That being said, I'm typing this with the Bulls pounding ATL. JL3 is continuing is dominance as the most irrational confidence guy since Jamal Crawford (hey, at least BG's confidence was rational), and Zaza is pissing me off. Such an annoying and dirty player. Luol's dominating, and Boozer looks like the Carlos we all hoped for after he posted such great numbers in Utah.
It's troubling that this game reaffirms the current trend of getting up for big games and then coasting against teams like Toronto. With Rose out, the team doesn't have the killer, MJ-esque attitude where they just want to be the hell out of you for 3 quarters and hit the bench. Ultimately that's not surprising given the way our offense currently functions.
Overall, I'm still really impressed with this team's ability to win when they're tired and don't feel like playing and pick up the slack when Derrick's out of the line-up. But if there's anything that makes me nervous about the playoffs, it's Derrick's health.
It's almost a laundry list at this point, but he told the Trib's KC Johnson the other day that he thinks they're all linked. This makes perfect sense. I recently sprained my ankle (wearing Adidas Rose 2.5's mind you) and can already tell I'm developing some knee issues linked to crutching.
What do I think caused his injuries, you ask?
First and foremost, his style of play. Yeah, guys like LeBron and Kobe also get injured and take it to the rack with no regard for their bodies, but they're also bigger (or, in LeBron's case, fucking huge). But they also don't get slammed to the ground as much as Derrick does, and they continue to own the zebras. You'd see some people on the Knicks fouling out if they did LeBron like they did Derrick.
At the same time, Steve Francis and Penny took the ball to the hole a lot, and they got hurt. Dwyane Wade does the same, and he's also rather injury prone. It's not unheard of that a guy going up all and getting hit all the time get injured, but it is dangerous when that guy is the heart and soul of your team.
But that's a little too easy.
As Mars Blackmon once said, "Its gotta be the shoes."
Stay with me here, and take a look.
This is the Kobe VII. You can see the midsole is mostly intact with the ground at all times, and that the sides actually flair out on the top part of the sole to provide more stability.
I think this stability issue, along with the inferior cushioning provided, may be the source of Derrick's issues. It'd be interested to see if his injuries still nagged when he's wearing a far superior performance product.
It's not crazy to think footwear can make that much of an impact. I.e. I went 5 years without an injury, and played in Adidas for the first time in nearly 10 years, and now I can't walk. Most of my Nike's have been able to compensate for ankle rolls and limit the damage.
If you want a more in-depth review of either shoe, let me know, but for now...I'm wishing Adidas hadn't thrown D.Rose $200 million...
For basketball success, rock these instead NIKE Jordan Son of Mars Men's Basketball Shoes, White/Black/Purple - 10.0
I'm up there with the biggest nike fans, and much like you, I despise any product that rolls off the adidas production line. BUT, I don't think D Rose is wearing run of the mill adidas kicks. I find it hard to believe that his shoes are not modified in any way to be a superior product to what they sell in the stores. Also, given that he was the MVP and is worth hundreds of millions I'm sure his shoes (and the rest of his gear) have been considered for revision in light of his recent inures.
ReplyDeleteI think his injuries have to deal purely with his style of play. He consistently goes to the hole like a banshee and proceeds to jump (very high) in the air. I don't care how injury proof you are, you're going to get bumped, bruised, and battered.
Lmao @ the banshee comment.
ReplyDeleteI definitely am a Nike head/fanboy, no doubt about that. But I actually decided to wear the Rose 2.5 today (albeit on one foot) and I really don't trust the stability and support of this shoe. Idk about you, but I'd wear crappy shoes for $200m and not think twice about it...
However, he does play a bit aggressively. Considering he has one of the best mid-rang J's in the game, he could probably drive a little less, but do we really want him turning into Eddie Robinson? He's famous for his quote, "I don't go in the lane, it's dangerous in there."
His game's likely to be totally different when he's 30, but for now I'm okay with him getting dinged up a bit. I think most of his injuries are symptoms of overuse rather than pure abuse.
I'm sure if I had tendonitis playing 4-6x a week in pick-up games, that you (Sean) probably had it playing at a much much much higher level, and that Rose's body is finally adjusting to the pro-game. I'm sure it gets easier as you get older.
Great comment, Sean.