<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Jalen Rose was playing a brisk game of catch-and-shoot yesterday ? this after his first full-contact practice since he had surgery on his broken shooting hand ? when he turned to accept a pass from Raptors assistant Bob Beyer. Either the pass came early or Rose, the lefty guard, spun late. The result was a rude welcome back ? a Spalding bouncing off the player's startled face. "I needed that, it wakes you up," joked Rose later. "I told y'all they took a couple of screws out of my head and put 'em in my hand. Ain't no screws in (the head) any more, so that's all right." Though he said he won't be in the lineup for tonight's road game against the Indiana Pacers, Rose both caught, dribbled and shot the ball impressively in yesterday's post-practice workout. Playing with padding taped to the back of the still-healing hand, he later admitted he was in considerable pain and that the limit of his shooting range currently resided around the free-throw line (which could be a team-benefiting limitation, considering Rose's .305 three-point percentage since arriving from Chicago in November). In any event, with Alvin Williams also out indefinitely after knee surgery last month, Rose said he plans to rejoin the squad before his injury is fully healed, promising to be back in uniform "before two weeks," pending clearance from Toronto hand specialist Brent Graham. "(The) longer I sit, the more our playoff spot's in jeopardy," he said. "I'd rather be out there playing and competing at whatever percentage it is and give us an opportunity to make the playoffs then wonder what if. "If tomorrow was Game7 I would play. I'd just tell my daughter 10 years from now, `I can't hold you because I messed up my hand in Game7.' But I'd be out there playing."</div> http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...ol=970081562040 I may question his shot selection and decision with the rock at times but I will never question his heart. This guy wants to win and he has shown it. How can you play with a broken hand for most of the year and not be tough? I would like to see this guy play the 2 or 3 when coming back though, Rod is the prototypical point guard the Raptors need to make a run.
You got to respect the man for playing his heart out every single game without making excuses for his poor shooting. There's other players on this team (no names mentioned) who would have been wincing and grabbing onto their hand going up and down the floor if they were in that much pain in their shooting hand. Just like AW, Jalen seems to be a true warrior.
So with Jalen Coming Back what do you think will be the best line up for the Raptors? IMO this is what we should try. PG: Rod Strickland SG: Jalen Rose SF: Vince Carter PF: Donyell Marshall C: Chris Bosh When Alvin comes back I think he should come off the bench, hes more apt to injure his knee again if hes starting.
Maybe some of AW is rubbing off on JAlen. when JAlen comes back I think he should still have less minutes than normal and play off the bench. IF he proves to be very productive, give him more minutes. The last hting we want is Jalen toreinjure himself when we are ina playoff race.
That's what I'm talkin bout.... that's showing huge heart right there, but again, he don't wanna come back hurt and screw up on this one injury for the rest of his career you know... and it's STILL just a RUMOR right?
Thats what made me believe in that guy - his heart, he has to love the game and not only know how to play, he has to have the ambition and all that to win the game. Im glad he performed so well today ...
