New York Knicks star Ronny Turiaf making a quick recovery from his hand injury: NBA News
Ronny Turiaf, the New York Knicks centre was all set to represent France in the recently concluded 2011 FIBA EuroBasket tournament. However in a tune-up game against Great Britain, the French big broke his hand and had to withdraw
for the tournament, in which France ultimately ended as runners up.
Despite of his injury, Turiaf didn’t leave his national team and remained on the sidelines in the capacity of an unofficial assistant coach.
Injuries to players is one of the major concern for the NBA teams, when the players leave for international commitment, and in this case, even with the insurance covered, the New York Knicks were the team that had to face some
anxious moments on Turiaf’s injury. However, in his recent interview to the NBA.com, Turiaf gave the Knicks fans something to cheer about. The burly centre said that his hand is close to mend and he would be ready to join New York as soon as the lockout gets
settled down.
“I’m out for another week or so and am just waiting to see if the fracture is fully healed or not and then I should be good to go.”
“I really don’t have any other choice, so it’s not something I think about if it’s hard or not to not play. It’s not by choice and is now just a chance for me to deal with the adversity. And when I fall down I’m going to get up
and run at you even faster, so I have no doubt that something great will come from my play in the long run.”
Turiaf, who has a career average of 5.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game during his six seasons in the NBA, looked fully determined to make a comeback even after the serious injury.
Turiaf’s availability in the next NBA season would definitely help the Knicks, which require a solid defensive player. The Knicks have a potent offensive unit with the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. What they lack
is a asserting player on the D, someone who can complement the offensive battery of the Knicks going forward.
Turiaf’s role thus becomes all the more important. With Mike Woodson, the new Knicks assistant coach who is renowned for his defensive acumen, on board, the Frenchman will have the perfect platform to prove himself next season.
Tags: