The Rockets are unsure why the disgruntled Omer Asik has been unable to make improvement on his injury. Although an MRI last week showed no damage, Asik’s knee has been swelling every time he increases his activity, according to the Houston Chronicle:
The Rockets were not only still without center Omer Asik—and will not have him for the immediate future at least—they were also still unsure why he has been unable to make improvement from his injury.
Asik has repeatedly been able to make strides and greatly increase workouts, but each time he seems close to being able to return, the swelling in his knee returns. The Rockets sent him for the more detailed MRI last week, but it showed no damage to the knee. They have sent those test results to another expert, hoping to get a better idea of why the problem remains so persistent.
Asik initially went out after a bruised thigh Dec. 2. Swelling developed in his knee soon after, forcing him to miss the next 11 games, an absence made an even greater issue with backup center Greg Smith also out.
“He had some swelling again in his knee,” McHale said. “It seems like he amps it up to a certain level and it swells up again. They’re still trying to figure out what’s causing that swelling when he gets up to a certain level of activity. They MRI, they sent it out again for certain people to look at again. His symptoms are not going the way the doctors think they should be.”
