may defy expectations. Heck, I may even buy some tickets if I can watch Porter play at the professional level. Two weeks ago, the Wizards encouraged Georgetown fans when they ran a full-page ad in The Hoya to promote student ticket discounts that featured Porter’s smiling face in the background.
The day Porter steps onto the court cannot come soon enough. But for now, all we can do is wait and hope that his injury is just as temporary as the Wizards’ front office wants us to believe.

Nick Fedyk is a senior in the college. more than a game appears every Friday. 

Leave a Comment
Donate to The Hoya

Your donation will support the student journalists of Georgetown University. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to The Hoya

Comments (0)

All The Hoya Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *