KC/McGraw compare Deng Injury to Nocioni's

[TB#1]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com ... 8938.story

Deng's injury rekindles some bad memories
Many similarities between his problem, Nocioni's

K.C. Johnson | Tribune staff reporter
10:51 PM CST, January 23, 2008

The similarities are impossible to ignore.

Andres Nocioni tried to return too soon from his lingering case of plantar fasciitis last season, ended up missing 28 games and never played at 100 percent during the playoffs.

Now, Luol Deng is out a minimum of one to three weeks after trying to return from his left Achilles' tendinitis before it fully healed.
Like Nocioni, Deng suffered his injury after a summer commitment with his national team (Britain).

"Noce has been playing professional [for Argentina] since he was 14, so I kind of think that's different," Deng said. "It's not overuse or anything. During the summer, altogether, I played about eight games. It was two games a week. If I wasn't playing those games, I would probably be running just as hard or playing just as hard."

Deng said he would sleep in a protective boot to keep the foot flexed and might begin individual shooting in a week.

[TB#1]

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=120280&src=150

Deng: Summer play didn't cause injury

By Mike McGraw | Daily Herald Staff Published: 1/24/2008 12:08 AM

The similarities are unmistakable.

Last year Andres Nocioni began suffering from plantar fasciitis and took a few weeks off to see if the injury would go away, but it never did.

Now Luol Deng has a nagging foot problem, left Achilles' tendinitis, and is going to take it easy for a week or three and hope the problem disappears.

Another thing they have in common is both players spent the previous summer with an extended workload of international basketball. But Deng doesn't think his first experience with Great Britain's national team has anything to do with this injury.

"Noc has been playing professional since he was 14, so I kind of think that's different," Deng said. "I just think this is an injury that happened. It's not overuse or anything.

"During the summer, altogether, I played about eight games. It was two games a week. If I wasn't playing those games, I would probably be running just as hard or playing just as hard. So I don't really think that's the fact."

What about practice? Did the British coach run the squad for three hours to prepare for Belarus or anything like that?

"I was sitting on the side avoiding practice," Deng said with a laugh. "I was the vet."

[Tommy Udo 6]

It'll get worse

Deng loves playing for the Brits so he'll probably do so for next 3 seasons.

This will be a common occurence

[BigUps]

I remember in the TMac trade rumor thread when I posted that I thought Deng was injury prone. People yelled at me.

I love Deng, but I was concerned with his back issues, now we have an achilles issue to top it off. Remember, he's 22.

[suckfish]

Blame the British!

Lu Lu has been a little unlucky this year, I would be lying if I said he's injuries didn't worry me, they do quite a bit.

[Three34]

Hinrich played all summer before last season, which resulted in the best season of his career. Lest we forget, November 2006 was comfortably the best month of his career.

Just saying.