AP Don’t get your hopes up about seeing Derrick Rose before late, late in the season. After an initial report listed him back on the floor after ACL surgery in January, that was pushed back to February, then March. Now, in a radio interview in Chicago via ESPN Chicago, Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf said the Bulls will not be pushing Rose to return before he’s absolutely healthy.
“I’m not going to let him back until the doctors tell me that it’s absolutely safe for him to come back,” Reinsdorf said on ESPN 1000′s “Talking Baseball” on Saturday. “I made that mistake with Michael Jordan years ago where I think we let him come back too soon. It worked out OK, but it might not have. This time I’m not going to make that mistake. Until the doctors say he’s 100 percent and they put their reputations on the line, he’s not coming back.”
via Jerry Reinsdorf says Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose wont be rushed back from knee surgery – ESPN Chicago.
The Bulls pushed Jordan to get back from a foot injury and it did limit him. Jordan made a full recovery because he was a god among men, but Rose is only mortal, and that ACL injury can have worse repercussions long-term.
Reinsdorf also admitted during the interview that the Bulls probably aren’t winning the title. If you add up these comments and that? You get the distinct possibility that we may not see Rose in the 2012-2013 season, at all. If Chicago doesn’t keep pace until the playoffs, it might just not be worth the risk.
All of this from a team that in April of 2011 could be considered the favorite to win the NBA title. Things change just that quickly.
-
Kobe says of Dwight Howard Lakers need to “keep him and lock him in”
Jun 20, 2013, 2:45 AM EDT
AP
I’m not sure how good the Lakers will be with Dwight Howard next season — Lakers fans and players point to the 28-12 stretch and say they can sustain that, I’m not sold — but I know this: Without Howard the Lakers will be a mess next season. Kobe Bryant realizes that too and said…
-
Report: Clippers just need owner’s approval to finalize Garnett, Rivers trade
Jun 20, 2013, 2:21 AM EDT
Reuters
Not only is the Clippers/Celtics trade back from the dead (don’t say I didn’t warn you) it looks like it could come together Thursday. If Clippers owner Donald Sterling signs off on it this deal could come together Thursday reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. After superstar Chris Paul injected his influence to accelerate talks,…
-
Here is our regular look around the NBA — links to stories worth reading and notes to check out (stuff that did not get its own post here at PBT) — done in bullet point form. Because bloggers love bullet points. • The Philadelphia 76ers coaching search could go on until after Summer League in…
-
Getty Images
Game 7 of the NBA Finals. It doesn’t get any better than this. Kay Adams and I take a look forward to Thursday night’s game with a quick look back at Game 6 (no, Chris Bosh should not have been called for a foul on that last shot) then we start talking about how tired…
-
Say whatever you will about how the Grizzlies dumped Lionel Hollins – and there’s a lot to say, most of it not favorable to the team’s management – but they’re conducting this coaching search the right way. They didn’t rush to hire the favored but unproven assistant, Dave Joerger. Instead, they interviewed safer choices like…
-
AP
Jerry Sloan is back with the Utah Jazz, and the world just seems a little more orderly. The Jazz have brought back Sloan as a “senior basketball advisor” the team announced on Wednesday. What does that mean? Some player evaluations (both before the draft at workouts and at places like Summer League), a little scouting,…
-
Reuters
One day after as dramatic an NBA Finals game as you will ever see — and one day before a Game 7 to decide the NBA crown — the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs were back on the practice court and talking to the media. The Miami players, as you might expect, seemed confident…
-
Celtics, Clippers restart Doc Rivers-Kevin Garnett trades talks at Chris Paul’s wish
Jun 19, 2013, 6:20 PM EDT
Getty Images
Update (6:40 p.m.): Chris Paul is the catalyst for trade talks resuming. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports: Clippers management believed Boston would eventually come back to them out of a belief that the Celtics-Rivers relationship would be difficult to repair, but league sources told Y! Sports that Paul’s desire to play for Rivers – and…
-
