The Atlanta Hawks will be without Joe Johnson, their leading scorer, for tonight's game and Thursday's game and he will sit out the All-Star Game this weekend.
The good news, however, is that the MRI on Johnson's knee shows that there is no structural damage and that Johnson has tendinitis. He will be reevaluated before their first game after the break, which is against the Warriors on February 29th.
“It is just tendinitis,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said, per Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “From that standpoint, it’s just going to be on feel, how he feels with treatment and therapy. … For us, it’s important that he gets well to where it settles down from a pain standpoint.”
“Particularly with tendinitis,” Drew said. “It’s just one of those things where you have to allow the knee to rest to where it is not getting the constant pounding.”
With Johnson out of the lineup tonight, Willie Green will start in his place. Green has played at least 20 minutes in three of his past five games Green has scored at 17 points or more in all three games.
Johnson is averaging 17.6 points, 3.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game and leads the team in three-pointers made (1.8 per game).
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Rajon Rondo suspended two games
The Celtics will be without point guard Rajon Rondo for their next two games.
Rondo was ejected after throwing the ball at a referee in yesterday's game against the Pistons.
And according to the team (via Twitter), Rondo has been suspended for two games.
Rondo was ejected after throwing the ball at a referee in yesterday's game against the Pistons.
And according to the team (via Twitter), Rondo has been suspended for two games.
Rondo, who ranks second in the NBA in assists (9.6 per game), will miss tonight's game at Dallas and Wednesday's game at Oklahoma City.The NBA suspended Rajon Rondo for 2 games "for throwing a ball at an official and striking him in the chest" in Sunday's game vs. Detroit.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 20, 2012
NBA Consensus Power Rankings, Week 8
Over the weekend, John Trifone wrote about the odds to win the Western Conference and Eastern Conference based on futures from Sportsbook.com.
The team that he liked (likes) the most is the San Antonio Spurs, who have 5/1 odds to win the Western Conference.
San Antonio is a dangerous team. As John put it yesterday, "Many, including myself, had written off the Spurs going into the season, as a team that was just too old to be a factor in the shortened season," but they are "poised to prove everyone wrong."
Not only are they are a 10-game winning streak, point guard Tony Parker is quietly having a great season. He's playing as well as anyone in the month of February: 25.8 points, 7.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 8.8 free throw attempts per game this month.
That said, the Spurs are still fourth in our power rankings and the top three teams have been there the entire season (although the order has not always been the same): Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls.
Here are some more stats about this week's NBA Consensus Power Rankings:
- Biggest jump from last week: New York Knicks (+4.50)
- Biggest drop from last week: Denver Nuggets (-4.00)
- Team with widest difference between high and low ranker: Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors (4)
[See our full NBA Consensus Power Rankings.]
Each week, we respond to one roundtable question and here's this week's question: Of the teams currently seeded 9th (or lower), which team has the best chance to make the playoffs?
John (follow on Twitter): Portland Trail Blazers
I think that the Eastern Conference is actually set the way it is. There may be some swapping of position, but I don't see one of the teams on the outside looking in making a serious run at the playoffs. Milwaukee had a chance, but when Bogut went down and Jeremy Lin showed up in New York, I think that pretty much sealed it for the Bucks. I'd also be very surprised to see any of the other bottom feeders in the East get in. The West is a little more open, with some pretty decent teams currently out of the playoffs. Utah, Portland, and Minnesota all have a reasonable chance to dislodge either Memphis, Houston, or Denver. I'd give Portland the best shot at it. They're playing relatively mediocre ball at the moment, just 4-6 in their last 10 games and only a game above .500 for the season, but they have the talent to make a push down the stretch. Denver has severely cooled off since over-achieving in the first month of the season and is currently the eight seed, although they are actually tied with Houston and Memphis in record. Portland is just a game back from all three teams, so they are certainly right in the mix. I think LaMarcus Aldridge and Company have the best chance of any team currently on the outside looking in to make the playoffs.
[Note: John sent this to me before the Nuggets lost a thriller in Oklahoma City last night.]
Kevin (follow on Twitter): Minnesota Timberwolves
One of the teams that I think could surprise some folks is the Minnesota Timberwolves. They are a deep team -- only three players are averaging more than 30 minutes per game this season: Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Luke Ridnour. They have 12 players that are averaging more than 15 minutes per game. While Love is a double-double machine, Rubio has been the biggest difference from last year to this year. He is averaging 8.5 assists per game, which ranks fifth in the NBA, and 2.3 steals per game, which is tied for second in the league with Chris Paul.
