Some of the most iconic basketball moments in history involve guys playing through injuries. Willis Reed in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals. Michael Jordan’s flu game in 1997. Rajon Rondo dislocating his elbow in 2011, then coming back seven minutes later to play point guard one-handed.
It’s absolutely not something anyone should ever expect a player to do, but it’s still hard not to admire the commitment of those who do play through their injuries. If LaMarcus Aldridge can go the rest of the season with a torn thumb ligament without sacrificing too much in the quality of his play, it’ll certainly be an impressive accomplishment.
Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports have more on Aldridge’s decision:
After testing his injured left thumb in a splint on the court, Portland Trail Blazers star LaMarcus Aldridge informed the organization that he wanted to postpone surgery and make an immediate return to the lineup.
“I just want to try and play with it,” Aldridge told Yahoo Sports in a text message on Saturday afternoon. “We are having a good season and I want to keep it going. I’m going to try and play with it, if I can, and go from there.”
The Blazers and Aldridge had planned a surgical procedure for torn ligaments in his thumb that would’ve sidelined him six to eight weeks, but Aldridge reported to the team’s practice facility on Saturday morning and informed the team trainer that he wanted to play, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
There are no assurances of how effectively, or how long, Aldridge can play with the injury, but there’s belief in the Portland organization that the long-term risk of this decision is minimal. Aldridge would’ve been required to wear a splint even after returning from surgery, sources told Yahoo Sports, so allowing him to try playing now isn’t believed to hold significantly more consequences.
Here’s the rest of the latest news from around the NBA:
CAVS PLAYERS: BLATT WASN’T THE PROBLEM
Interesting stuff from Chris Haynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
General Manager David Griffin said from Day One that the roster was flawed and needed an upgrade at key positions.
Trading for J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov in early January moved the needle and recomposed the team. However, before adding those three, the Cavaliers struggled to build any consistency and the players’ discontent was apparent.
Under the condition of anonymity, some Cavs players admitted that they had lost faith because of the team’s lack of depth. A handful of players said they came to realize the roster, as it was constructed before the trades, wasn’t equipped to go any further than the second round, if that.
One player said the frustration of an “unbalanced roster probably contributed” to the players’ poor body language and effort level. Another said “it was never Coach [David] Blatt’s fault.”
The consensus was that their confidence had faltered considerably more because of the shallowness of the team’s reserve talent than Blatt.
In other Cavs news, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal looks at overseas options for the Cavs’ backup point guard spot:
If they don’t trade for a point guard, keep an eye on Will Bynum and Bobby Brown. Both are playing in China and won’t be available until after the Chinese playoffs in March, but the Cavs are interested in both. Bynum would be a much cleaner add than Brown, who still has two years left on his deal with DongGuan, but they’ll have competition.
Bynum, 32, has played seven seasons in the NBA and will have plenty of offers to return. The Cavs will only be able to offer him the pro-rated veteran’s minimum, and of course a chance to win.
Brown’s situation is murkier because of the years left on his contract, but overseas basketball expert David Pick wrote in August that Brown has an out-clause in his contract for the NBA. Brown, 30, would certainly be a scoring upgrade over Dellavedova. He’s tied for fourth in the Chinese league in scoring (30.9 points) and once scored 74 points in an overseas game. He went undrafted in 2007 and played for four NBA teams in a two-year span before leaving for overseas. He worked out with the Lakers prior to this season but has never been able to stick in the NBA.
KNICKS COULD MOVE PRIGIONI
There’s all-in on the rebuild, and then there’s ALL-IN on the rebuild. Dealing Prigioni is the all-caps version.
Marc Berman of the New York Post:
The Knicks believe a marketplace exists for 37-year-old point guard Pablo Prigioni. According to a source, the Knicks have looked to trade the slow but steady point guard, seeing if they can unearth an asset such as a second-round pick.
“He’s worth something,’’ one person familiar with the situation said.
At the very least, Prigioni can be an added piece to a larger, multi-team trade as the Knicks attempt to use their two trade exceptions gained in the J.R. Smith/Iman Shumpert fire sale.
At the very least, Prigioni can be an added piece to a larger, multi-team trade as the Knicks attempt to use their two trade exceptions gained in the J.R. Smith/Iman Shumpert firesale. Prigioni was a DNP the past two nights and played just four minutes each in the two games before that. But with Jose Calderon suffering a bruised left knee, Prigioni played 19 minutes – 9 in the first half before the Calderon injury.
CELTICS COULD HANG ONTO TAYSHAUN PRINCE
Tayshaun Prince is one of the first players I was really aware of while he was still in college. I remember him hitting five straight threes against UNC, and dropping 41 in an NCAA Tournament game. So while he’s never been a star, it’s been nice to see him carve out a good career in the NBA, and it makes stories like these nice to read.
Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald:
It was expected when he was acquired from Memphis in the dispatching of Jeff Green that Tayshaun Prince would be a short-timer in Boston. And while that still may be the case, there may be some change in the thinking regarding the veteran forward.
According to league sources, the Celts would still like to move Prince for a draft pick before the Feb. 19 NBA trade deadline. But it’s what could happen if he’s not dealt that may be up for more discussion in the coming days.
There was strong word that if Prince wasn’t moved by the deadline that the Celtics would seek agreement with him on a buyout of this final year of his contract (he makes a bit more than $7.2 million).
But coach Brad Stevens has taken a strong liking to Prince, who had four points in 17 minutes in last night’s 100-99 win against the Nuggets. It’s fair to assume he may lobby to keep him on the squad the rest of the season if he is not traded.
Considering their rebuilding situation and the desire for a high draft pick, the Celts certainly don’t mind a few extra losses if they serve to enhance their position in next June’s dispersal.
But they have tried to keep away from the situation Philadelphia found itself in last season, where the 76ers went through a 26-game losing streak.
If its not his shooting hand, and if its possible to improve on its own, then I don’t see why not. He should be able to wear protection.
With many teams, the medical staff have too much power in these decisions.
Kobe got his way in the past in these decisions. So did Paul Pierce, playing with a broken off hand with the Nets last season, defying the most rigid trainer in Timmy Walsh.
Now if its a crucial part of the game, such as the ankles, then I would say get over the surgery. Deron Williams rejected surgery to remove bone spurs, etc from his ankles, and his game would suffer for 2 years.