Richard Hamilton says he learned much from the short spanned season – NBA Update
Richard Hamilton’s first season with the Chicago Bulls was not one of his best as he struggled with injury issues throughout the year. There is no denying that Hamilton is past his physical prime and at 34, he struggled to keep
up the fast paced schedule of the short spanned season.
Not only did Rip had less time to rest in between the games, but the veteran also got no opportunity to properly condition his body due to the extended lockout. The result was that he first suffered a groin injury which was followed
with a shoulder ailment, forcing him to sit out 38 games. He managed 11.6 points rest of the way through.
The 13 year veteran now seems to have learned his lesson and is fully aware of his body’s capabilities. He has therefore opted to prepare for the coming season in a different manner and had added a physical therapist to his routine.
“It was one of them things you know when you play so hard people tell you have to do certain stuff because you’re getting older,” Hamilton said. “I tell myself I think I’m still 27 sometimes, but you know they say everybody thinks
that when they go past their 30s.”
He now heads into the oncoming season, having the opportunity to go through an entire training camp with his team;
“Last year, I didn’t even get to play in training camp, so everything was learned on the floor with no practice,” Hamilton said. “It’s fun for me now because I now get an opportunity to really learn Thibs, learn the system, learn
everything.”
“Offensively, I’ve always been a player who really studied the offense, knowing where to get shots, knowing where things are open and things like that. Last year, I was like on the fly. How do I use Carlos Boozer to my advantage?
How I do I use Joakim Noah to my advantage?”
The Bulls, without Rose for nearly half of next season, would certainly want Hamilton to find his old touch next season.
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