[Note: Dan is on a cruise through Central America and won't participate in our consensus rankings this and next week. Sean had to travel unexpectedly and will miss this week only.]
To see where all 30 teams fall in our power rankings going through Week 8, click here.
Follow HitTheBoards.com: Twitter | Facebook
The team that he liked (likes) the most is the San Antonio Spurs, who have 5/1 odds to win the Western Conference.
San Antonio is a dangerous team. As John put it yesterday, "Many, including myself, had written off the Spurs going into the season, as a team that was just too old to be a factor in the shortened season," but they are "poised to prove everyone wrong."
Not only are they are a 10-game winning streak, point guard Tony Parker is quietly having a great season. He's playing as well as anyone in the month of February: 25.8 points, 7.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 8.8 free throw attempts per game this month.
That said, the Spurs are still fourth in our power rankings and the top three teams have been there the entire season (although the order has not always been the same): Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls.
Here are some more stats about this week's NBA Consensus Power Rankings:
- Biggest jump from last week: New York Knicks (+4.50)
- Biggest drop from last week: Denver Nuggets (-4.00)
- Team with widest difference between high and low ranker: Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors (4)
[See our full NBA Consensus Power Rankings.]
Each week, we respond to one roundtable question and here's this week's question: Of the teams currently seeded 9th (or lower), which team has the best chance to make the playoffs?
John (follow on Twitter): Portland Trail Blazers
I think that the Eastern Conference is actually set the way it is. There may be some swapping of position, but I don't see one of the teams on the outside looking in making a serious run at the playoffs. Milwaukee had a chance, but when Bogut went down and Jeremy Lin showed up in New York, I think that pretty much sealed it for the Bucks. I'd also be very surprised to see any of the other bottom feeders in the East get in. The West is a little more open, with some pretty decent teams currently out of the playoffs. Utah, Portland, and Minnesota all have a reasonable chance to dislodge either Memphis, Houston, or Denver. I'd give Portland the best shot at it. They're playing relatively mediocre ball at the moment, just 4-6 in their last 10 games and only a game above .500 for the season, but they have the talent to make a push down the stretch. Denver has severely cooled off since over-achieving in the first month of the season and is currently the eight seed, although they are actually tied with Houston and Memphis in record. Portland is just a game back from all three teams, so they are certainly right in the mix. I think LaMarcus Aldridge and Company have the best chance of any team currently on the outside looking in to make the playoffs.
[Note: John sent this to me before the Nuggets lost a thriller in Oklahoma City last night.]
Kevin (follow on Twitter): Minnesota Timberwolves
One of the teams that I think could surprise some folks is the Minnesota Timberwolves. They are a deep team -- only three players are averaging more than 30 minutes per game this season: Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Luke Ridnour. They have 12 players that are averaging more than 15 minutes per game. While Love is a double-double machine, Rubio has been the biggest difference from last year to this year. He is averaging 8.5 assists per game, which ranks fifth in the NBA, and 2.3 steals per game, which is tied for second in the league with Chris Paul.
[Note: Dan is on a cruise through Central America and won't participate in our consensus rankings this and next week. Sean had to travel unexpectedly and will miss this week only.]
To see where all 30 teams fall in our power rankings going through Week 8, click here.
Follow HitTheBoards.com: Twitter | Facebook
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Kevin Durant scores career-high 51 points vs. Nuggets
Entering tonight's game, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant was averaging nearly 27 points per game and ranked third in the league behind Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
He nearly doubled his average tonight as he set a career high with 51 points.
In addition to Durant's 51 points, teammates Russell Westbrook scored 40 points and Serge Ibaka finished with a triple-double.
Before today, a player has scored 40-plus points only nine times and Kobe had four of the nine. Durant was the first player this season to score 50-plus points.
Aside from that trio and James Harden (10 points), no other Thunder player reached five points.
He nearly doubled his average tonight as he set a career high with 51 points.
In addition to Durant's 51 points, teammates Russell Westbrook scored 40 points and Serge Ibaka finished with a triple-double.
Before today, a player has scored 40-plus points only nine times and Kobe had four of the nine. Durant was the first player this season to score 50-plus points.
Aside from that trio and James Harden (10 points), no other Thunder player reached five points.
Triple-double for Serge Ibaka: 14 points, 15 rebounds and 11 blocks
In their overtime win over the Nuggets, Thunder forward Serge Ibaka had double-digit blocked shots for the third time this season.
