Roy back, Pek: take some IVs and feel better
According to Jerry Zgoda at the Star Tribune, Brandon Roy is aiming for a Saturday return after practicing Thursday and Friday.
"Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy said there’s a chance he could play for the first time since Nov. 9 when Phoenix comes to Target Center on Saturday night."
"“If everything feels good, I’ll talk to Coach and see if Saturday is the day,” he said."
Good news for Roy, and possibly the Timberwolves, if he’s able to give them minutes at least until Chase Budinger’s return in March. More from Zgoda…
"Roy did 5-on-5 half-court work Thursday and will scrimmage with his teammates Friday in his first consecutive practices since he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee five weeks ago.“These two days are good for me,” Roy said. “Today was a good day, so going again tomorrow will just give me the confidence and reassurance that I can go out there and play in the game.”Roy last played 15 minutes in a home game against Indiana in the season’s fifth game. He experienced discomfort and a “clicking” in the knee before deciding to have exploratory surgery that cleaned up loose fragments."
Kind of interesting, given the level of secrecy that shrouded is disappearance from the roster back early in the season. The back-to-back practices are good, although difficult to get too excited about, for a number of reasons. (Is he going to develop into a corner 3 specialist?) And then this…
"When Roy does return, Wolves coach Rick Adelman will need to work him back into the rotation just like he now is trying to do withRicky Rubio.“I don’t even speculate on those things anymore,” Adelman said when asked about the possibility of Roy returning Saturday. “I just wait and find out.”“The game is always different, but he’s got a pretty good feel with how he plays,” Adelman said. “He did fine. I don’t see any problem with him at all. We’ll just see how he feels each day and make a judgment where he’s at. He hasn’t done any extended minutes, but he’s not favoring the knee at all.”"
It’s hard to read Adelman’s quotes without thinking he’s either really annoyed with the questions or couching any dry humor. Actually, there’s not much humor in those quotes at all.
One revelation from the Star Tribune is that Pek got IV treatment during the Houston game.
"Starting center Nikola Pekovic practiced fully Thursday and said he felt better after falling ill during Wednesday’s 87-84 loss to Houston.Pekovic left the game in the second quarter and returned at the end of the third quarter after receiving intravenous fluids.“I feel better, I practice normal,” he said. “One moment [Wednesday night], I feel really bad, like I have a breakdown in my body. I just feel bad. I start almost to see stars. It was better to go out because I couldn’t help them. I just make more damage inside if I stay, so I go out, take some IVs and feel better.”"
Somehow that makes sense and another great Pek quote, ‘I just make more damage inside if I stay, so I go out, take some IVs and feel better.’
More signs things aren’t normal:
"Rubio and Kevin Love worked with the team’s training staff long after practice Thursday. Love ran on an anti-gravity treadmill that reduces the weight bearing on his knees and ankles while Rubio leapt onto blocks."
Also, a note to the trade-mongerers…
"* If the Wolves beat Michael Beasley, Wes Johnson and the Suns on Saturday, it will be their first winning (7-5) December since 2004 and their third-best December winning percentage (.583) all time."