Z's feet

If you've ever wondered, as I have, what Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas goes through to keep his tormented feet in playing shape, The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff has written an excellent story on the subject.
Eariler this season, hall-of-fame center Bill Walton remarked that the NBA is missing out on one of the great comeback stories in the league. He's right.

Consider that:

A) Z has 10 screws holding his feet together -- seven in the left and three in the right.

B) He's had five feet operations since 1995.

C) The most recent foot operation in February 2001 was an all-or-nothing gamble, as Baltimore surgeon Mark Myerson surgically altered the shape of Z's left foot. The surgery could either have repaired the foot, or forced Z to walk with a limp for the rest of his life.

D) The recovery took nearly a year of painful rehab. Z has to undergo a regimen of nearly constant exercise and icing to keep his feet in playing shape during the season.

E) He's only 30.

When you look at where Z has been and where he is now, it is a startling turn of events. Z suffered his most recent foot fracture in December 2000. After undergoing a previous surgery in January of that year, struggling through yet another lengthy rehab stint, only to have another fracture sideline him, Z was seriously mulling over retirement. The surgery performed by Myerson was viewed as a last-ditch effort to save his career.
The Cavs had drafted Chris Mihm and DeSagana Diop in 2000 and 2001 in ill-fated attempts to replace Z should he have decided to end his career. But he stepped on the floor about a quarter of the way through the 2001-02 season, and hasn't left for a foot-related problem since.
Since returning, Z has made a pair of all-star teams, and has emerged as one of the elite centers in the game. He's become durable, missing no games in the 2002-03 or 2003-04 seasons due to injury. He missed a handful last year with a dislocated finger on his shooting hand.
This year, he is setting to work burying the long-standing notion that he is a one-trick pony who is soft and can't play defense. Through Wednesday's win in Minnesota, Z is averaging 16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, all the while showing a hustle and willingness to mix it up on defense that he has seldom shown before. That's likely due in large part to the schemes and teaching of head coach Mike Brown.
Z can score outside with a smooth mid-range jumper, and is a master at drawing fouls inside and getting to the free-throw line. Sending Z to the line is like handing Paris Hilton a boyfriend, video camera and darkened bedroom. He is the top free-throw shooting center in the NBA this year, making foul shots at a nearly 87 percent clip. He is the only player in the NBA in the top 20 in both free-throw percentage and field goal percentage (.514).
And yet, because Z plays with an ambling, cumbersome style that is not TV-friendly, he has become the Bob Wickman of the Cavs: underappreciated, and always making fans think the grass might be greener somewhere else. But, like Wickman, he gets the job done in his own way. And that's the bottom line.
For those who know basketball, and know just how rare a 7'-3" center with Z's skill set is, he is invaluable. We appreciate what LeBron brings to the floor on a nightly basis. We should appreciate Z in much the same way. It's a blessing he's even on the floor.