Rockets center just recovered and now Memphis center is out for 3 months. Gasol out up to 3 months So much for the Grizzlies getting off to a fast start to the 2006-07 season. The prospect of that lessened Saturday given All-Star forward Pau Gasol could be unable to play for up to three months with a partial fracture in his left foot sustained early Friday in the semifinals of the world championships in Japan. Gasol's injury was confirmed in a statement released by the Spanish Basketball Federation. "The player is not supporting any weight on the injured foot. The national team's medical services has submitted to his club (Memphis) a medical report, as well as the exam results, so they can evaluate the therapeutic steps to be taken," the release said. Following the initial concern and disappointment, Grizzlies officials were on the same page with what should happen next. They want to see Gasol in Memphis as soon as possible. Now that the Grizzlies' worst fear has been confirmed, the organization will ask Gasol to expedite his return to the United States. Gasol will require surgery following an examination by the team's doctor. "Is this the same thing that happened two years ago?," Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello said Saturday. "You have to get him back and let our people look at him." Gasol underwent X-rays and an MRI exam Saturday at the Kato Orthopedic Clinic in Saitama, Japan, according to the Spanish release. The 7-footer was hurt Friday near the conclusion of Spain's 75-74 semifinal victory against Argentina. He'll sit out today's final against Greece, and is certain to miss the Grizzlies' training camp that begins Oct. 3. If the Grizzlies' diagnosis is the same as Spain's, then Gasol's injury (fractures of the fifth metatarsal) is something from which he can recover and resume playing at a high level. Just ask Grizzlies president Jerry West. He suffered the same injury as a prep athlete in West Virginia. "It's not an injury that normally ruins a person's career," West said. "It'll be a healing process. We have confidence in his age, and our doctors say that he'll be able to play and play at a high level when he comes back." Speaking about the prospect of playing without Gasol, West opined: "He's one of the few gifted low-post players in the league." Fratello said it was too soon to determine how the Griz would compensate without Gasol during the early part of the season. "You're losing an all-star player, a guy capable of getting double-doubles and who was playing very well in the tournament," Fratello said. "It leaves a tremendous hole at the four and five positions. Obviously, other people have to be ready to assume more of a responsibility with this." Gasol's absence -- much like two seasons ago -- will present more of an opportunity for veteran forwards Stromile Swift and Brian Cardinal. Both played well when Gasol missed about two months with a left foot injury during the 2004-05 season. The void at power forward could also allow Fratello to accelerate the development of younger players such as Hakim Warrick, Lawrence Roberts and rookie Alexander Johnson. "We have some very good young players," West said. "When you lose your best player, it always hurts. I can tell you that we didn't have a good feeling about it (when the injury happened)." Gasol spoke with the media following the original diagnosis. His immediate reaction was centered on not being able to help Spain capture gold. "I will try to be with my teammates for whatever they need, but what really hurts me is not to be able to be on the court physically in order to help as I have done in the past in this tournament," Gasol said. "I hope that against Greece we will play a great game. ... A gold medal around my neck would take away all the pain that I'm currently feeling."
Well that pretty much is good news for us Rockets, we might actually get a win against them now. Hope this doesn't mean more time for Rudy Gay to develop, because I really want Gay to be a big bust.
Does Memphis win over 40 games this year? Which IMO means. . . is Memphis still a Playoff Team? Rocket River
I guess I want Gay to fall on his face, too. But just because he plays for a division rival. Remember, Gay was NEVER going to be a Rocket. Had they not made the Battier trade (and given that Portland screwed us out of getting Brandon Roy), the Rockets were prepared to take Thabo Sefalosha at #8. Hardly a franchise turn-around pick.
Thabo Sefalosha might not be a franchise turn-around pick, but he did shoot up the charts with his workouts, and I think he and Stromile (who would not have been traded away) would have done wonders for our depth. Sefalosha plays D, can play some point, has a decent shot. But he's a Euro, a step up from pond scum in JVG's eyes (he didn't sound too enthused about V-Span and has a history of cutting Euros to the curb; granted, the Euros in question might not have amounted to much).
Really? That's r****ded, picking Thabo Sefalosha at #8. Wow, just imagine if Rudy Gay knew this for a fact, our whole organization shunning Rudy Gay, imagine how many points he'd want to put up against us. It would have made more sense for us to pick up Ronnie Brewer at #8. Or maybe even Rodney Carney?
If we did that I would personally catch a flight to Houston just to slap every member of the Rocket's front office.
He won't be back till about December. That's about 10 games late, after some more rehab,etc. about 15 games late. They can play catch up.
