NBA Injury Updates: Chris Paul, Hedo Turkoglu, Sebastian Telfair
Chris Paul (photo. Zach Wolfe)
A couple days ago, I started drafting a column about the concept of shutting a player down for the season when he’s dealing with a lingering injury and his team is out of playoff contention. Exhibit 1A was going to be Chris Paul. As soon as the Hornets were mathematically knocked out of the postseason, if I were running the team, I would have sat CP and his not-100-percent knee. You hate to feel like you’re cheating the paying customers out of the best product possible, but CP is The Franchise in New Orleans and you have to think long-term about protecting your investment.
Now the Hornets don’t have to make a decision. Paul has a ligament tear in his right middle finger which will force him to miss the remainder of the season. Paul initially hurt the finger on the same night he returned from the knee injury, in a March 22 game against Dallas. He kept playing through it, but on Tuesday he had to leave practice after getting the finger caught in a collision with Morris Peterson. He missed last night’s game against the Bobcats before today’s announcement.
* Hedo Turkoglu got headbutted by Tony Allen in the first quarter of last night’s Raptors/Celtics game and was taken to the hospital. Word is that Hedo broke his nose and he’s listed as day-to-day, but he wants to come back this week wearing a mask. Jarrett Jack (ankle), Amir Johnson (knee) and Antoine Wright (ankle) are also day-to-day for the Raptors, who won’t have Chris Bosh for the rest of the regular season at least.
* Sebastian Telfair (groin) will be active for tonight’s Cavs/Bulls game. Bassy hasn’t suited up since coming to Cleveland in a deadline trade. With Daniel Gibson (foot) and Delonte West (back) out of the lineup, Telfair should get some significant PT.
* Mike Finley strained his back picking up luggage the other day, but was OK enough to score 11 points in the fourth quarter of last night’s Boston win in Toronto. That’s how you know you’re getting old.
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April 8th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
control says:
I think any games Hedo(game) misses should be listed as:
DNP (broke game)
Can’t hurt Toronto’s chances of making the playoffs if he misses the rest of the season. Fucker playing like shit without a mask, is the mask going to make him a superhero or some bullshit?
April 8th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
JBaller says:
Yo, what about Eddie Curry’s busted ass ankle. That guy’s been stealin’ money from my chump ass knicks for 3+ years now!
April 8th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
K Dizzle says:
Agree with Control
Hedo been stealin money all year. Too bad he didn’t get lost in the preseason for the season so that the Raps would know they couldn’t expect anythin from him.
Could it be that Chris Bosh’s last moments in a Raps jersey are gonna be him blowin that layup against GSW and then gettin his face broken by Antawn?
Can’t go out like that lol
April 8th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
RapTOr says:
Hedo’s an ignorant dumbass going against team physican advice and opting to play without the mask after his first face injury earlier this season. Apparently,doctors strongly reccomended that Hedo continue wearing the mask, while he decided that, after wearing it a few times, that it wasn’t for him. A perfect example of the selfish, ignorant behaviour he’s displayed all season long. You’ve pretty much won the jackpot from a team ununtelligent enough to pay you big time money, and you out their investment at risk like that. Gtfoh hedo
I hope they reduce his salary or something, as I remember some talks going around when he chose to take the mask off earlier in the season that if he sustains another face injury without the mask on, he would be in violation of his contract
April 8th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
that's what's up says:
fuck CP3
he can now cheat off the court for a change
April 8th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
that's what's up says:
@ post 2-jballer
Do you want to touch it Dave?
Only in New York….