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kolko
03-24-2005, 11:43 PM
"Es la peor racha que viví en San Antonio"
Por Emanuel Ginóbili
Especial para LA NACION Deportiva

Acá estoy, de regreso del Conseco Fieldhouse de Indianápolis, un estadio que me trajo algunos buenos recuerdos del Mundial 2002, pero donde lamentablemente perdimos con los Pacers y sumamos la tercera derrota consecutiva. Yo voy mejorando de a poquito y tratando de tomar ritmo en estos partidos después de estar cinco cotejos sin jugar. La verdad es que la recuperación de la contractura del aductor derecho se me hizo más prolongada de lo pensado. Creí que descansando dos partidos era suficiente. Lo que pasa es que la idea fue esperar hasta que me sintiera bien. El aductor es una zona delicada, de difícil recuperación si tenés un desgarro, con unos 30 días como mínimo. Había que hacer las cosas lentamente.

Igual, sigo con sesiones de ultrasonido y jugando poco. Pop (Gregg Popovich) me lo aclaró de entrada cuando volví: que en el primer partido (contra Detroit) me iba a poner entre 15 y 20 minutos, en el segundo (New York) de 20 a 25, y anteanoche (Indiana) jugué 25 también. En esas cosas es muy cuidadoso. En realidad, el aductor sólo me molesta y me tira un poquito cuando estoy frío, cuando empieza el partido o cuando regreso de un descanso del banco. Una vez que calenté bien, sólo llego a sentir algo si hago un paso largo y explosivo.

Lo malo de todo esto es que nos lesionamos varios jugadores a la vez. Creo que estamos con un poco de mala suerte. Momentos malos siempre hay a lo largo de una temporada, pero ésta es la peor racha que me tocó vivir desde que estoy en San Antonio. Contra Phoenix no jugamos Tim (Duncan) y yo, después faltamos Parker (golpe en el cuádriceps) y yo; hace unos días se resintió Tim, que estará afuera por dos o tres semanas, y por si faltaba algo, el lunes, contra New York, le tocó a Devin Brown, que venía jugando bárbaro después de muchos altibajos. Devin sufrió un fuerte dolor en la espalda y no se sabe si es un disco de la columna o una contractura, y tampoco para cuánto tiempo de recuperación tendrá. Nos pasaron todas juntas y se complica la rotación del equipo. Además, la ausencia de Tim es mortal para nosotros. Sin Duncan todo se hace más complicado. La presencia nuestra bajo los aros es muy escasa sin él. Nos están pasando todas juntas. Es un momento delicado.

Tenemos que concientizarnos todos de que debemos aportar un poquito más, defender con mayor agresividad, pasarnos más la pelota, bajar la cantidad de errores y jugar como equipo. El ánimo está bien, pero nos cayó mal perder el lunes con New York jugando tan mal. Porque una cosa son las lesiones y otra no jugar como sabemos.

El clima es normal dentro del plantel, pero hace diez partidos que venimos con todo tipo de lesiones, y eso nos complica.

No me fijé en los partidos que nos quedan por disputar en la serie regular, pero sé que en abril tenemos una gira de visitantes y hay que conservar al menos el N° 2 del Oeste. Esto no quiere decir que no podamos conseguir el N° 1 todavía. A Phoenix le tocó una serie de lesiones juntas y perdió cuatro partidos seguidos. Pueden pasar muchas cosas todavía en estos cerca de 12 partidos que quedan antes de los playoffs.

Confío en que mejoraremos enseguida y que saldremos de esta seguidilla de problemas. Tenemos que olvidarnos de las lesiones y, como se dice, ponerles el pecho a las balas.

Por suerte, en las últimas horas los médicos dijeron que la recuperación de Tim puede ser más rápida porque en los dos primeros días, que son clave, tuvo una importante mejoría.

Al margen de todo esto, hay dos temas importantes. Me dijeron que hubo una frase que dije en un reportaje para una radio de Buenos Aires que tuvo cierta repercusión. Si el plantel de la selección está bien, el técnico no es decisivo. Eso fue lo que dije, más o menos. Con esto, no estoy desconociendo los méritos de Rubén Magnano, pero entiendo que su ausencia es tan importante como puede ser ahora la de Alejandro Montecchia, que se retiró. Además, lo dije porque me parece que ya es aburrido y cansador hablar del mismo tema. Hay encuestas, análisis, notas, preguntas. El equipo no va a cambiar demasiado su juego esté quien esté como entrenador. Eso es lo que quiero decir.

Lo otro es sobre Luis Scola. Muchos creen que la llegada de Nazr Mohamed por Malik Rose le puede quitar posibilidades a Luisito. Yo creo todo lo contrario: Mohamed es un pivote puro y Malik un ala-pivote, que es el puesto donde Luisito va a jugar. Yo creo que Luis estará con nosotros en la próxima temporada. Es más, creo que ya se demoró demasiado su llegada a los Spurs. Sería muy bueno compartir el plantel con él, que siempre tuvo el sueño de jugar en la NBA. Espero que se le dé y que nosotros empecemos a corregir el rumbo de esta mala racha lo antes posible.

Manu

Link (http://www.lanacion.com.ar/690381)

kolko
03-24-2005, 11:44 PM
My translation:


Here I am, recently arrived from the Conseco Fieldhouse of Indianapolis, an arena that brought me some good memories of the 2002 world championship, but where we lost to the Pacers and we lost for the third time in a row. I am improving slowly and trying to get back in good shape in these games after being five games without playing. The truth is that the recovery of the strained groin was prolonged more than i thought. I thought that resting two games was sufficient. The idea was to return when I was feeling ok. The groin is a delicate zone, of difficult recovery, with about 30 days of recovery if it is serious. It was necessary to make the things slowly.

