D. Wade is shutting it down for the year, duh? He should have never came back. If ever there was a time when a coach needed to step in and protect a player, that was it. Riley missed his chance to save the franchise weeks ago. We can only hope that the tough kid didn't do any further damage to his wheels.
Seems like Phil Jackson used to give MJ and Scottie mini-brakes during the game. He would sit them out just long enough to get a blow.
Don't expect real competitors to sit out a game if they can play thru the pain. That's where a good coach is needed to step in and save the player from himself.
When Greg Oden comes back, he better be coming off the bench. IT takes 2 years to get over the type of injury he had and bringing him back as a starter the next year could end his career prematurely. That kid played about 30 games a year in college ... and he didn't even do it for 4 years! The pros play more than 90 a year if they make the playoffs.
The Lakers and Andrew Bynum face the same problem. First of all he was playing over his head spurred by the comments of Kobe. He may never play at that level again. Bringing him back too soon could end his career.
Some of these NBA coaches are actually smart and we need them to step up and be smart where the players are not. To jump leagues to make a point ... that's what happened to Terrell Davis of the Denver Broncos. Shannahan is a great x and o coach, but he is a terrible people person.
NBA players are people who are making mucho bucks!!!! if these over priced ball players cant think then theres a real problem!!!!!! why baby them more???
kelly, these are kids, young bucks, if people with life experience fail to give them advice and guide them the right way things will only deteriorate. Think of when you were between 19-24...Everyone makes mistakes, and it doesn't help that sitting too long with an injury brings criticism from fans like you who say "they make millions" or Kevin McHale saying they "tanked". In order to support their lifestyle they need to play, and sometimes that is not the best thing. Good blog poetry.
Athletes by their very nature are competetive and think they are indestructible. They do not want to be seen as soft or selfish. They have seen how players are critized for not "playing hurt."
But there is a difference in playing hurt and playing injured. Playing hurt is a matter of toughness, playing injured is a matter of stupidity.
And it is sometimes hard to know the difference. The players are not doctors. That is why coaches and the medical staff have the obligation to make those decisions.
"kelly, these are kids, young bucks, if people with life experience fail to give them advice and guide them the right way things will only deteriorate. "
i've been trying really hard to fill this role.
but i don't think this blog community can be saved.
If someone should be looking out for them, its not gonna be the coaches. They want them out there as soon as possible. I like how Gil Arenas approached his injury by not rushing back too soon this yr after the first time he did. It is true that if they dont come back soon they get slack from fans who probably have never balled or faced an injury.
takesheart, there is at least one exception to that and it is Pop. There are numerous occasions through the years when an injured player wanted to play and he shut them down.
He took a lot of heat for sitting David Robinson down the year he broke his leg six games into the season. David recovered and came back for a few games, and then was hurt again. It was possible that he could have played, but it would have been stupid. Pop knew he was the franchise. They were already so far behind that winning a few games was not going to change anything, so he sat him. He really had no way of knowing it was going to get him Tim Duncan.
Tim Duncan injured a knee before the playoffs in 2000. He wanted to play, but Pop said no, and he sat out. The Spurs lost to the Suns in the first round.
When Sean Elliot came back from the kidney transplant, he said Pop had to have in writing from every medical person involved before he would even consider letting him play.
And this season the Spurs were rolling. 17 and 3. Then came the injuries. Pop sat those players longer than most coaches would have. Tony sat out 9 games with a foot spur. He might have come back sooner, but Pop said no.
Pop is a coach who sees the long range picture. He knows risking the franchise players even to win a championship is stupid.
And he really does think the player's well fare is more important than winning. Maybe his success allows him to feel that way, but I think it is more that that is just the kind of person he is.
There is a rumor that D. Wade is dating with a rich but beautiful woman. They met on a gorgeous dating site for 30+ singles. The site called meetwealthyboomer.com*************
I agree Pops is a good coach and sees the bigger picture. He also knows the real season starts in the playoffs. But unfortunately there are coaches that want their star players out on the floor at all costs in order to get into the playoffs/have a winning season or even save the coach's job. Guys like Pops dont have that to worry about. One player that I think should really think about his health is Gerald Wallace, he seems to get concussions every year.
Terrell Davis came back from a serious knee injury and Shannahan ran him like a fool in his first game back. I'm not a stat man, but I know if you check 'em they will back me up.
I think you wrote a good article here but, I don't understand how you can write this and not mention Grant Hill. The guy was amazing and then tried to play through injuries and nobody stopped him. Now as a competitor you have to admire what he did but as a fan you have to wonder just how good Hill would have been had he sat until healed instead of playing on injuries then in turn ended up requiring surgery and he never seemed the same after the surgeries. This year he is starting to get his minutes back up there but, he isnt the Grant Hill that most of us remember.
Grant Hill is a special case that is the exception. Don't know if his situation fits in this discussion. It reminds me of Garrison Hearst of the 49ers. Both Hearst and Hill eventually came back ... but, these are exceptions ... also, these are cases where I would be for taking steroids or HGH.
In high school and college I led my teams as a middle line backer, running back, and point guard. Now, I'm known for my poetry and other arts. Still like to talk sports on any level.
