Gallinari forearm issue shouldn't impact All-Star Weekend
Danilo Gallinari missed the entire fourth quarter and overtime period of Tuesday's loss to the Kings with a sore right arm, which happens to be the one he shoots with. X-rays taken after the game were negative for any structural damage and Gallinari said it is actually a recurring issue from when he experienced pain in the forearm after he fell into the Magic bench during the Dec. 2 loss in Orlando.
It caused him to miss one game -- Dec. 4 versus Atlanta -- and at the time he said part of the issue was a numbness in his fingertips, which obviously affects his shooting.
He said Tuesday night that he felt his forearm getting weaker as the game went on. Then he airballed a free throw late in the third quarter and he began to flex his wrist.
He left the game with 1:16 left in the quarter and went straight to the locker room for evaluation from the medical staff. Eventually he returned with a heavy wrap over the wrist and Mike D'Antoni was told his best shooter was not available. Just in time for the Kings to switch to a zone defense.
Gallinari didn't seem overly concerned about the injury -- "Maybe I need to get the muscle stronger," he said -- and said he's not even thinking about how it could impact his play in the Rookie Challenge game or the Three-Point Shootout (which he predicted he'd win).
He will get treatment at the MSG Training Center on Wednesday and is planning to depart for Dallas on Thursday.
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* - Nate Robinson played through a left groin strain and plans to also go to Dallas to defend his Slam Dunk title. Robinson, who sat out Monday's practice, said before the game he would see how he feels afterward to decide if he was going to to back out of the contest to rest the injury.
* - Donnie Walsh said he's not going to Dallas for all-star weekend because he feels he can get more work accomplished by remaining in New York and calling other general managers to discuss possible trade scenarios. It used to be all-star weekend was a convention, where GMs could see each other face-to-face, run into each other in the lobby of the hotel and get to talking. But with people scattered in various hotels and countless events going on, the days of mingling with peers are over.
Walsh didn't sound very optimistic that he could work something that would fit into the strict parameters of the 2010 plan (read: does not eat up salary cap space beyond this season) and yet still produce a player who can help the team make the playoffs. With 31 games to go and six games to make up to reach the final playoff berth in the East, the Knicks may as well be sellers to clear out some veterans and allow the young players to get in some quality run over the final six weeks of the season. For instance, does it really make sense at this point to make a desperate play for injured Tracy McGrady if it means giving up Jordan Hill? The question to ask is if McGrady, an expiring contract and a player making a comeback from microfracture surgery, good enough to make that great of a difference in 31 games?
We'll discuss this more here later in the week.
* - I owe Robinson (and Jared Jeffries) an apology. In my game story I take Nate to task for driving on a critical possession late in overtime and kicking the ball out to the team's worst shooter, Jeffries, for a three-pointer. It should be pointed out that Jeffries had made two of three from downtown in the game before that shot and had made 11 of his last 22 from three-point range over the last seven games. And, statistically-speaking, he's not the worst three-point shooter on the team. His percentage from downtown (30.2) is better than Larry Hughes (28.9) and Wilson Chandler (25.9).
But I think we can all respectfully agree that Jared, though he has worked hard on his shooting, is the last player on the court you would draw up a play to get a three-pointer down the stretch in overtime.
