Injury Report
- Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin will be miss the rest of season after arthroscopic surgery on 11/15 to remove “loose bodies” from his right knee turned into his second microfracture procedure in two years.
It’s a shame really, because Martin was just starting to look like his old self after having microfracture surgery on his left knee in May of 2005.
Fortunately for the Nugs, they have plenty of big bodies to replace him. Eduardo Najera has been starting for K-Mart while Reggie Evans and Joe Smith have been splitting Najera’s old minutes. Linas Kleiza is another very capable replacement sitting at the end of Denver’s bench as well.
I think this is a blessing in disguise for coach George Karl. There’s no doubt that losing a player of Martin’s caliber hurts, but I have a feeling their chemistry is going to improve. Najera, Evans, Smith & Kleiza are all low maintenance, hard working guys that have no problem playing a role. This should allow Carmelo Anthony to further exert his leadership over the squad.
If the Nugs do play better minus Kenyon, it wouldn't surprise me if they tried to trade him in the off season. I know K-Mart's value is at an all time low now, and that it's going to be very tough to move the remaining four years and 59 million dollars on his contract, but that's what Vice President Mark Warkentien was hired to do. My suggestion? Take .10 cents on the dollar from anyone that wants him and call it addition by subtraction.
- Los Angeles Lakers center Chris Mihm will be out six to eight months after undergoing surgery on 11/14 to realign his heel bone as well as repair a ligament and tendon in his right ankle.
Some may view this as a blow to the Lakers, but I’m pretty damn happy about it. I had really been sweating how Mihm, Kwame Brown and 19 year old phenom Andrew Bynum would split minutes when they were all healthy
Problem solved now.
Sure I’d prefer Mihm over Kwame as Bynum’s back up, but the important thing is that Andrew is ensured playing time for the rest of the season. The kid has massive *upside* and the Lakers will be fine with Brown, Ronny Turiaf and Brian Cook in reserve.
As for Mihm’s future with the club, his contract is up after the year, and something tells me he has played his last game for the purple and gold.
- Portland Trail Blazers forward Darius Miles had microfracture surgery on his right knee in New York on 11/14 and will miss the rest of the season.
I wish I could say that I care, but I don’t. The Blazers are playing well, and not having Darius around is a big part of that as I see it. No more bad influence on Zach Randolph. No more pissing coach Nate McMillan off. And most importantly, no more getting in trouble with the law. Well, maybe not. But if he does, at least he’s not around the team on a day to day basis anymore.
Portland has been starting local product Ime Udoka in Miles’ stead. Udoka is nothing special, but he plays hard and is a great chemistry guy. In other words, the exact opposite of Darius.
The biggest bonus to Miles not being around is that fourth year forward Travis Outlaw is finally getting his chance, and he’s making the most it. Travis is averaging 9.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 steals while shooting 50.8% in 24 minutes per game. Did I mention that Outlaw is just 22 years old too? Nice!
D Miles' whole game was based on athletic ability, and nothing more. After this latest procedure, there isn't a shot in hell that he comes back anywhere close to the same mediocre player he was. Darius has four years (including this one) and 34 million dollars left on his deal. If President Steve Patterson is smart he’ll work out a buyout ASAP and just keep the dead weight of his contract on the books until after the ’09-10 season. Trust me, Portland will be better off because of it.
- Boston Celtics forward Al Jefferson underwent an emergency appendectomy on 11/8 and should be back in two to three weeks.
Big Al was the Celts 6th man and was averaging career highs in points (11.3), rebounds (7), blocks (1.3), field goal shooting (53.6%) and minutes (26.7).
Boston will miss Al Jef’s low post scoring while he is out, but more importantly, this is yet another set back for Jefferson. The timing could not be worse either because it looked like he was finally ready to build on the potential he showed as a rookie two seasons ago.
I’ve been touting him for a while now, so I hope he gets back soon and continues to improve for no other reason then I hate to be wrong.
- Little known Houston Rockets forward Chuck Hayes will miss up to two weeks because of a bruised and hyperextended left knee that he injured in a collision with Shaquille O'Neal on 11/12. (Shaq, coincidentally, is also out from that same impact.)
Hayes is nothing special, but he's second on the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg) and is a great glue guy. He hustles all over the place, guards the opposition's best big man and doesn't need the ball on offense.
His replacements just do not bring any of those same qualities to the table. Rookie Steve Novak is not ready. Journeyman Scott Padgett is what he is. Which leaves only veteran Juwan Howard (who has been starting for Chuck). Not only are Howard's best days long gone, but he's not the defender or rebounder that Hayes is, AND Juwan needs the ball on offense to effective and remain interested.
I'm sure Houston will survive without Chuck in the short term, but Hayes is a guy they need to reach their potential as a team.
- Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko sprained his right ankle on 11/11 in Milwaukee and will miss at least the next two games. This is the same ankle that AK-47 hurt last year, but it doesn't seem to be as severe as originally thought.
Andrei has been struggling on offense this year (I'm being kind) averaging only 8.4 points on 43.5% shooting. His numbers are also down from last season's in every other statistical category that the league keep. That's the bad news. The good news is that the Jazz were winning anyway, and now that he is out I don't see Utah struggling to score in his absence.
Where the Jazz are eventually going to miss him is on defense. Other then Ron Artest, there's not another player in the NBA that single handedly causes as much havoc on the defensive end as Kirilenko does.
