NBA: 5 players coming back from injury

Here’s five NBA players coming back from injury looking to reclaim their status

Season-ending injuries are rough. You lose the chance to help you’re team that year. It’s devastating. You feel like you let your teammates down, but in reality there is nothing you can do about it.

But what about when you come back the next season? There are the emotional as well as the physical barricades to be hurdled before you can play at 100 percent again.

The year after an injury you’re wondering if your body will be able to hold up over the course of preseason, an 82-game regular season and potentially a few rounds of the playoffs. You might be hesitant, wanting to be careful, even if the doctors have said going full tilt won’t have an impact in possible re-injury.

In terms of your on the court performance, you have to get back up to optimal strength and conditioning. It’s tough to run up and down the court during practice and games, day in and day out. You’ll need to knock the rust off your jumper and re-hone your post moves so they are automatic.

This is all in addition to potentially adjusting to new management, teammates, or scheme.

It’s rough, but these high-profile players are facing these factors as they attempt to reclaim their status in the NBA and regain their respective games.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe, one of the only players so good they only need one name. He has the relentless work ethic, the crazy high basketball IQ. He is so dedicated that he tore his Achilles during a game, somehow got to the free throw line, drained both and hobbled to the bench. Take a look at the video, it’s ridiculous. Remember, at the time he didn’t have the tendon that holds the foot to the leg connected at all.

Bryant is coming off a completely torn Achilles two years ago and had to miss all but six games last season due to a knee injury. Check out Dave McMenamin’s story from that night in 2013, great quotes from Kobe.

Now he’s ready to try and at least make the Lakers decent in 2014-15. They aren’t a good team, but as long as Kobe is on the court they will be competitive, both in their attitude and on the scoreboard. He has the shot, the fundamentals, and the drive to be one of the best, if not the best player in the history of basketball. He’s close.

Derrick Rose

Rose is a humble, freakishly athletic point guard, with MVP upside as seen in his 2011 MVP season. He is quick, great with contact in the paint, though he basically is too reckless with his body down there and his playing style contributed in some way to his two knee injuries. He got hurt during the 2011-12 season, missed all of 2012-13 and only played ten games in 2013-14.

With the addition of Pau Gasol and the continued emergence of Jimmy Butler, along with Joakim Noah and the rest of the team, Rose and the Bulls could make a push for the Eastern Conference Finals. This is all assuming Rose can be at least 80 percent of himself.

Rajon Rondo

Rondo’s situation is intriguing. He had the knee issues the last couple years and a weird wrist injury the last few weeks. The Celtics drafted guard Marcus Smart, to seemingly replace Rondo as Smart is NBA-ready and Rondo needs to be where his team can be in win-now mode. The Celtics are clearly not there.

Rondo is basically the best passer in the league and an okay mid-range shooter at times, but needs to become more consistent before he can get back to an elite status. If he gets moved to the right team, he could flourish. Otherwise he could fade from the spotlight of the NBA.

Jrue Holiday

Holiday is maybe the least recognizable of the players on this list, but could just as good as them this upcoming season. He missed all but 34 games last season for the Pelicans due to a leg injury.

The 6’4″ point guard made his first All-Star appearance in 2013 when he was only 22, but his continued breakout was halted by injury.

Along with a hopefully healthy Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans along with Anthony Davis, Omer Asik and Ryan Anderson, the Pelicans could potentially make some noise in 2014-15 if things fall their way. However, Holiday will have to be healthy and play well for them to get to the next level.

Al Horford

Horford just cannot catch a break. He has not been able to finish the season multiple times due to his pectoral muscle. He’s an All-Star player that just cannot stay on the court, for when his team makes the postseason.

With he and Paul Millsap as the bigs, the Hawks are pretty formidable up front, but Horford just has to stay healthy.

Horford has the array of post moves, the decent jumpshot, good defense and rebounding. That’s a lot from your center. That’s what you want.

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