What was unique about tonight's game versus the first two this season?
Not only did Ibaka block 11 shots, which is a career high, but he also scored 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.
It was the first triple-double with points, rebounds and blocks since Washington's JaVale McGee did it last year and only the ninth time it has happened since the 2000-01 season.
Ibaka now has 54 blocked shots in 11 games during the month of February.
What was unique about tonight's game versus the first two this season?
Not only did Ibaka block 11 shots, which is a career high, but he also scored 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.
It was the first triple-double with points, rebounds and blocks since Washington's JaVale McGee did it last year and only the ninth time it has happened since the 2000-01 season.
Ibaka now has 54 blocked shots in 11 games during the month of February.
Trifone: A Look at the NBA Odds (Futures)
A little over a week ago, I was reviewing some of the odds to win the Western Conference, and saw the Spurs at 12-1. At the time, I think they had won six in a row, and were right in the mix with the Clippers for the No. 2 seed. I thought it was a fantastic bet.
Since then, the Spurs have won another four in a row, including a road win at the aforementioned Clippers. Tony Parker is quietly, or maybe not so quietly, having an MVP season, putting up another 30-point game to go along with 10 assists, while Chris Paul had 21 points and 6 assists. Many, including myself, had written off the Spurs going into the season, as a team that was just too old to be a factor in the shortened season.
It also appeared as though their window to win another title had passed.
The last time the Spurs won the Championship was 2007, and Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili haven't gotten any younger. The Lakers and the Celtics had once again become the class of the league, and then when Lebron went to Miami and Durant and Westbrook started to emerge as the most athletic team in the league, the Spurs seemed to be falling out of contention. And yet, it would seem that they are poised to prove everyone wrong.
They are currently on a 10-game winning streak, with Tony Parker playing as well as he ever has. The Spurs will be able to limit the minutes of their aging players down the stretch, and their experience, combined with their infusion of youth (with guys like DeJuan Blair and Gary Neal making an impact), make San Antonio a dangerous team.
If the Lakers fail to acquire Dwight Howard by the trade deadline, I think this year's Western Conference Finals will come down to the Spurs and Thunder. The West is certainly more wide open than the East, which seems destined to come down to the Bulls and Heat, but the Spurs are showing they may have one more championship run in them.
Win the streak aside, they are playing better ball this year than anticipated, and they have put themselves in a great position. They can certainly lock up home court against all but the Thunder, but even if they fail to do so, they have shown that they have the experience to win on the road in the past. Even this year, they are above .500 away from home, and have some impressive road wins against the likes of Memphis, Philadelphia, and the Clippers.
Current odds on the Spurs to win the West are 5-1 (on Sportsbook.com), which I feel is a decent bet. I loved them at 12-1; I think 5-1 is a more accurate number, but still a solid bet on a team that's playing great basketball. San Antonio is 15-1 to win the title, but truth be told, I don't think any of the listed odds for the NBA Championship are great. The Heat are going to be huge favorites, and justifiably so, as I see LeBron getting his first ring at season's end.
I think the real money to be made here is being able to pick the Western Conference Champ, and the Spurs at 5-1 look to have the most attractive odds.
(FYI: the Thunder are 1.6-1 or +160, and with a league as deep as it is, I don't like the bet on a team that hasn't been there before. While the Thunder may be the most likely to go, the odds to bet it just aren't good enough. I'd take a flyer on the Lakers or Clippers at 4.5-1 before putting money on OKC to win the West.)
As far as the Eastern Conference goes, I really don't see a lot of good value. The Heat are 1-2 to win the conference (-200), meaning you have to give odds if you want to take them to make the Finals. After Miami, the Bulls are 2-1 to get there, and Chicago really seems to be the only other realistic option. The next closest team is 12-1. The Heat and Bulls are such heavy favorites that it makes taking one of those long shots a pretty foolish bet, and given that the odds reflect this, I don't really care for the bet on Miami or Chicago either. I could see a team like the Knicks or Sixers potentially upsetting Chicago, but I can't see them beating the Heat as well. Because of this, I'm not a fan of any of the bets in the Eastern Conference.
For my thoughts on the futures' bets in college basketball, click here.
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
Since then, the Spurs have won another four in a row, including a road win at the aforementioned Clippers. Tony Parker is quietly, or maybe not so quietly, having an MVP season, putting up another 30-point game to go along with 10 assists, while Chris Paul had 21 points and 6 assists. Many, including myself, had written off the Spurs going into the season, as a team that was just too old to be a factor in the shortened season.
