In today's Star some of the rumours circling here are debunked, (seems to be a habit when we discuss something heavily )
From Kravitz:
There's no point in rushing Tinsley's return
It would make for great theater, for superb drama. There would be Jamaal Tinsley, the man with the sore foot that won't heal, valiantly limping onto the FleetCenter parquet floor, pulling a Willis Reed while saving the point-less Indiana Pacers from the edge of extinction.
Sadly, both for Tinsley and the Pacers, it's not going to happen, even as this desperate and wounded team learns that Anthony Johnson is a 50-50 proposition to play in Game 5.
Could Tinsley pull a surprise and don a uniform for tonight?
Absolutely.
He is, after all, on the playoff roster, and it's not just because of the fashion sense he brings to the end of the bench. And Monday, before the Pacers took their flight to Boston, Tinsley practiced with the team for the first time in months.
Is it likely he will play?
Not really.
"That's not my decision," Tinsley said. "They just don't want me to get hurt again. So I'm waiting for the word."
Even if Tinsley were to dress and play tonight or in Game 6, he's not going to be a game-changer. He hasn't played in months, and his conditioning has essentially consisted of shooting and working on cardio machines. There's treadmill conditioning, and then there's NBA playoff conditioning.
"If he was cleared, I'd love to have the opportunity to play him some," coach Rick Carlisle said. "But having said that, he's only practiced with the team once in two months, and that was (Monday) and only for a few minutes. So even if he was to play, I don't know how realistic it would be to expect him to play that effectively."
Then he laughed nervously. "We could use some help there, though," he said.
Again, Johnson is 50-50 after suffering a freak injury in Game 4, although the smart bet is that he will play. Fred Jones, who will get most of the minutes if Johnson doesn't play, isn't a natural point guard. And Eddie Gill, bless his overachieving soul, let's just say he's been out of his element in this series.
But playing Tinsley now isn't worth the risk if there's the chance he could re-injure the foot and lose part of his summer to rehabilitation.
This is not, after all, a championship team. And as much as you'd like to think the Pacers can beat Boston and get a rematch with Detroit, the truth of the matter is, they've already accomplished far more than anybody could have expected.
"I know it would be useful to have me in there right now," Tinsley said. "But I've been wanting to come back since before those guys got banged up. It's up to the doctors. It's been driving me crazy for a while now, but there's nothing I can do."
The Celtics, of course, smell blood in the water, and they should, especially with Johnson hurt. They will continue to pressure the point guard, just as they did so successfully in Game 4, just as they should have done from the beginning.
And without question, the smaller lineup will return. Antoine Walker likely will start, but expect to see him take Raef LaFrentz's spot. It's thought that Ricky Davis and Delonte West will start again alongside Paul Pierce and designated Reggie Miller-chaser, Gary Payton.
Two things have to happen tonight for the Pacers to win:
• Defensively, they've got to stop dribble penetration, which is no small feat for a team that sorely lacks speed.
• Second, they need a big game from Jermaine O'Neal and a major rebounding presence from the other big people. The only way to beat the small guys is by pounding them with your big guys.
If they don't, they're done.
Or at least perilously close.
Meanwhile, Tinsley works and waits and the question lingers like a noxious odor: How does a sprained foot keep a guy out of the lineup for, essentially, three months?
It's fair to ask given the number of pro athletes who hide behind guaranteed contracts and refuse to play through pain.
It's not fair, though, to suggest Tinsley is a malingerer who is just cashing the paycheck.
There have been times when the organization has been frustrated by Tinsley's lack of progress, but the fact remains, the injury was not fully diagnosed until well after it was suffered. The sore foot is more than a sore foot, as was first thought. Instead, there's a ligament on top of the foot that is slow to heal.
"This is an injury that initially appeared to not be that serious," Carlisle said. "We later found out it was significant."
Carlisle understands Tinsley's dilemma. During his playing days, he hurt one of his shoulders, only to be told by several doctors that it was no big thing. His team, the Knicks, whispered that he was just cashing the check. Finally, many doctors later, a surgeon found he had a torn labrum.
In the end, is it possible this is all part of an elaborate ruse, that, despite all this talk, Tinsley will play major minutes in Game 5?
Sure, it's possible.
But I doubt it.
The bottom line is, it's too big a risk for too minimal a gain.
Bob Kravitz is a columnist for The Indianapolis Star. Call him at (317) 444-6643 or e-mail bob.kravitz@indystar.com.
And snippets from others:
The Pacers' current starter, Johnson, didn't do much in practice Monday and is questionable with a strained back. And coach Rick Carlisle all but ruled out Tinsley, who has been out for all but three games since Jan. 31 with a strained left foot. Tinsley practiced with the team for the first time in months Monday but has not received medical clearance to play.
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Strange how things come to light after all the discussion yesterday (Tins is the one not wanting to play) today we are treated to "he is not cleared yet by the med staff"
Now I can imagine why, after the (by now; see Kravitz) admitted wrong diagnoses, they do not want to take ANY risk anymore.
Tins is very eager to play, and in all honesty, if it is medically responsible in the slightest I don't see what Rick has to lose by playing him.
Even without rythm he must be a better option then Gill.
It might well be that Tins return/no return is the key to this series, let's hope he can make it one of these days.
My hope is on tonight, but we will not learn untill the starting lineup is given, and he is still in uniform, if he will be playing tonight then Rick most certainly does not want to send a message to the C's upfront, he and Larry seem to like these sort of "advantages".
