duncan228
03-23-2010, 06:10 PM
Paul says his return makes sense, risks minimal (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-hornets-paul&prov=ap&type=lgns)
By Brett Martel
For Chris Paul, the future is now.
Even with New Orleans all but eliminated from the playoffs, Paul said Tuesday that returning from his left knee injury for the Hornets’ last 11 games was the right thing to do for his team and for him.
“My passion since I was a kid has always been to play the game of basketball,” said Paul, whose comeback began Monday night when the Hornets upset Dallas. “So I feel like if I’m healthy enough to go out and compete, help my team win and just play and have fun, then that’s what I want to do.”
The Hornets want to end the season on a positive note in hopes that improved play now will carry over into next fall.
New Orleans (34-38) is 8 1/2 games behind Portland for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. While Paul’s return may be too late to help the Hornets challenge for the playoffs, his presence on the court could help the growth of standout rookies Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton, Hornets head coach Jeff Bower said.
“The fact of how many games are left is an opportunity for us to improve a lot as a team, play combinations of players together,” Bower said. “The fact that he’s been cleared medically and has been given the green light to return to participation is the most important factor. We would not be rushing him back if medically he wasn’t cleared and ready to return to play. He’s a competitor that wants to play and obviously once he’s cleared and healthy we want to begin the transition.”
Collison and Thornton flourished while Paul was hurt, emerging as key players in their club’s future, but the Hornets haven’t been winning much lately, dropping 10 of 12 games before Paul’s triumphant return on Monday.
“I understand I’m a big part of this team. It gives us confidence,” Paul said. “It’s one thing to be on the sideline and be talking to the rooks the whole game, but it’s another thing when I’m actually out there and I can show them and play with them.”
During the fourth quarter against Dallas, Bower had Collison and Paul in the backcourt together, with Paul playing off the ball and Collison running the point.
“It’s always easier to play off the ball,” Paul said. “You have to mix it up. You can’t always just have the ball in your hands. To get the ball out of my hands and attack from different angles is a plus and something that I have fun doing.”
He’ll get to do a lot more of that during the next 10 games, so long as his left knee holds up.
Paul’s meniscus tear in late January required surgery on Feb. 4 and he missed 25 games, during which the Hornets went 8-17. Based on advice from the team’s medical staff, Bower limited Paul to 21 minutes against Dallas.
The three-time All-Star did not score until he hit a baseline fade early in the fourth quarter. He followed that up with three 3-pointers to finish with 11 points in the final period, helping the Hornets secure a surprising 115-99 victory over Dallas.
The Hornets return to action on Wednesday night against Cleveland, and Paul expects to be back in the lineup.
“If they told me, ‘There’s a high chance that you could re-injure yourself,’ or if I knew there’s a chance of really injuring myself, then I wouldn’t do it,” Paul said. “But I’ve done rehab and all the different things to put myself in a situation where I can go out there and play. So if we had one game left and they told me I could play, then I want to play.”
Paul said he’d also like to play of Team USA in the FIBA World Championships in Turkey, beginning in late August. However, he said it was too early to know if he’d be able to play for the national team, given that his comeback is only one game in.
“There’s a lot left to see,” Paul said. “I’ve played one game now and today’s the first day after, so I’ve still got to see how my knee’s doing and everything like that, but there’s nothing like playing international ball. It’s such a good feeling when you can represent your country.”
Bower said he’ll talk with Paul about Team USA after the season, but he did not indicate that the Hornets would stand in the way if Paul appeared to be healthy enough to play in Turkey.
“Representing the Hornets and USA Basketball is a huge honor and we understand that, and the care and conditions that that team is under during their participation is something that is beyond question,” Bower said. “So we’ll talk about all that in the offseason.”
By Brett Martel
For Chris Paul, the future is now.
Even with New Orleans all but eliminated from the playoffs, Paul said Tuesday that returning from his left knee injury for the Hornets’ last 11 games was the right thing to do for his team and for him.
“My passion since I was a kid has always been to play the game of basketball,” said Paul, whose comeback began Monday night when the Hornets upset Dallas. “So I feel like if I’m healthy enough to go out and compete, help my team win and just play and have fun, then that’s what I want to do.”
The Hornets want to end the season on a positive note in hopes that improved play now will carry over into next fall.
New Orleans (34-38) is 8 1/2 games behind Portland for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. While Paul’s return may be too late to help the Hornets challenge for the playoffs, his presence on the court could help the growth of standout rookies Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton, Hornets head coach Jeff Bower said.
“The fact of how many games are left is an opportunity for us to improve a lot as a team, play combinations of players together,” Bower said. “The fact that he’s been cleared medically and has been given the green light to return to participation is the most important factor. We would not be rushing him back if medically he wasn’t cleared and ready to return to play. He’s a competitor that wants to play and obviously once he’s cleared and healthy we want to begin the transition.”
Collison and Thornton flourished while Paul was hurt, emerging as key players in their club’s future, but the Hornets haven’t been winning much lately, dropping 10 of 12 games before Paul’s triumphant return on Monday.
“I understand I’m a big part of this team. It gives us confidence,” Paul said. “It’s one thing to be on the sideline and be talking to the rooks the whole game, but it’s another thing when I’m actually out there and I can show them and play with them.”
During the fourth quarter against Dallas, Bower had Collison and Paul in the backcourt together, with Paul playing off the ball and Collison running the point.
“It’s always easier to play off the ball,” Paul said. “You have to mix it up. You can’t always just have the ball in your hands. To get the ball out of my hands and attack from different angles is a plus and something that I have fun doing.”
He’ll get to do a lot more of that during the next 10 games, so long as his left knee holds up.
Paul’s meniscus tear in late January required surgery on Feb. 4 and he missed 25 games, during which the Hornets went 8-17. Based on advice from the team’s medical staff, Bower limited Paul to 21 minutes against Dallas.
The three-time All-Star did not score until he hit a baseline fade early in the fourth quarter. He followed that up with three 3-pointers to finish with 11 points in the final period, helping the Hornets secure a surprising 115-99 victory over Dallas.
The Hornets return to action on Wednesday night against Cleveland, and Paul expects to be back in the lineup.
“If they told me, ‘There’s a high chance that you could re-injure yourself,’ or if I knew there’s a chance of really injuring myself, then I wouldn’t do it,” Paul said. “But I’ve done rehab and all the different things to put myself in a situation where I can go out there and play. So if we had one game left and they told me I could play, then I want to play.”
Paul said he’d also like to play of Team USA in the FIBA World Championships in Turkey, beginning in late August. However, he said it was too early to know if he’d be able to play for the national team, given that his comeback is only one game in.
“There’s a lot left to see,” Paul said. “I’ve played one game now and today’s the first day after, so I’ve still got to see how my knee’s doing and everything like that, but there’s nothing like playing international ball. It’s such a good feeling when you can represent your country.”
Bower said he’ll talk with Paul about Team USA after the season, but he did not indicate that the Hornets would stand in the way if Paul appeared to be healthy enough to play in Turkey.
“Representing the Hornets and USA Basketball is a huge honor and we understand that, and the care and conditions that that team is under during their participation is something that is beyond question,” Bower said. “So we’ll talk about all that in the offseason.”