SALT LAKE CITY The Utah Jazz will likely face the
Houston Rockets and their Sundance Film Festival star
without the services of sixth man Gordon Hayward tonight at EnergySolutions
Arena.
Hayward suffered a grade-one right shoulder sprain in
the final seconds of Saturday's 114-110 overtime win over the Indiana Pacers and
is listed as doubtful for tonight's game.
"It's still pretty sore, unfortunately," Hayward said
after this morning's shootaround.
The third-year pro still has full range of motion in
his shoulder, but it continues to feel stiff. Hayward hasn't a game since his
rookie season.
"I'm just going to try to get treatment and come back
as soon as I can," he said.
While that likely won't be against Houston, the Jazz
host New Orleans on Wednesday and Portland on Friday.
Hayward said his shoulder was popped by Indiana big
man David West as the Jazz shooting guard fought through a "shut-the-gate"
screen set up for All-Star Paul George.
"It was a hard screen. I definitely felt it," he
explained. "I knew something happened right when it got hit, finished off the
play. I needed a sub."
Hayward briefly felt light-headed because of the jolt
of pain that surged through his shoulder.
"They (trainers) said I was getting pale and I needed
to sit down and so I did that," he said. "The pain went down a little bit and it
started to feel better."
Starting power forward Paul Millsap said the Jazz will
need other bench players like Alec Burks and DeMarre Carroll
to fill the void left by Hayward.
"G is a big part of what we do his playmaking skills
and his shooting," Millsap said. "So he'll be missed tonight."
My nickname for him is now official I guess! How could they tell he was pale?
Quote:
Point guard Mo Williams said he'll have the pin removed from his surgically repaired right thumb during the All-Star break next month:
"I'm doing good," Williams said. "Just trying to keep my cardio together until I get this pin out and be able to use this fully. I'm just trying to do everything I can, running around, using this left hand as much as I can, developing it a little bit more."
Might have an idea on how much longer Mo will be out soon.
sources tell Y! As for finding a spot for Calderon, yes,
teams have interest in him. Yet how much are they willing to contribute to
MEM-TOR in 3-way deal? Twitter @WojYahooNBA
Mo Williams might make sense for Memphis? Rather O'Conner's man love for him has changed is another question?
Might need a 4th team. Memphis goes back into the luxury tax I think with this but saves them next year and the future with the expiring contracts. Jazz and Toronto could send cash to offset the tax maybe? I 'd be happy to send picks and Tomic if necessary too and Toronto has lots of picks as well I believe.
Last edited by Xiao Yao You : 01-29-2013 at 08:00 PM.
One common denominator amongst NBA champions is a collection of high lottery picks, something Utah Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey has identified.
If you study the history of the league, you really have to respect what we call the scouting curves opinion, he said. In football and baseball you can get all-time greats in later rounds. But in basketball, the talented prodigies, like LeBron James most times they turn into the best players in the league.
The Miami Heat had five top-six selections last season, while the Dallas Mavericks of 2011 had seven lottery picks.
While five teams have more total lottery picks on their rosters, the Jazz have the most under 25 in Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Alec Burks and Enes Kanter.
Were not a finished product, Lindsey said. But we want everybody to understand that we know were playoff competitive but not championship competitive yet. And we aspire to put ourselves inside the championship competitive group, even if we need to take a real patient approach.
Yes it sounds like they are happy to have Calderon as they should be.
Not sure Phoenix is going to trade Dragic especially when Marshall hasn't shown aything. Frye for 2 more years certainly isn't ideal but he's basically Okur for half the money. Rather have Petro and Morrow.
I can see them being part of a deal with all of their expiring contracts. possibly Mo if it's determined he's out most of the year when the splint comes of soon. Raja certainly is available too.
Don't see the point in keeping Jefferson. Surely it's better to get some assets for him, rather than let him go for nothing at seasons end.
It's been the Jazz's MO for a long time. They didn't trade Boozer even though Millsap had already shown what he could do as the starter unlike Favors and Kanter. Remains to be seen if things change with the new GM? I'm not sure that there's that many deals out there for him? Does it help them now and/or in the future? I think they will be a better team without him but not sure they do. A sign and trade will be possible but not as easy with the new CBA. They do get cap space so it's not nothing.
I'm guessing they want to keep Millap or Jefferson preferably Millsap but if one of them gets a ridiculous offer and they've traded the other than they have neither. Same thing Lakers and Clipps are thinking with Gasol and Bledsoe.