It also appeared as though their window to win another title had passed.
The last time the Spurs won the Championship was 2007, and Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili haven't gotten any younger. The Lakers and the Celtics had once again become the class of the league, and then when Lebron went to Miami and Durant and Westbrook started to emerge as the most athletic team in the league, the Spurs seemed to be falling out of contention. And yet, it would seem that they are poised to prove everyone wrong.
They are currently on a 10-game winning streak, with Tony Parker playing as well as he ever has. The Spurs will be able to limit the minutes of their aging players down the stretch, and their experience, combined with their infusion of youth (with guys like DeJuan Blair and Gary Neal making an impact), make San Antonio a dangerous team.
If the Lakers fail to acquire Dwight Howard by the trade deadline, I think this year's Western Conference Finals will come down to the Spurs and Thunder. The West is certainly more wide open than the East, which seems destined to come down to the Bulls and Heat, but the Spurs are showing they may have one more championship run in them.
Win the streak aside, they are playing better ball this year than anticipated, and they have put themselves in a great position. They can certainly lock up home court against all but the Thunder, but even if they fail to do so, they have shown that they have the experience to win on the road in the past. Even this year, they are above .500 away from home, and have some impressive road wins against the likes of Memphis, Philadelphia, and the Clippers.
Current odds on the Spurs to win the West are 5-1 (on Sportsbook.com), which I feel is a decent bet. I loved them at 12-1; I think 5-1 is a more accurate number, but still a solid bet on a team that's playing great basketball. San Antonio is 15-1 to win the title, but truth be told, I don't think any of the listed odds for the NBA Championship are great. The Heat are going to be huge favorites, and justifiably so, as I see LeBron getting his first ring at season's end.
I think the real money to be made here is being able to pick the Western Conference Champ, and the Spurs at 5-1 look to have the most attractive odds.
(FYI: the Thunder are 1.6-1 or +160, and with a league as deep as it is, I don't like the bet on a team that hasn't been there before. While the Thunder may be the most likely to go, the odds to bet it just aren't good enough. I'd take a flyer on the Lakers or Clippers at 4.5-1 before putting money on OKC to win the West.)
As far as the Eastern Conference goes, I really don't see a lot of good value. The Heat are 1-2 to win the conference (-200), meaning you have to give odds if you want to take them to make the Finals. After Miami, the Bulls are 2-1 to get there, and Chicago really seems to be the only other realistic option. The next closest team is 12-1. The Heat and Bulls are such heavy favorites that it makes taking one of those long shots a pretty foolish bet, and given that the odds reflect this, I don't really care for the bet on Miami or Chicago either. I could see a team like the Knicks or Sixers potentially upsetting Chicago, but I can't see them beating the Heat as well. Because of this, I'm not a fan of any of the bets in the Eastern Conference.
For my thoughts on the futures' bets in college basketball, click here.
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
Super Lintendo scores 28 to go with career highs of 14 assists and 5 steals
The bad news: Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin had another seven turnovers today and he has now turned the ball over 52 times in his eight starts.
[And one of my fantasy teams, Super Lintendo, would definitely appreciate a reduction in turnovers.]
That said, Lin scored 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting in today's win over the defending champions while also setting career highs in assists (14) and steals (five).
Not only has Lin scored 20-plus points in eight of his past nine games, but the Knicks are 8-1 during that span.
With the addition of J.R. Smith, who knocked down three three-pointers in the first quarter today, and the expected return tomorrow of Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks are positioned well going into the second half of the season.
I'm guessing they will make a big jump in our consensus power rankings (tied for 18th last week) tomorrow.
[And one of my fantasy teams, Super Lintendo, would definitely appreciate a reduction in turnovers.]
That said, Lin scored 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting in today's win over the defending champions while also setting career highs in assists (14) and steals (five).
Not only has Lin scored 20-plus points in eight of his past nine games, but the Knicks are 8-1 during that span.
With the addition of J.R. Smith, who knocked down three three-pointers in the first quarter today, and the expected return tomorrow of Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks are positioned well going into the second half of the season.
I'm guessing they will make a big jump in our consensus power rankings (tied for 18th last week) tomorrow.
Trifone: Some NCAA Championship Futures to Capitalize On
I was looking over the odds to win the NCAA championship (at Sportsbook.com), and thought I'd see if I could find a few long shots to win the tournament. It's a little comical going down the list because there are so many teams paying enormous odds.