However, I am still doing ultrasound sessions and playing little time. Pop told me when I started playing again: that in the first game (against Detroit) he was going to put me between 15 and 20 minutes, in the second one (New York) from 20 to 25, and last night (Indiana) I also played 25. In those things he is very careful. In fact, the groin only bothers me when I am cold, when the game begins or when I return off the bench. Once I warmed up well, I only get to feel something if I make an explosive move.

The bad thing is that we had several players injured simultaneously. I believe that we are with a little bad luck. You always have bad moments in a season, but this one is the worst streak I have been since I am in San Antonio. Against Phoenix Tim and I did not play, later we were without Parker and I; some days ago Tim reinjured his ankle, and he will be out for about two or three weeks, and on Monday, against New York, Devin Brown, who was playing great after many bumps, got injured. Devin suffered a strong pain in the back and we doesn't know if it is a disc of the column or a stroin, and either for how long he will be out. All thing happened to us recently and it hurts the rotation. In addition, the absence of Tim is mortal for us. Without Duncan everything becomes more complicated. Our presence under the basket is very little without him. It is a delicate moment.

We must know that all of us have to contribute more, to defend with greater aggressiveness, to pass more the ball, to lower the amount of errors and to play like a team. It was very sad to lose to New York playing badly. Because a thing is having injuries and another one is not playing as we know.

In the lockerroom everything is ok, but having a lot of injuries is hurting us.

I didn't look at the games we have left to play in the regular season, but I know that in April we have a road trip and is necessary to conserve N°2 of the West at least. This does not mean that we did not want to obtain N° 1. Phoenix had a time where they lost because of injuries. A lot of thing can happen in the next 12 games left until the playoffs.

I trust that we will improve immediately and that we will leave this rollover of problems. We must forget the injuries and, as it is said, put the chest to the bullets.

Luckily, in the last hours the doctors said that the recovery of Tim can be faster because in the first days, that are a key, he had an important improvement.

To the margin of all this, there are two important subjects. Someone told me that there was a phrase that I said in an interview for a radio of Buenos Aires that had certain repercussion. If the players of the national team are ok, the coach is not decisive. That was what I said, more or less. With this, I am not saying that Ruben Magnano wasn't important, but I understand that the absence of him is as important as it can be the one of Alejandro Montecchia, who retired. In addition, I said it because it seems to me that it is boring and tiring to speak of the same subject. There are surveys, analysis, notes, questions. The team is not going to change its game whoever is the coach. That is what I mean.

The other is on Luis Scola. Many people think that the arrival of Nazr Mohammed for Malik Rose can remove the possibilities of Luis coming to San Antonio. However, for me is the opposite: Mohammed is a Center and Malik a Power Forward. And Luis is going to play as a Power Forward. I believe that Luis will be with us in the next season. I believe that his arrival to the Spurs was delayed too much. It would be great to share the team with him. He always had the dream of playing in the NBA. I hope that his dream become true and that we begin to correct our bad streak as soon as possible.

SuBZer0
03-25-2005, 12:01 AM
Did you translate that or did you just paste it into a translater, because it sounds pretty good.

Anyway, Manu pretty much hit the nail on the head

kolko
03-25-2005, 12:28 AM
Did you translate that or did you just paste it into a translater, because it sounds pretty good.

Anyway, Manu pretty much hit the nail on the head

I translated it.

SuBZer0
03-25-2005, 12:56 AM
Wow..

Kori Ellis
03-25-2005, 03:31 AM
Luckily, in the last hours the doctors said that the recovery of Tim can be faster because in the first days, that are a key, he had an important improvement.

That sounds good.

whottt
03-25-2005, 03:40 AM
Yeah but it sounds like Manu IS still injured and it is going to nag. Maybe Glover isn't this years Matt Carroll.

I think the Spurs should just bite the bullet and bench Manu until Duncan is ready to return. We may win a couple of extra games with Manu but we are still going to lose the big HCA to the Heat and Suns....it does no good to get Duncan back and then have Manu struggling with a nagging injury...we need them both to win a title.

Slomo
03-25-2005, 04:42 AM
Thanks for the info (and translation) Kolko!

nkdlunch
03-25-2005, 11:56 AM
We must forget the injuries and, as it is said, put the chest to the bullets.

I love that but is it the right thing to do? Manu and the spurs have years to get a championship, should't they be more cautious this year? I know he got heart but he still has a long career ahead of him

boutons
03-25-2005, 12:04 PM
"have years to get a championship"

Do they? Last year was a title opportunity wasted out of Tim's peak years.

This year, while being super cautious with any injuries (I trust Pop on this), why would the rest of the Spurs not "shoot" for the title?

If Tim comes back in top form for the playoffs, the rest of the team will be much stronger having done, until then, exactly as Manu said, "chest to the bullets".

I note, as always, that the rest of the Spurs' millionaire salaries don't go down while Tim isn't playing, so why should their level of effort go down? :)

btw, is the $$$ premium, not the jewelry, paid to the NBA champion/finalist sufficiently large to be a motivation to millionaires?

PimpScourge
03-25-2005, 12:41 PM
I translated it.

Awesome translation. Congrats. Thanks for the article also...