Hard work pays off for Grizzlies' oft-injured Arthur
Darrell Arthur sustained two serious injuries in his first four NBA seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies.
He missed most of his second season with a torn biceps. And he missed all of last year with a torn Achilles tendon sustained in the brief training camp of a strike-shortened season.
But two seasons ago, when the Grizzlies took the Oklahoma City Thunder to Game 7 of a second-round Western Conference playoff series, the 6-foot-9, 230-pound Arthur averaged 9.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game. He played in all 13 playoff games, averaging 7.1 points and 2.2 rebounds.
Because of that season and because he has worked so diligently at his Achilles rehab, the Grizzlies have agreed to a new three-year, $9 million contract for Arthur. The third year of Arthur's deal is a player option.
"I've already established myself in Memphis with the owner, the GM and the coach," Arthur said. "All I was thinking about was coming back. I'm happy with what they offered because I wasn't really looking at any other team.
Arthur has advanced to jogging, standstill shooting and treadmill incline walks. He's also doing yoga in his daily workouts and he is supposed to start sprinting and explosive jumping in August. He is scheduled to be ready for training camp in October.
