Juwan Howard out up to six months

[Kori Ellis]

with a viral infection in his heart. :wow

I don't like the guy, but damn, that's gotta suck.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2031683

[T Park]

That just killed the Rocket's chances.

There starting 4 is Wetherspoon.


Thanks for playing Houston. Now who told me that the Taylor for Baker trade didnt suck???

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

That totally sucks. He's lucky though, I know a guy who had a viral infection that wasn't diagnosed until he nearly dropped dead from a massive heart attack. They had to crack his chest open to revive him because the paddles wouldn't do it.

He was hospitalized forever it seemed afterwards.

That's tough.

[Kori Ellis]

Here's a better article on his situation. It seems like he'll be okay for next season, but just can't do any physical activity for four to six months.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3122158

LOS ANGELES Juwan Howard, desperately missed in the Rockets frontcourt, will not be back this season, team sources confirmed today.

Howard suffered a viral infection in his heart that will bar him from physical exertion for four to six months, according to sources speaking on the condition of anonymity. Howard, who had been out with a sprained right knee, had hoped to come back from that injury for the playoffs, but doctors told him Monday and again today that though his condition has been remedied he will not be cleared to play this season.

Howard was unavailable for comment. His agent, David Falk, did not return phone calls this week. Rockets officials would not comment, citing privacy laws.

Howard had been battling the flu since March 11 and left the Rockets game March 22 against the Heat because of flu symptoms. Early March 25, he developed symptoms of viral myocarditis, including heart palpitations, mild chest pains and fever, and was taken to the hospital.

He was released with a heart monitor, but he now has no symptoms and no longer needs the monitor. He is not taking any medication.

Howard is not expected to be limited in any way next season.

Because he must limit his activity, Howard will have to scale back much of his planned rehabilitation from the second-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. Howard was expected to miss at least four weeks after the injury suffered March 14 and planned to be back for the start of the postseason later this month.

Howard, 32, averaged 9.6 points and 5.7 rebounds. The Rockets were 15-2 when he got eight rebounds or more, winning five consecutive games to go to 38-25.

The Rockets are 6-6 since Howard's injury, including losing their past three games heading into tonight's game against the Lakers at Staples Center.

Speaking March 31 in Portland Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said the Rockets could make up for the loss of Howard, but that Howard had become one of the keys to the Rockets' success.

"I feel badly for Juwan because he's put so much into the season, accepted what he needed to do for this team, played great for the last two months," Van Gundy said. "I don't feel sorry for us because we have more than enough capable players. We can rebound despite him being a big factor in why we turned around our rebounding.

"There's a lot uncertainty there (about when Howard would return)."

Acquired in the Rockets trade for Tracy McGrady, Howard began the season coming off the Rockets bench and even missed a pair of games when Maurice Taylor and Scott Padgett manned the power forward position.

But since he was inserted to the starting lineup, Howard's ability to make a spot-up jumper punished teams for double-teaming Yao Ming in the low-post or trapping Tracy McGrady on the perimeter. His rebounding was a key to the Rockets' eight-game winning streak before the All-Star break and to the first five games of a six-game winning streak in March.

Clarence Weatherspoon has started 11 of the 12 games since Howard's injury, averaging 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in that stretch. Scott Padgett has four points and 4.4 rebounds off the bench in the past 12 games. Ryan Bowen, who has increasingly played as a power forward and started Sunday against the Suns, averaged 2.8 points and one rebound, with playing time ranging from one to 23 minutes.

An 11-year veteran, Howard has never missed as many games as he will this season. In the past five seasons combined he missed eight games while playing for the Wizards, Mavericks, Nuggets and Magic.

"I'm a guy, who has been very fortunate," Howard said when he was put on the injured list with the knee injury March 16. "I haven't been injured. And so I don't know how this thing is going to play out. But I'm going to do my part.

"We don't need any of our guys (ellipses) to be injured. And for myself personally, for a guy, who has been pretty much healthy throughout my career, I've been pretty much fortunate and blessed. But to have something like this (the knee injury) is frustrating. It's going to be difficult for me to deal with but I'm going to get through it. I have my family, my teammates and the coaching staff and the fans who are going to support me. And I'm going to work hard. I'm going to work very hard to get back out on the court because I want to be out there. And I want to get ready for this playoff run. Because that's something we've worked very hard for."

[T Park]

This honestly DOES kill there chances in the playoffs, Howard was hurtin the Spurs a little in the last game in SA, not on Easter but before that.

Without Howard, theres no one to guard Duncan from scoring 30 a night.

Without Howard, Nesterovic can focus TOTALLY on Yao and Mutombo.

Works to the Spurs advantage again.

[SuBZer0]

Wow - Yao will really need to be more aggresive on the boards - I wonder how many times Van Gundy has told him to lol

[milkyway21]

that's sad:cry bec. it's a heart ailment. Why heart ailment has become popular in the NBA nowadays? last week it was Curry...


i always remember Juwan Howard bec. of Derek Anderson.

[SuBZer0]

And I don't understand why people (read: GiG) are wishing bad on this guy. All right, you hate him, but why hope that he gets injured. Whoever does that is a vindictive bastard.

"it'd be better if he broke his shoulder...."

WTF?? It seems your fingers not only did your typing, but did your thinking too.
~~~~~~~~~
fictitious fanfare

[alamo50]

:wow

[Rummpd]

This could be longer than 6 months, tough and unpredictable illness. I will say that Houston is a city that can boost of the very top cardiologists and cardiac surgeons in the U.S. recall that they used to do a lot of the early transplants etc.

[bigbendbruisebrother]

Will someone please refresh my memory regarding Derek Anderson & Juwan Howard?

[coz]

DA was going for one of his highlight reel dunks along the baseline, JH nailed him with a very cheap and hard foul. DA landed hard on his shoulder, and missed the rest of the series. DA came back for the LA series, but at about 1/4 strength. The foul was blatant and obvious, not easy to forgive