duncan228
05-12-2009, 11:44 PM
You Got Schooled: Best seats in the house (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/You_Got_Schooled_Best_seats_in_the_house.html)
By Chris Ferrell - Express-News
There’s an old saying that sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. To win an NBA title, it takes both (and David Stern’s blessing/referee assignments). As the playoffs near the midway point, injuries already have derailed the hopes of several contenders and likely will do the same for a few others before we get to the (spoiler alert!) Cavaliers-Lakers Finals.
In fact, the only thing that possibly could have stopped the inevitable Kobe vs. LeBron showdown from happening is a roster made up of the injured All-Stars sitting on their teams’ respective benches. Here’s a look at the NBA’s All-Playoff Injury Team, made up of players who missed the entire postseason or had their playoffs cut short:
Yao Ming, Rockets
Position: Center
Injury: Another season, another broken foot for the Rockets center.
Breakdown: The Rockets responded well initially after losing Yao, but playing well enough to reach the conference finals without one of the league’s best centers is unlikely for a team that was already short-handed.
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Position: Forward
Injury: Garnett missed 22 of the Celtics’ final 26 regular-season games and playoffs with a knee injury.
Breakdown: After leading the Celtics to the title during his first season in Boston, the odds of a repeat were greatly diminished by his injury. The team expects him to have offseason surgery.
Tracy McGrady, Rockets
Position: Forward
Injury: A bad knee limited him to 35 games before he had season-ending microfracture surgery.
Breakdown: The Rockets managed to get better after McGrady was shut down. With one year left on his contract and a lengthy recovery period ahead, his future in Houston appears to be questionable.
Manu Ginobili, Spurs
Position: Shooting guard
Injury: Ginobili missed the final six games of the regular season and all of the playoffs with a stress fracture in his right distal fibula.
Breakdown: He was sorely missed in the Spurs’ first-round exit against the Mavericks. If Ginobili can’t return to his dynamic form, the Big Three’s window becomes significantly smaller.
Jameer Nelson, Magic
Position: Point guard
Injury: A torn labrum ended Nelson’s breakout season for the Magic after just 42 games.
Breakdown: Only positive about the All-Star’s injury was the timing, which allowed Orlando to deal for point guard Rafer Alston before the trade deadline. The Magic have already said Nelson will get his job back next season.
Coming off the bench
Luol Deng, Bulls: Chicago’s athletic forward may have made a difference during at least one close game in the epic series with Boston.
Elton Brand, 76ers: Philadelphia’s big free-agent acquisition last summer only played in 29 games because of a shoulder injury.
Tyson Chandler, Hornets: The talented big man was traded to Oklahoma City but sent back to New Orleans after failing his physical.
By Chris Ferrell - Express-News
There’s an old saying that sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. To win an NBA title, it takes both (and David Stern’s blessing/referee assignments). As the playoffs near the midway point, injuries already have derailed the hopes of several contenders and likely will do the same for a few others before we get to the (spoiler alert!) Cavaliers-Lakers Finals.
In fact, the only thing that possibly could have stopped the inevitable Kobe vs. LeBron showdown from happening is a roster made up of the injured All-Stars sitting on their teams’ respective benches. Here’s a look at the NBA’s All-Playoff Injury Team, made up of players who missed the entire postseason or had their playoffs cut short:
Yao Ming, Rockets
Position: Center
Injury: Another season, another broken foot for the Rockets center.
Breakdown: The Rockets responded well initially after losing Yao, but playing well enough to reach the conference finals without one of the league’s best centers is unlikely for a team that was already short-handed.
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Position: Forward
Injury: Garnett missed 22 of the Celtics’ final 26 regular-season games and playoffs with a knee injury.
Breakdown: After leading the Celtics to the title during his first season in Boston, the odds of a repeat were greatly diminished by his injury. The team expects him to have offseason surgery.
Tracy McGrady, Rockets
Position: Forward
Injury: A bad knee limited him to 35 games before he had season-ending microfracture surgery.
Breakdown: The Rockets managed to get better after McGrady was shut down. With one year left on his contract and a lengthy recovery period ahead, his future in Houston appears to be questionable.
Manu Ginobili, Spurs
Position: Shooting guard
Injury: Ginobili missed the final six games of the regular season and all of the playoffs with a stress fracture in his right distal fibula.
Breakdown: He was sorely missed in the Spurs’ first-round exit against the Mavericks. If Ginobili can’t return to his dynamic form, the Big Three’s window becomes significantly smaller.
Jameer Nelson, Magic
Position: Point guard
Injury: A torn labrum ended Nelson’s breakout season for the Magic after just 42 games.
Breakdown: Only positive about the All-Star’s injury was the timing, which allowed Orlando to deal for point guard Rafer Alston before the trade deadline. The Magic have already said Nelson will get his job back next season.
Coming off the bench
Luol Deng, Bulls: Chicago’s athletic forward may have made a difference during at least one close game in the epic series with Boston.
Elton Brand, 76ers: Philadelphia’s big free-agent acquisition last summer only played in 29 games because of a shoulder injury.
Tyson Chandler, Hornets: The talented big man was traded to Oklahoma City but sent back to New Orleans after failing his physical.