Dallas Mavericks center Chris Kaman has been out for over a week after suffering a concussion during practice. He has not been able to do anything with the team since January 28 because he has not passed the NBA’s new concussion test.
Clearly, having to sit out for this long is frustrating the Mavericks’ big man and he is not shy about sharing his opinion on the process to return to action.
It's the stupidest test ever,” Kaman said after getting in some light shooting on Tuesday. “For so many years in the NBA, they never had to do that stuff, and now they come up with all that concussion protocol crap. It's not cool, but it is cool, I guess. It keeps people safe. I just try to do the right things and wait until I can pass the test.
I like Kaman’s immediate flip-flop in the middle of his statement after he realizes he is insulting an NBA policy designed to keep players safe. Obviously, with the new restrictions in place, returning to action from a concussion is going to take longer than it has in the past. That can be really frustrating for guys that want to get back on the floor and play.
Hopefully it'll progress farther and farther forward, take that test, pass it and play sooner than later," Kaman said. "I'm tired of sitting around. It sucks. You can't do much.
For Kaman, he should be taking this time off to get refocused. Before he went down with the injury, all his numbers were slipping, and he was not adding much to the Mavs anyway. In the two games before his concussion, he played just 11 and 12 minutes respectively.
When he finally passes the test, who knows if the Mavericks will even use him.
Image: NBA.com