Gonzaga, for example, is 75-1. Bookies aren't fools, though.
They offer the huge payouts because the likelihood of one of these teams winning is far worse. I'd love to get 500-1, but Northwestern simply isn't going to rattle off six in a row in March. There were, however, a few bets; none of which I would call true "long shots" that are giving pretty good odds that have a legitimate chance to win it.
I'll say, for the record, that I think that this is the year that Calipari wins his first title, as I think that Kentucky is the best team in college basketball. Kentucky is a 2-1 favorite, which doesn't seem like very good odds, but may be pretty close to accurate. If Kentucky made a run at it and got to the Final Four, you could certainly try and hedge your bet at that point, already having 2-1 on the Wildcats. Still, taking Kentucky against the field at only 2-1 is a tough proposition.
So what are some other reasonable wagers?
Georgetown at 25-1 seems like a pretty good bet to me. They are currently number 10 in the nation and have only one loss outside of conference play. The Big East may not be as good as it's been in recent years, but it's still one of the toughest conferences in the country, and with a halfway decent draw, Georgetown could certainly make some noise.
Michigan State at 12-1 is another decent play. The Big Ten is the premiere conference this year and Michigan State has posted a 10-3 record in conference play. They are currently number seven in the country, and let's be honest; doesn't Tom Izzo make the Final Four like every year?
North Carolina and Syracuse are both 8-1. Carolina has underachieved this year. They certainly have the talent to win it all, but have yet to put it all together this season. In the UNC-Duke rivalry, I'm a Carolina guy, but to date they haven't made me believe they're going to win it all this year. I'd stay away from them, even at 8-1. Syracuse, on the other hand, is a more intriguing play. Their only loss this season was on the road to a solid Notre Dame team. No team goes undefeated anymore, especially not in a conference as competitive as the Big East. Earlier in the season, Syracuse looked pretty unbeatable. They have been a bit more vulnerable of late, with very close victories at home against West Virginia and Georgetown, and with just a one-point road win at Louisville. Still, Syracuse has been impressive, and if they can rebound the ball, they can beat anyone in the country. They're a virtual lock for a one seed, so should be positioned for a deep run. I'll take 8-1 on the Orange.
The last bet I like is a Missouri team, who is also 8-1 to win it all. Missouri is for real this year, losing only two games (both in conference), and currently ranked third in the nation. Since losing at Oklahoma State on January 25th, Missouri has rattled off seven wins in a row, beating Texas and Oklahoma on the road, as well as number eight ranked Kansas and number six ranked Baylor. Missouri has great guards, and can hit free throws down the stretch; something that can be extremely important at the end of tight games.
All of these futures wagers are tough to predict, especially because the bracket you draw plays such a big role. But at this point in the season, these are a few of the bets I like. Georgetown's 25-1 looks the most attractive, but my favorite bet would be Missouri at 8-1.
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
Gonzaga, for example, is 75-1. Bookies aren't fools, though.
They offer the huge payouts because the likelihood of one of these teams winning is far worse. I'd love to get 500-1, but Northwestern simply isn't going to rattle off six in a row in March. There were, however, a few bets; none of which I would call true "long shots" that are giving pretty good odds that have a legitimate chance to win it.
I'll say, for the record, that I think that this is the year that Calipari wins his first title, as I think that Kentucky is the best team in college basketball. Kentucky is a 2-1 favorite, which doesn't seem like very good odds, but may be pretty close to accurate. If Kentucky made a run at it and got to the Final Four, you could certainly try and hedge your bet at that point, already having 2-1 on the Wildcats. Still, taking Kentucky against the field at only 2-1 is a tough proposition.
So what are some other reasonable wagers?
Georgetown at 25-1 seems like a pretty good bet to me. They are currently number 10 in the nation and have only one loss outside of conference play. The Big East may not be as good as it's been in recent years, but it's still one of the toughest conferences in the country, and with a halfway decent draw, Georgetown could certainly make some noise.
Michigan State at 12-1 is another decent play. The Big Ten is the premiere conference this year and Michigan State has posted a 10-3 record in conference play. They are currently number seven in the country, and let's be honest; doesn't Tom Izzo make the Final Four like every year?
