[外電] Josh Howard Returns; Now What?

[kundera (kundera)]

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



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推 dnly41      :感覺今年甜瓜機會也很大..
推 Verriasen   :所以球隊戰績很重要~
推 nowismallki :我只想要看Dirk拿總冠軍戰MVP~~
推 SKnight     :球隊戰績真的非常重要...當然個人表現也很重要
→ SKnight     :同樣戰績下  Dirk受關注的機率通常小於其他球員
→ SKnight     :如果Dirk多來幾次絕殺或是大暴走  就可以搏更多版面
→ foyes       :感覺NASH拿第3個好像機會更大?比較期待總冠軍
推 arkod       :比較期待 小牛 vs 太陽 在西區決賽 :D
推 n924127     :那我希望是大暴走.. 絕殺相對著代表險勝...
推 s93rm6      :同意樓上，雖然絕殺真的比較好看XDD