Z's ankle?

[chiefwahoo]

My apologies if anyone already posted this, but this would have been a lot worse than the foot problems or a sprained ankle for the big man:

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2008/12/cavaliers_insider_zs_near_miss.html#more

Cavaliers Insider: Z's near miss ended Wolves' bid
by Mary Schmitt Boyer/Plain Dealer Reporter
Wednesday December 17, 2008, 10:19 PM

MINNEAPOLIS -- Zydrunas Ilgauskas is lucky he survived his workout with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995.

It wasn't the broken foot that caused him to postpone his entry into the NBA draft for one year. It was an accident during his workout for the Wolves at their practice court in Target Center, where a cameraman was filming the workout from a perch above the floor.

"The cameraman dropped a tripod and missed Zydrunas by six inches," recalled Kevin McHale, then the Wolves' vice president of basketball operations and now their head coach. "That would have killed him. That would have been worse than the broken foot."

Ilgauskas laughed at the memory.

"It was half an inch," he said. "It landed on the floor between my feet and took out a piece of the court. It was almost the Z Center instead of the Target Center."

Back in 1995, the Wolves thought they had a sleeper in Ilgauskas. A European scout recommended him to McHale.

"The film on the guy was like something from behind the Iron Curtain," McHale recalled. "It was all grainy. We were watching and it was like, 'OK, which one of those dudes is he?' Needless to say, when you're watching teams from the area where he's from, they're all a bunch of tall white guys. So you're looking at the film, checking for [jersey] numbers."

"When we saw him, he was really skinny. But he had a nice soft touch."

The Wolves brought Ilgauskas in for a workout and he impressed McHale so much that he planned on taking him in the second round.

"He worked out for two days, then he said my foot hurts," McHale said. "We thought we'd have him see the doctor and he had a broken foot. I was like, 'That's a pretty tough dude.'

"We thought we had him stashed away. Then he broke his foot and came out of the draft. The next year he played better, and everybody found out about him."

The Cavs took him with the 20th pick in the 1996 draft. But McHale is still an admirer.

"I'm a big fan of Zydrunas," McHale said. "He's a great guy. I knew him so long ago he used to have hair."

 

[WeinerSoBig]

I like this quote:

"I'm a big fan of Zydrunas," McHale said. "He's a great guy. I knew him so long ago he used to have hair."

It's only been two years since Z started shaving his head.

 

[Cavatt]

Getting killed by a camera is the worst.

 

[KU_216]

Thanks for the update on Z, W&G. Should be a great game against Denver.

 

[NarlCavs]

Cavs have badly missed Z. It makes things tougher when there isn't a real scoring threat at either PF or C. Great that he's coming back but hopefully it's not too soon and the ankle injury doesn't linger.

Cavs are going to have to get another scoring threat in 2010 or before to try to replace what Z brings. Either that or hope Hickson can develop into a major scoring threat.
I wouldn't mind seeing them making another run at Nenad Krstic this offseason. Not sure how he's doing in the Euroleague now and if he's continuing to progress in his recovery from his knee injury. He'd bring a younger big who brings a perimeter shot like Z.

 

[Trill Cosby]

Cavs have badly missed Z.

yeah narl absolutely, we look like a totally different team out there without him on both sides of the ball.


i suppose it just goes to show that even with the increasingly individualistic ideals of modern american basketbal culture?...it is still about team, you're only as successful as each part allows you to be whether big or small. word to boobie missing last year's game seven.

 

[Jon]

Team and talent are inseparable. You need both to win.

Every player lost to injury has a ripple effect, and it's probably rougher on a team like ours that relies so much on the attention LeBron draws .vs. a team like Utah which is just going to run the same sets regardless of who's on the floor.

 

[Maximus]

It's going to be a game time decision...see how it feels in pre-game shoot around.

 

[Damien O'Connel]

z's a trooper though, you'd think he would at least give it a shot. and why not play him tonight and rest him against OKC?

 

[Maximus]

z's a trooper though, you'd think he would at least give it a shot. and why not play him tonight and rest him against OKC?

Just concerned about re-injuring it. Don't want to turn a 1 week injury into a 3 week injury.

 

[World B ThAreee]

Seriously... shut him down for another month, for cryin' out loud. Take no chances with the big man.

 

[Gimme Some Mo]

Seriously... shut him down for another month, for cryin' out loud. Take no chances with the big man.

I agree. Not a month though. Maybe another 7-10 days.

 

[Sir Charles Barkley]

I think we'll struggle a little bit without him against Denver tonight, but we definitely don't need him against OKC. I say we sit him out a few more games until he's completely normal

 

[Radar]

i would still like Z to play tonight but maybe not as much...then he can rest for tomorrow

 

[Lee]

Seriously... shut him down for another month, for cryin' out loud. Take no chances with the big man.

Keep Z in bubble wrap so he doesnt get hurt? This could be Z's new protective gear, lol