Notebook: Najera's Frustraton, Wallace mention
Notebook: Najera's frustration grows over leg injury
Muscles around forward's left knee still not strong enough
Friday, January 23, 2004
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
The extent of Eduardo Najera's left leg problem is becoming a source of frustration for the 6-8 forward.
Najera has missed the last 14 games with complications that have lingered from the knee surgery he had last season. He has not been physically right since his second year in the league.
"I led the team in dunks that year," Najera said Thursday. "Now, I can't move."
That's a bit of an exaggeration. But Najera is growing tired of being essentially a nonfactor this season. He averaged just 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds before sitting down to rest his knee.
The problem is that the muscles around the knee had become so weak that Najera couldn't use his left leg to plant and jump. He could only dunk jumping off his right leg.
"I can only lift 160 pounds with my left leg," Najera said. "With my right leg, I can lift 280."
Najera believes he is about a week to 10 days from being able to practice. Coach Don Nelson said Najera's quadriceps muscles had weakened to the point that the knee couldn't handle the stress. Once Najera returns to practice, Nelson hopes to get him back on the court as soon as possible.
Rasheed derby heating up:
Sentiment around the NBA among personnel directors is that any trade involving Rasheed Wallace will come sooner than later. The deadline is Feb. 19, but several executives who have spoken with Portland officials believe things are moving quickly.
In addition, the trade the Blazers made with Cleveland that netted them Darius Miles, leaves Portland with 11 players on the active roster, and is viewed as a precursor to another deal.
Betting on Las Vegas?
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, along with Sacramento owners Gavin and Joe Maloof, had a conference call Thursday to tout Sunday's Kings-Mavs meeting. The hottest topic was expansion, and everybody agreed one place makes more sense than others.
"Baltimore possibly, but my first bet would be Las Vegas," Cuban said.
Briefly:
Marquis Daniels missed his second game in a row with the flu, and the rookie did not make the trip with the team to Chicago for tonight's game. ... Tony Delk is out of his walking boot and has begun getting motion back in his sprained left ankle. "We're going to be cautious and take it slow," he said.
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