To those who said Tins didn't want to play, was a wuss, was on drugs and who knows what more, to sad you were wrong
From Kravitz:
There's no point in rushing Tinsley's return
It would make for great theater, for superb drama. There would be Jamaal Tinsley, the man with the sore foot that won't heal, valiantly limping onto the FleetCenter parquet floor, pulling a Willis Reed while saving the point-less Indiana Pacers from the edge of extinction.
Sadly, both for Tinsley and the Pacers, it's not going to happen, even as this desperate and wounded team learns that Anthony Johnson is a 50-50 proposition to play in Game 5.
Could Tinsley pull a surprise and don a uniform for tonight?
Absolutely.
He is, after all, on the playoff roster, and it's not just because of the fashion sense he brings to the end of the bench. And Monday, before the Pacers took their flight to Boston, Tinsley practiced with the team for the first time in months.
Is it likely he will play?
Not really.
"That's not my decision," Tinsley said. "They just don't want me to get hurt again. So I'm waiting for the word."
Even if Tinsley were to dress and play tonight or in Game 6, he's not going to be a game-changer. He hasn't played in months, and his conditioning has essentially consisted of shooting and working on cardio machines. There's treadmill conditioning, and then there's NBA playoff conditioning.
"If he was cleared, I'd love to have the opportunity to play him some," coach Rick Carlisle said. "But having said that, he's only practiced with the team once in two months, and that was (Monday) and only for a few minutes. So even if he was to play, I don't know how realistic it would be to expect him to play that effectively."
Then he laughed nervously. "We could use some help there, though," he said.
Again, Johnson is 50-50 after suffering a freak injury in Game 4, although the smart bet is that he will play. Fred Jones, who will get most of the minutes if Johnson doesn't play, isn't a natural point guard. And Eddie Gill, bless his overachieving soul, let's just say he's been out of his element in this series.
But playing Tinsley now isn't worth the risk if there's the chance he could re-injure the foot and lose part of his summer to rehabilitation.
This is not, after all, a championship team. And as much as you'd like to think the Pacers can beat Boston and get a rematch with Detroit, the truth of the matter is, they've already accomplished far more than anybody could have expected.
"I know it would be useful to have me in there right now," Tinsley said. "But I've been wanting to come back since before those guys got banged up. It's up to the doctors. It's been driving me crazy for a while now, but there's nothing I can do."
The Celtics, of course, smell blood in the water, and they should, especially with Johnson hurt. They will continue to pressure the point guard, just as they did so successfully in Game 4, just as they should have done from the beginning.
And without question, the smaller lineup will return. Antoine Walker likely will start, but expect to see him take Raef LaFrentz's spot. It's thought that Ricky Davis and Delonte West will start again alongside Paul Pierce and designated Reggie Miller-chaser, Gary Payton.
Two things have to happen tonight for the Pacers to win:
• Defensively, they've got to stop dribble penetration, which is no small feat for a team that sorely lacks speed.
• Second, they need a big game from Jermaine O'Neal and a major rebounding presence from the other big people. The only way to beat the small guys is by pounding them with your big guys.
If they don't, they're done.
Or at least perilously close.
Meanwhile, Tinsley works and waits and the question lingers like a noxious odor: How does a sprained foot keep a guy out of the lineup for, essentially, three months?
It's fair to ask given the number of pro athletes who hide behind guaranteed contracts and refuse to play through pain.
It's not fair, though, to suggest Tinsley is a malingerer who is just cashing the paycheck.
There have been times when the organization has been frustrated by Tinsley's lack of progress, but the fact remains, the injury was not fully diagnosed until well after it was suffered. The sore foot is more than a sore foot, as was first thought. Instead, there's a ligament on top of the foot that is slow to heal.
"This is an injury that initially appeared to not be that serious," Carlisle said. "We later found out it was significant."
Carlisle understands Tinsley's dilemma. During his playing days, he hurt one of his shoulders, only to be told by several doctors that it was no big thing. His team, the Knicks, whispered that he was just cashing the check. Finally, many doctors later, a surgeon found he had a torn labrum.
In the end, is it possible this is all part of an elaborate ruse, that, despite all this talk, Tinsley will play major minutes in Game 5?
Sure, it's possible.
But I doubt it.
The bottom line is, it's too big a risk for too minimal a gain.
Bob Kravitz is a columnist for The Indianapolis Star. Call him at (317) 444-6643 or e-mail bob.kravitz@indystar.com.
And snippets from others:
The Pacers' current starter, Johnson, didn't do much in practice Monday and is questionable with a strained back. And coach Rick Carlisle all but ruled out Tinsley, who has been out for all but three games since Jan. 31 with a strained left foot. Tinsley practiced with the team for the first time in months Monday but has not received medical clearance to play.
-----------------
Strange how things come to light after all the discussion yesterday (Tins is the one not wanting to play) today we are treated to "he is not cleared yet by the med staff"
Now I can imagine why, after the (by now; see Kravitz) admitted wrong diagnoses, they do not want to take ANY risk anymore.
Tins is very eager to play, and in all honesty, if it is medically responsible in the slightest I don't see what Rick has to lose by playing him.
Even without rythm he must be a better option then Gill.
It might well be that Tins return/no return is the key to this series, let's hope he can make it one of these days.
My hope is on tonight, but we will not learn untill the starting lineup is given, and he is still in uniform, if he will be playing tonight then Rick most certainly does not want to send a message to the C's upfront, he and Larry seem to like these sort of "advantages".
To those who said Tins didn't want to play, was a wuss, was on drugs and who knows what more, to sad you were wrong
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