Ben Golliver's post on Portland Trail Blazers | Latest updates on Sulia

Back in Feb., Elliot Williams opened up about battling back from 2 season-ending knee surgeries. Here's the passage

"A year ago, at this time, I couldn't even walk," he told me after the game. "I was in the bed. It was tough. I had surgery on both my knees. I worked hard to get back on the court. It's a blessing." Often, the thought of future on-court glory will inspire or motivate injured players through that mental minefield. They can escape from mental and physical pain, or seemingly endless boredom, by closing their eyes to picture hitting a winning shot, or crossing someone over, or being introduced to the crowd. The fantasy can be a good way to finish a repetition, or a run, or simply to help get up and out of bed. For Williams, that was not the case. During second half action against the Spurs, he spread out his arms like wings after throwing down an alley-oop dunk at full speed, his head nearly hitting the backboard. It was an iconic moment, a picture that will likely be the most memorable of his 2011-2012 season. But it wasn't an image that he had in his mind last year. "It's hard to see that when you can't walk," he said. "But I'm a guy who works very hard. I knew I would get back going." http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/2/22/2815692/media-row-report-blazers-137-spurs-97