Food for thought when projecting Tracy's impact next season - according to a 2012 Drexel University study of 19 NBA players who suffered Achilles tears:
-7 never played again
-Among the 12 who returned to play at least one season, minutes per game dropped by 4.21
-PER declined by 4.64
-FT attempts per game generally down
-Usage rates generally down
Wesley Matthews is the most recent high-profile player to come back from a torn Achilles. His statistical decline is absolutely standard for this injury. Here's a comparison of his last two seasons (2014-15 pre-injury; 15-16 post-injury):
2014-15: PPG - 15.9, REB - 3.7, FTA - 2.4, FG% - 44.8, 3PT% - 38.9, EFG% - 56.3, TS% - 58.6, Usage Rate - 19.8, Win Shares - 6.2, VORP - 3.0
2015-16: PPG - 12.5, REB - 3.1, FTA - 1.9, FG% - 38.9, 3PT% - 36.3, EFG% - 50.0, TS% - 53.4, Usage Rate - 17.2, Win Shares - 3.6, VORP - 1.6
Again, this decline is par for the course and demonstrates that, unlike ACL injuries, the prognosis for Achilles tears has not improved with recent advances in medical technology. Tracy was a replacement level B1G player before the ACL and Achilles injuries. Expecting him to be a starter quality player when he returns is unreasonable. I hope he defies the odds, but I'm guessing he won't be able to contribute much. I'd be pretty surprised if he gives us even as much as Khalid Lewis this past year. I think that's the absolute ceiling. I just hope that Te'Jon is ready to contribute immediately.