As with all AK-47's injuries though, this one has the chance to linger. So stay tuned...
It’s a shame really, because Martin was just starting to look like his old self after having microfracture surgery on his left knee in May of 2005.
Fortunately for the Nugs, they have plenty of big bodies to replace him. Eduardo Najera has been starting for K-Mart while Reggie Evans and Joe Smith have been splitting Najera’s old minutes. Linas Kleiza is another very capable replacement sitting at the end of Denver’s bench as well.
I think this is a blessing in disguise for coach George Karl. There’s no doubt that losing a player of Martin’s caliber hurts, but I have a feeling their chemistry is going to improve. Najera, Evans, Smith & Kleiza are all low maintenance, hard working guys that have no problem playing a role. This should allow Carmelo Anthony to further exert his leadership over the squad.
If the Nugs do play better minus Kenyon, it wouldn't surprise me if they tried to trade him in the off season. I know K-Mart's value is at an all time low now, and that it's going to be very tough to move the remaining four years and 59 million dollars on his contract, but that's what Vice President Mark Warkentien was hired to do. My suggestion? Take .10 cents on the dollar from anyone that wants him and call it addition by subtraction.
- Los Angeles Lakers center Chris Mihm will be out six to eight months after undergoing surgery on 11/14 to realign his heel bone as well as repair a ligament and tendon in his right ankle.
Some may view this as a blow to the Lakers, but I’m pretty damn happy about it. I had really been sweating how Mihm, Kwame Brown and 19 year old phenom Andrew Bynum would split minutes when they were all healthy
Problem solved now.
Sure I’d prefer Mihm over Kwame as Bynum’s back up, but the important thing is that Andrew is ensured playing time for the rest of the season. The kid has massive *upside* and the Lakers will be fine with Brown, Ronny Turiaf and Brian Cook in reserve.
As for Mihm’s future with the club, his contract is up after the year, and something tells me he has played his last game for the purple and gold.
- Portland Trail Blazers forward Darius Miles had microfracture surgery on his right knee in New York on 11/14 and will miss the rest of the season.
I wish I could say that I care, but I don’t. The Blazers are playing well, and not having Darius around is a big part of that as I see it. No more bad influence on Zach Randolph. No more pissing coach Nate McMillan off. And most importantly, no more getting in trouble with the law. Well, maybe not. But if he does, at least he’s not around the team on a day to day basis anymore.
Portland has been starting local product Ime Udoka in Miles’ stead. Udoka is nothing special, but he plays hard and is a great chemistry guy. In other words, the exact opposite of Darius.
The biggest bonus to Miles not being around is that fourth year forward Travis Outlaw is finally getting his chance, and he’s making the most it. Travis is averaging 9.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 steals while shooting 50.8% in 24 minutes per game. Did I mention that Outlaw is just 22 years old too? Nice!
D Miles' whole game was based on athletic ability, and nothing more. After this latest procedure, there isn't a shot in hell that he comes back anywhere close to the same mediocre player he was. Darius has four years (including this one) and 34 million dollars left on his deal. If President Steve Patterson is smart he’ll work out a buyout ASAP and just keep the dead weight of his contract on the books until after the ’09-10 season. Trust me, Portland will be better off because of it.
- Boston Celtics forward Al Jefferson underwent an emergency appendectomy on 11/8 and should be back in two to three weeks.
Big Al was the Celts 6th man and was averaging career highs in points (11.3), rebounds (7), blocks (1.3), field goal shooting (53.6%) and minutes (26.7).
Boston will miss Al Jef’s low post scoring while he is out, but more importantly, this is yet another set back for Jefferson. The timing could not be worse either because it looked like he was finally ready to build on the potential he showed as a rookie two seasons ago.
I’ve been touting him for a while now, so I hope he gets back soon and continues to improve for no other reason then I hate to be wrong.
- Little known Houston Rockets forward Chuck Hayes will miss up to two weeks because of a bruised and hyperextended left knee that he injured in a collision with Shaquille O'Neal on 11/12. (Shaq, coincidentally, is also out from that same impact.)
Hayes is nothing special, but he's second on the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg) and is a great glue guy. He hustles all over the place, guards the opposition's best big man and doesn't need the ball on offense.
His replacements just do not bring any of those same qualities to the table. Rookie Steve Novak is not ready. Journeyman Scott Padgett is what he is. Which leaves only veteran Juwan Howard (who has been starting for Chuck). Not only are Howard's best days long gone, but he's not the defender or rebounder that Hayes is, AND Juwan needs the ball on offense to effective and remain interested.
I'm sure Houston will survive without Chuck in the short term, but Hayes is a guy they need to reach their potential as a team.
- Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko sprained his right ankle on 11/11 in Milwaukee and will miss at least the next two games. This is the same ankle that AK-47 hurt last year, but it doesn't seem to be as severe as originally thought.
Andrei has been struggling on offense this year (I'm being kind) averaging only 8.4 points on 43.5% shooting. His numbers are also down from last season's in every other statistical category that the league keep. That's the bad news. The good news is that the Jazz were winning anyway, and now that he is out I don't see Utah struggling to score in his absence.
Where the Jazz are eventually going to miss him is on defense. Other then Ron Artest, there's not another player in the NBA that single handedly causes as much havoc on the defensive end as Kirilenko does.
As with all AK-47's injuries though, this one has the chance to linger. So stay tuned...
posted by D$ at 6:19 PM
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