So at first (according to you) the tweet was a week old and now it's ten days old yet it was tweeted on December 19th all of THREE days ago. Stop. Please. Stop.
Asik decided to do Muay Thai and got into a sparring match and did a high knee kick to his opponents face and injured his knee in the process.
Math is fundamental. Feigen tweeted on Dec 19 that he'd seen Asik's knee a week earlier. That puts it at about Dec 12 when he laid eyes on it. Which is... 10 days ago. Not complicated.
Er, no, not satire, and not a joke. I find this amazing. Less than two weeks ago, practically EVERYONE here was commenting on Asik's injury and his behavior. Now, How Dare You Question His Integrity is the line. What changed? Oh yeah, that's right. He didn't get traded. I get it. A week ago he was as good as gone and wasn't really one of our guys anymore. And then suddenly, he's still one of our guys. And yes, we must make due with what we have. But I find it quite mindboggling that given his behavior suddenly gets a pass. Not just his refusal to play, but his obvious half-a$$ing while on the court. Are we simply trying to convince ourselves that everything is just peachy? Is that it? Because it's not. We are in deep doo-doo as far as injuries go. We NEED every healthy player we can get. I do NOT trust Asik's motivations here. He does not want to be here, and he has NOT given us anywhere close to the performance we should all expect from him - that we know he is capable of. I want him to PLAY. I want him to accept his role in the scheme of things - coming off the bench - and earn his goddammed money. He doesn't want to be here - we know that. When we can accommodate a trade that benefits both him and the team we will make that move. But it is not too much to ask him to contribute. He CAN contribute, and he could have contributed more this season. Stop apologizing for him. Let him earn his $$. If his injury is real, then that will become clear over time. If it's not, that will also become clear. Either way, I just want to see the situation fixed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Kevin McHale on Omer Asik: "I would be shocked if he played any time too soon."</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/statuses/415527566204624896">December 24, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
[Sigh.] The self-righteous, 'earn your pay' schtick is getting old already. You're arguing for the sake of hearing yourself argue points that have become stale. It's true that Asik drove down his own trade value by openly pouting and refusing to come off the bench. Nobody is arguing he didn't. More to the point, nobody is defending his unprofessional actions because he is still with the team. Most fans are still pissed that Morey couldn't get more than trash contracts and a mid-to-late 1st round pick. Likewise, most fans are grateful that Morey didn't flip a dollar for three nickles. But that's done. The organization has now turned the page and is looking ahead to future positive outcomes. And, take note, most intelligent fans are doing the same. Does this mean Asik gets healthy again, accepts his long-term bench role, and contributes to deep playoff runs this season and next? Who knows? (but rather unlikely) Does this mean Asik heeds his super agent's advice, works hard to get back on the court, and regains his elite defensive prowess (rim protection & rebounding) for the sole purpose of driving up his stock in order to be moved by the Feb trade deadline or offseason? Who knows? (but more likely, assuming health) These are the types of questions the GARM has moved towards discussing, and rightfully so. The deep thigh injury was speculated by many to be a tactic used by the front office to indefinitely shelf Asik while pursuing trade scenarios prior to the team's self-imposed trade deadline (12/19). That time has come and gone. Reports now confirm that Asik is indeed injured, and will likely be out a while (see Feigen's and Berman's tweet history). Feigen admitted to actually seeing (with his own eyes, I'm assuming) heavy swelling in Asik's knee. This report is consistent with visits to team doctors in order to drain his knee of fluid. WHAT MORE IS THERE TO SAY? Turn the page. Not everything is a conspiracy. Not everyone believes everything is 'peachy'. The GARM isn't blind to the rash of injuries, lack of quality bench depth, and overall inconsistent effort on the court. But it's still only December 24th. There is still time to develop chemistry and a true team identity. Give it time. Asik may or may not be a healthy part of the process. More to the point, nobody is apologizing for Asik. His injury has been confirmed by several sources. He will or won't earn his pay when healthy. Morey will or won't get true value for him come Feb. End of story. Spoiler /thread
He is legitimately injured, but what gets me the most is the negative aura he has put around the team. Without a doubt, it has an effect on team chemistry. They need him out there and they know he wouldn't play if he had the choice. When you have all your soldiers out fighting a war, even one mad apple has an effect on morale.
I told y'all this should have been a bigger concern. It' probably the real reason the trade fell apart. You don't trade for a guy who's currently having his knee drained. I'm pretty sure Asik and his agent know an injury makes him hard to trade, not easier. I could understand the suspicion, if he had claimed he was hurting now, but it makes absolutely no sense to fake pain/injury during negotiations.
Damn. Asik is like dead man walking for us. Don't know anything about his injury but given his sad sack state of mind, would anyone expect this guy to rush back to help us? I don't. Morey messed up by not trading earlier. The longer this guy is out, the lower his trading value becomes. Sigh...
Care to tell us in which games he played half a$$ed? (Besides the famous 4 minute span where he played so badly, McHale who is known for benching any player for bad play was urged to bench him) Was it the Spurs game where he was one of the reasons we won? Or the other games where he pulled down 7-10 rebs in 10-20 mins? Oh and which games he refused to play AFTER he apologised to the team? Any links showing he refused to play in them?
Omer Asik struggles with recovery from knee injury The Rockets were not only still without center Omer Asik – and will not have him for the immediate future at least – they were also still unsure why he has been unable to make improvement from his injury. Asik has repeatedly been able to make strides and greatly increase workouts, but each time he seems close to being able to return, the swelling in his knee returns. The Rockets sent him for the more detailed MRI last week, but it showed no damage to the knee. They have sent those test results to another expert, hoping to get a better idea of why the problem remains so persistent. Asik initially went out after a bruised thigh Dec. 2. Swelling developed in his knee soon after, forcing him to miss the next 11 games, an absence made an even greater issue with backup center Greg Smith also out. “He had some swelling again in his knee,” McHale said. “It seems like he amps it up to a certain level and it swells up again. They’re still trying to figure out what’s causing that swelling when he gets up to a certain level of activity. They MRI, they sent it out again for certain people to look at again. His symptoms are not going the way the doctors think they should be.” ...