At one point Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger was considered a strong front-runner to replace Lionel Hollins, but Memphis has interviewed former head coaches like George Karl and Alvin Gentry. Apparently, those other interviews weren’t just for show before hiring Joerger, because the Grizzlies are on round two of interviews. Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports:…
-
The Mavericks have made no secret about wanting to prevent the No. 13 pick from cutting into their cap room, whether that means trading the pick or drafting and stashing a player. The idea of wasting a lottery pick, either by dumping it in an uneven trade or using it on a lesser prospect just…
-
Report: Cavaliers ‘have completely overvalued’ No. 1 pick in trade talks
Jun 19, 2013, 5:09 PM EDT
Nerlens Noel would be a worthy No. 1 pick in many drafts if it weren’t for his ACL tear. His athleticism and defensive skills draw rave reviews from both traditional scouts and number crunchers. There’s safety in a consensus positive opinion, and Noel provides that on the court. But his ACL tear and the possibility…
-
Chris Bosh to fans who left Game 6 early: ‘Don’t come back for Game 7′
Jun 19, 2013, 4:31 PM EDT
Getty Images
MIAMI — The Spurs held a five-point lead with a little more than 28 seconds remaining in Game 6, before the Heat mounted a furious comeback to send it into overtime and ultimately force a seventh game. As things looked particularly dire, with San Antonio on a 10-2 run and seemingly on their way to…
-
Masai Ujiri won’t fire Dwane Casey – at least not right now
Jun 19, 2013, 4:21 PM EDT
The will he?/won’t he? saga about returning to coach his Atlantic Division team has ended. No new information on Doc Rivers, but Dwane Casey will be back with the Raptors. Raptors press release: Toronto Raptors President and General Manager, Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced Wednesday that Head Coach Dwane Casey will return for the 2013-14…
-
Getty Images
Dwyane Wade has been clearly grounded through much of the playoffs. While he has had some monster games — including Games 4 and 5 of the Finals — his right knee has held him back at times. Now you can add his left knee to the list of issues. Wade and Manu Ginobili banged knees…
-
Getty Images
As a series moves deeper ratings go up — and Game 6 lived up to that, with a huge jump in viewership for ABC. An estimated 16.8 million people — a 14.7 rating — tuned in to watch Game 6, ESPN announced. The previous high this series had been 11.4 million viewers for a game…
-
Popovich explains decision to sit Duncan late in regulation of Game 6
Jun 19, 2013, 2:15 PM EDT
MIAMI — Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was the recipient of some rare criticism following his team’s collapse in the final moments of regulation in Game 6, and it surrounded his decision to bench Tim Duncan during some key defensive possessions. The end result, twice with under 30 seconds to play, was the Heat getting…
-
Getty Images
MIAMI — For all intents and purposes, the game was over. Except that it wasn’t. The Heat trailed Game 6 of the Finals by five with under 30 seconds to play, and fans in Miami began streaming for the exits. Arena staffers in yellow shirts lined the baselines and the court across from the team…
-
Doc Rivers, Celtics’ GM Ainge meet Wednesday to discuss what’s next
Jun 19, 2013, 12:53 PM EDT
AP
Now that the drama of Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett headed the Clippers trade talk has subsided, it’s time for everyone in Boston to act like adults and end this soap opera. To that end, Rivers and Celtics GM Danny Ainge are expected to sit down face-to-face Wednesday and talk, Ainge told the Boston Herald.…
-
Some fans in Miami left early, couldn’t get back in to watch amazing finish
Jun 19, 2013, 12:07 PM EDT
AP
PBT’s own Brett Pollakoff tweeted this out when the Heat were down 5 with: 28 seconds left and the Heat had called a timeout. “Fans in Miami heading for the exits.” Thousands of them. Not anywhere near a majority, but enough to reinforce the stereotype. Plenty (again, far from all) fans in Miami fit the…
-
Getty Images
Gregg Popovich is the best coach in basketball right now. One of the best of all time. He has four rings and built a culture in San Antonio that has them in NBA Finals 14 years apart and with consistent 50+ win seasons in between. But he is not perfect. He made a couple decisions…
-
Play
Video: Bosh: 'We'll see who hits first'
-
Play
Video: Clippers, Celtics discussions 'can't be wrong'
-
Play
Video: Elliot looks ahead to Game 6
-
Play
Video: The Hype: How much would you pay to punch someone?
-
Play
Video: If Heat lose, 'all hell will break loose'
-
Play
Video: Green breaks NBA finals 3-point record
