I've noticed both hear and when listening to radio that a lot of people still don't have down the concept of the Inactive List (IL) versus the Injured Reserve (IR). The IR was a previous way of managing a roster. Teams were allowed 12 players plus three on IR. Teams routinely made up illnesses or injuries to keep the extra three players on the IR. As a way to circumvent that problem, the league expanded rosters to 15 players and changed the IR to an IL similar to what they have in the NFL. Teams designate 12 active and 3 inactive players for each game. Players on IL may be injured (i.e Bob Sura) or they may simply be inactive for that game. By cutting Bowen and Jacobsen, the Rockets are now down to 15 players on their roster. Sura will, no doubt, spend most of his time on the IL as the team gives him a shot at recovering from his injury. The other two spots will likely be occupied most of the time by JLIII, Padgett and V-Span depending upon the game or by other injured players (hopefully, we won't have any of those). Just wanted to clarify since there still seemed to be some confusion.
In the past, not all teams had 15 players. It's a norm of the modern era of bball. Still today, I think some money crunching teams aren't going to fill their 15 eligible spots. Also of note is that under the new CBA, you can send 1st and 2nd year players down to the D-League and maintain their rights. They're still on your team and take up a roster spot, but they can get some work in if needed. So like if the Rockets have no injuries and decide that V-Span and JL3 aren't going to be needed for 2 weeks. They have the option of keeping those 2 to be around practicing with the team, or send them to Austin to play in some real games to get some work in....or both. They would be taking up Inactive spots the whole time and DaDakota could update us on their games in Austin.
I think this whole board and Rockets fans in general got the idea somehow that Sura could never play again. I don't know where that came from but he basically had the exact injury and surgery that Kidd did at just about the same age. I really think Sura will play again and that is was just the fans own imagination that he was done. Because he did not have a career ending injury he just needed the whole year off because of the timing of it.
Some people do come back from Microfracture surgery, while others do not..... I don't think it is a proven proceedure yet, as in they THINK it will help build cartlidge, but there is no guarantee. DD