North Carolina and Syracuse are both 8-1. Carolina has underachieved this year. They certainly have the talent to win it all, but have yet to put it all together this season. In the UNC-Duke rivalry, I'm a Carolina guy, but to date they haven't made me believe they're going to win it all this year. I'd stay away from them, even at 8-1. Syracuse, on the other hand, is a more intriguing play. Their only loss this season was on the road to a solid Notre Dame team. No team goes undefeated anymore, especially not in a conference as competitive as the Big East. Earlier in the season, Syracuse looked pretty unbeatable. They have been a bit more vulnerable of late, with very close victories at home against West Virginia and Georgetown, and with just a one-point road win at Louisville. Still, Syracuse has been impressive, and if they can rebound the ball, they can beat anyone in the country. They're a virtual lock for a one seed, so should be positioned for a deep run. I'll take 8-1 on the Orange.
The last bet I like is a Missouri team, who is also 8-1 to win it all. Missouri is for real this year, losing only two games (both in conference), and currently ranked third in the nation. Since losing at Oklahoma State on January 25th, Missouri has rattled off seven wins in a row, beating Texas and Oklahoma on the road, as well as number eight ranked Kansas and number six ranked Baylor. Missouri has great guards, and can hit free throws down the stretch; something that can be extremely important at the end of tight games.
All of these futures wagers are tough to predict, especially because the bracket you draw plays such a big role. But at this point in the season, these are a few of the bets I like. Georgetown's 25-1 looks the most attractive, but my favorite bet would be Missouri at 8-1.
[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Brook Lopez to make season debut Sunday
New Jersey's Brook Lopez has yet to play in a game this season. That will change Sunday.
Lopez is expected to start on Sunday against the Bucks.
“It’s going to be great, because a lot of the things that he does you just can’t teach,” [coach Avery] Johnson said, per Stefan Bondy of the NY Daily News. “You can’t teach seven foot tall, his touch, he’s bigger and stronger than he’s ever been and he’s ready to go. We’ve done everything in terms of communicating with the doctors, and Tim Walsh our trainer, we’ve taken every precaution under the sun. We think he’s ready and he’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
In his first three seasons in the NBA, Lopez has seen his scoring average increase from 13.0 to 18.8 to 20.4 points per game last year.
Although he saw his rebounding average drop to 6.0 per game last year from 8.7 in 2009-10, Lopez has shot more than 50 percent from the field, more than 80 percent from the line and averaged 1.7 blocks per game in his career.
Lopez is expected to start on Sunday against the Bucks.
“It’s going to be great, because a lot of the things that he does you just can’t teach,” [coach Avery] Johnson said, per Stefan Bondy of the NY Daily News. “You can’t teach seven foot tall, his touch, he’s bigger and stronger than he’s ever been and he’s ready to go. We’ve done everything in terms of communicating with the doctors, and Tim Walsh our trainer, we’ve taken every precaution under the sun. We think he’s ready and he’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
In his first three seasons in the NBA, Lopez has seen his scoring average increase from 13.0 to 18.8 to 20.4 points per game last year.
Although he saw his rebounding average drop to 6.0 per game last year from 8.7 in 2009-10, Lopez has shot more than 50 percent from the field, more than 80 percent from the line and averaged 1.7 blocks per game in his career.
Derrick Rose out vs. Nets
When the Bulls face the Nets this afternoon, they will be without point guard Derrick Rose again.
It will be the 10th game this season that Rose has missed and fifth in a row.
"I'm feeling decent," Rose said, per KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "We're just trying to be smart, make sure the pain is totally gone."
"Derrick did a little bit more, but we’re going to wait and see how he feels (Sunday)," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He’s getting closer and closer. He’s responding well to everything, his treatment, his increased workload. We just want to be patient."
After today, the Bulls have two more games, both at home, before the All-Star break: Monday (vs. Atlanta) and Wednesday (vs. Milwaukee). They don't return to action until Tuesday, February 28th.
It would make sense to let Rose use the next 10 days to recover instead of risking it against the Hawks or Bucks.
It will be the 10th game this season that Rose has missed and fifth in a row.
"I'm feeling decent," Rose said, per KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "We're just trying to be smart, make sure the pain is totally gone."
"Derrick did a little bit more, but we’re going to wait and see how he feels (Sunday)," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He’s getting closer and closer. He’s responding well to everything, his treatment, his increased workload. We just want to be patient."
After today, the Bulls have two more games, both at home, before the All-Star break: Monday (vs. Atlanta) and Wednesday (vs. Milwaukee). They don't return to action until Tuesday, February 28th.
It would make sense to let Rose use the next 10 days to recover instead of risking it against the Hawks or Bucks.
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