Are the Houston Rockets suffering from the loss of Patrick Patterson and Marcus Morris? Ric Bucher has the answer: “The Rockets made two trade deadline moves that sacrificed the present for the future and they loomed large in Sun- day’s pivotal loss to the Warriors. Dealing Patrick Patterson to the Kings for Thomas Robinson (in essence) and Marcus Morris to the Suns for cap space removed two players who averaged a combined 24.5 and 11.5 at PF in the first two games vs. Golden State, games that Houston won handily. In the two games vs. GS since the deals, their replacements, Robinson and Donatas Montejunas, averaged a combined 6.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. (It hasn’t helped that Robinson has missed an uncontested shot at the rim in both games and McHale has immediately banished him to the bench both times.)”
No one is counting out the Lakers at this point even without Kobe Bryant because of Steve Nash’s resurgence as the focal point of the offense, from Bucher: “None of the GMs or scouts I’ve talked to in the last few days are counting the Lakers out of the playoff picture regardless of how long Kobe Bryant is out for one reason: Steve Nash appears to be back to being as much like Steve Nash as, at 39, he’s capable of being. Kobe being out means Nash gets to resume the more familiar role of main facilitator and he’s averaging 17 points, 10.5 assists and 2.5 turnovers over the last two games without the Black Mamba, both wins. Dwight Howard regaining a great deal of his mobility also helps protect Nash at the defensive end. Now the question will be, Who runs the show when Kobe returns?”
Sanders should be considered for the Most Improved Player award this season.
- Jim Boylan promised to have a serious discussion about Larry Sanders’s behavior after watching the center get ejected in two consecutive games. Sanders, meanwhile, insinuated biased officiating by the referees. Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel has details: “You’re a professional athlete, and you have to behave like a professional,” Boylan said. “The referees don’t come in here with an agenda, for the most part. They come in here and ref the game. “I know all those guys. It doesn’t mean you can’t have an argument or a disagreement with one of them. That happens in the heat of the game. We’ll talk with Larry. Like I’ve said to Larry before, I don’t mind him playing with emotion as long as it doesn’t hurt the team. “Getting ejected from two games in a row, it’s not good for our team and it’s not good for Larry.” Sanders was ejected late in the loss in Washington on Wednesday night. “I can imagine it’s hard for a referee to ref a Miami Heat game,” Sanders said. “It’s hard for me to take that sometimes. I feel like things are kind of swayed. Maybe (I should) care a little less.”
The soreness Pau Gasol recently felt in his foot was to be expected, from Eric Pincus of Los Angeles Times: “Talking briefly in the Lakers locker room before his teammates took on the Sacramento Kings, Pau Gasol said the recent soreness in his recovering foot was not a significant setback. Gasol tore the plantar fascia in his right foot on Feb. 5 during a game against Brooklyn. The Lakers estimated his recovery would take a minimum of six to eight weeks. After ramping up his activity with hopes of returning by Tuesday, Gasol felt enough pain in his foot to see a specialist, (Dr. Kenneth Jung. “He said it’s to be expected as you raise the intensity, the amount you’re putting on the foot is going to create a little soreness,” said Gasol. “It’s a pretty normal reaction from the injury that I had.” The Lakers power forward will continue to push toward a return but didn’t want to guess when that will be. “I don’t want to put any dates so there are no disappointments or surprises,” said Gasol.”
What is the status on Derrick Rose? “He has a ways to go,” according to Tom Thibodeau. Joe Cowley of Sun-Times has more: “Nothing has changed,’’ Thibodeau said of his MVP point guard, who did go through a full practice at the Berto Center. “He keeps improving, he still has a ways to go.’’ It’s the “ways to go’’ part that won’t sit well with Bulls fans, or more specifically, the social media world that was declaring Rose a possibility because Comcast SportsNet announced that it moved the Bulls game from CSN-plus to their main station. Thibodeau was asked if Rose could play at all during the upcoming three-game homestand, especially because it makes sense that if there is a debut for Rose this season, it would take place at home. “I’m not going to get into that,’’ Thibodeau responded. “When he’s ready, he’s ready. He’s got to keep working, that’s all.’’
Although there is still no official timetable, Rose is feeling healthy and has improved on some of the deficiencies in his game, from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports: “I’m feeling healthy, man,” Rose told Yahoo! Sports afterward. “That’s the only thing that matters.” But what matters now is Rose’s mental confidence in his surgically repaired left knee, which is critical for Rose before he pushes for clearance to make his season debut. When will that be? There isn’t a target date, but Rose is “at the end of the tunnel” of his rehab, according to a source…. Rose has not shot over 35 percent from 3-point range in his NBA career, but during his layoff he has spent time working on his 3-pointer and says he’s more confident in it now. The right-handed shooter also has been working on his left-handed runner shot. If Rose’s athleticism is close to what it was with his improved shooting, he can be even more dangerous offensively than he was before.”
