[外電] Josh Howard Returns; Now What?

看板Mavericks作者kundera (kundera)時間14年前 (2009/12/11 07:26)推噓7(7推 0噓 3→)

留言10則, 8人參與討論串1/1

Going into this season, I wouldn't have been surprised to see the Mavs up near the top of the West—or barely hanging onto a playoff invite. Luckily for Dallas, they've managed to stand out in a tough conference despite Shawn Marion's less-than-stellar contributions and the long-running absence of swingman Josh Howard. Last night's game against Phoenix was a crucial one. The Lakers remain the clear-cut favorites in the West; the Nuggets probably deserve more consideration for that honor than they're getting. The Suns, arguably the surprise team of the year, have found a new groove and were pretty fairly installed as third-best in the West. Phoenix is for real; if Dallas were to beat them, they could steal that slot. And, since the Mavs remain far less likely to make you rub your eyes and go "huh?" than the Suns, it was a very real possibility. Well, Dallas triumphed 102-101, which has the two southwest powerhouses tied for third, both now holding records of 15-7. More importantly, though, Josh Howard returned, and after a shaky first half, came to life and carried the team, putting up 16 of his 20 points and "flying around for rebounds, steals and blocks" at the other end. But as Howard puts it: "It's going to be sore, guys, it's going to be sore the rest of the year." This is very much a continuation of last year's injury woes: The ankle bothered Howard all last season no matter how much therapy he did, so he had it cleaned up over the summer. He missed the first five games of the season recovering, then lasted just 2 1/2 before having to be shut down again. Following a nearly monthlong layoff, he didn't start Tuesday night and coach Rick Carlisle wasn't sure how long he'd use Howard or how good he would be. So Carlisle faces a dilemma that could decide how far the Mavs go this year. Howard wants to play and is clearly capable of it in stretches–oddly appropriate, since he's so often cast as the first-half guy who gets the offense going, then disappears. His presence could help the Mavs immensely on offense and defense, but only if he's feeling steady. Carlisle has already announced that Howard might sit out one of this week's back-to-backs. It's strange that an ankle problem could so thoroughly hamper a young player's career, but here we are, facing a second season of a hobbled Howard. It's clear that he's had enough of sitting around, and Carlisle can't well keep him down when Howard's capable of halves like we saw last night. Yet you don't want to do more harm than good, either to Josh long-term, or by inserting him into the game when he's not 100 percent. I've been among the many, possibly misguided, folks who have long felt the Mavs' successs depended heavily on Howard. That's despite thinking that Dirk is a very strong candidate for MVP so far. This season, it might not be about getting Howard's head on straight, or figuring out his role on the team, but about he and Carlisle managing his PT so it benefits all parties involved. That's the kind of challenge that can really bring out the best in a coach and player—or prove to be a huge distraction that blows up in the team's face. http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/The_Baseline/entry/view/47012/josh_howard_returns;_now_what 大意是說，Josh Howard回來後，教練Carlisle必須重新面對陣容分配的問題當然，球隊也會小心，不要讓他再度受傷另外也提到德佬，他今年很有機會爭得MVP，言下之意應該希望小牛不要亂了步子，害德佬最後又空手而歸 -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 82.139.86.203

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