Granger considered doubtful for Pacers' opener

By The Sports XchangeOctober 24, 2013 5:20 PMThe SportsXchangeバーナー2.0アイアン

Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger is doubtful for the season opener against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night because of a calf injury, coach Frank Vogel said Thursday.

Granger suffered the injury on Oct. 16 in an exhibition loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He has not practiced since then. The Pacers complete their preseason schedule on Friday night in Dallas.

"There's a chance he could play on opening night, but it's probably unlikely," Vogel said, according to The Indianapolis Star. "He was on track to maybe have a role with the starting unit. Now he's struggling to find his timing.

"We're running the offense through Lance (Stephenson) when he comes off the bench. We'll see where he's at on a day-by-day basis."

The 30-year-old Granger is returning from a knee injury that limited him to five games last season. But there is no correlation between the knee and the calf, Vogel said.

While the former all-star was out last season, Paul George emerged and led the Pacers to the Eastern Conference finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat.

Bulls' Noah might miss opener

By The Sports XchangeOctober 24, 2013 5:42 PMThe SportsXchange テーラーメイドバーナー2.0アイアン

A strained groin could keep Joakim Noah out of the Chicago Bulls' season opener against the Miami Heat on Tuesday.

Noah has played less than 20 minutes in preseason games and just returned to basketball drills on Wednesday after sitting out a week to rest, the Chicago Tribune reported.

"It's basically all straight-ahead stuff," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He's completely deconditioned, so we're very concerned about that."

Noah acknowledged that he wants to play against the Heat in the opener and that he's feeling better. Still, he's concerned about rushing back and having the injury linger during the long season.

"It's possible," Noah said. "But I'm not there yet. In my mind, I'm playing. I want to be out there as soon as I can. We'll see when that is."

"I have to be smart. It sucks. There's nothing more that I want than to be out there on the court."

Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich also has been sitting out to recover from a concussion. While Thibodeau thinks Hinrich's return for the opener is a long shot, Hinrich believes otherwise.

"I feel better," Hinrich said. "I plan on being out there."