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Ajinca needs Surgery

(DA -- LINK HERE: Ajinca needs thumb surgery)

Bad  news for our fellow Bobcat in the D-League,  as Bonnell is reporting that Ajinca is going to require surgery on his thumb.  This is a shame because he has been playing very well as of late, and this might dampen his progress.  For those wanting to trade him, it might affect trade talks as well.

I had the feeling that we were going to recall Ajinca near the end of the season and use him some as we make our final play off push.  Chandler's status  (and what he might be able to contribute) is another enigma as well.

It's unclear how long Ajinca will be out.

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Oh no!

Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is.

by WhatAboutBob_cats on Feb 2, 2010 12:47 PM EST reply actions  

Well

I just hope that it doesn’t make him fall into depression or something. Perhaps I’m just more patient than most of us here, but I think Ajinca can develop into a good bench/rotation player. It’s just going to take time, and that’s something that isn’t easy for people to deal with.

What I don’t want to happen is we get rid of him and then he turns into a good contributor for another team.

by Roger, Roger on Feb 2, 2010 1:11 PM EST reply actions  

At Ajinca's young age,

I can see him developing into a starting NBA center. Maybe even an All Star, if everything fell into place for him — good fortune, hard work ethic, right team & situation around him.

The kid is 7 feet tall and has a nice jump shot. He moves smooth to be so tall & long armed; if Ajinca can get stronger and continue to work on his game, he could be a force on both the offensive and defensive end of the court. There is a dearth of good NBA centers. Right now he needs to gain strength and experience and Ajinca might become one.

Let’s hope this injury isn’t a major setback in that development.

by dudemanhey on Feb 2, 2010 1:43 PM EST up reply actions  

I too think he could be a serviceable to very good NBA center sometime

hopefully he can get back before the end of the year

--Gerald Wallace is the best player the Bobcats will have..... EVER
--Someone should slap Larry Brown and bring him back to reality..

by raysfan81 on Feb 2, 2010 9:47 PM EST up reply actions  

Depends on how long he's out.

If it’s relatively minor, he should still be able to contribute near the end of the season. He’s been playing pretty well in the D-league.

by Spider Jerusalem on Feb 2, 2010 1:21 PM EST reply actions  

The Bonnell report said he had ligament damage: 6-8 weeks out, but it didn’t say what hand.

by dudemanhey on Feb 2, 2010 1:43 PM EST up reply actions  

Doh!

How could Bonnell fail to report which thumb is injured? It’s THE most relevant factor! Repair to damaged ligaments may not be that severe, but if it’s his shooting hand…

It will cause a permanent change in his ability to grip the ball, alter his shot to the left or right, and control his dribble. If the injury is minor it won’t have that large an impact, but if it’s a moderate to severe problem, he’s going to have to relearn how to do all of the above. The shooting thumb is like the big toe. You don’t realize how big a factor it is until it’s damaged.

I know there are Bonnell lovers here at ROF, but this is a major ommission.

The other side of the coin is that he may come back with even better skills than he originally had if he handles rehab and the practice process well. Another plus is that he may very well be back strong at the time we need him the most. Depending how much the FO has been depending on his return for the playoff push, the injury might just force their hand and cause them to attempt to make some kind of deal before the deadline arrives. We still need some insurance to bolster the 4 spot. Ajinca gave us options. His absence magnifies our need.

by Ourdaywillcome on Feb 2, 2010 3:31 PM EST up reply actions  

might actually be a stroke of good luck

If they were considering trading him, this will make it much less likely that they will do so. Those were truly monster numbers he was putting up in his last few games in Maine. You have to expect they will give him a real good shot at the starting center’s job next season, and if he turns out to indeed be the guy for whom they skipped over Lopez— surprise, surprise!— they’ll have engineered a major draft coup.

by bugjackblue on Feb 5, 2010 10:30 PM EST reply actions  

All I can say

is take a look at Derrick Brown…if Ajinca can be the surprise that Brown is fast becoming…we are on a roll. Just get Henderson in the D league fo a while to get his rust off and his game on

by andrewlail76 on Feb 5, 2010 11:03 PM EST up reply actions  

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