Dwight Howard reveals “6-to-8 week” time frame for return

Dwight Howard on Sunday spoke to the media for the first time since receiving a bone marrow aspirate injection in his right knee, and the Rockets’ center revealed that he expected to be out six to eight weeks.

“Looking at the doctors say six to eight weeks, you’re like ‘Oh man, that’s a long time,'” said Howard. “But then I just start thinking about the positive things that can happen in those six to eight weeks.”

Howard was in great spirits, saying repeatedly that “everything happens for a reason” and that he’s looking at the positives.

Dr. Walt Lowe of the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute, who performed the procedure, followed Dwight in speaking to the press and said that time frame is “very reasonable.”

Lowe was asked when that 6-8 week time frame technically started and he clarified that Dwight can come back much sooner than that, depending on how he’s doing.

“It’s kind of whenever you want it to (start),” said Dr. Lowe. “Seriously, it’s just an estimate. This will happen as he heals, so I’m not going to let him wait to four weeks if he’s ready to push at two. We have to make decisions week in and week out based on how he’s doing and based on the level of loading. I’d say from the day of the procedure, the day he quit playing is probably where that concept comes from, but really it’s more just a time frame to say that’s probably very reasonable for him to be Dwight again.”

Lowe was optimistic, saying it’s not a day to day thing but a “week to week” injury.