I figured out the real reason that Sasha Vujacic has started the season making just 7-of-22 from the field and 3-of-10 from three: Me.
Seriously, it’s my fault.
Archive for the 'Sasha Vujacic' Category
Before L.A. goes for its third-straight win to start the 2008-09 campaign, I sat down in the locker room not to talk Nuggets - we’ve already done plenty of that - but to talk Slovenia with Sasha Vujacic. Sasha covered Slovenian women, food and music in comparison to American versions of those topics.
Here’s the conversation:
As for the game tonight, Phil Jackson in his pregame media access primarily repeated what we’ve heard the last two days, specifically that he expects a big effort from a Nuggets team still mad about last year’s playoff drubbing. Other than that, he joked around about why he keeps shaving his beard, saying he likes to keep photographers guessing about his expressions.
You can check back with us at about 7 p.m. (that’d be 6 p.m. L.A. time) for the live running diary in Denver’s season opener at the Pepsi Center.
Lakers head coach Phil Jackson said prior to Friday evening’s game in Ontario that both Kobe Bryant and Sasha Vujacic would play against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Jackson expects Vujacic to see significant time after missing the previous seven preseason games with his ankle injury, while Bryant will play just enough to keep his hyperextended knee - which is apparently close to 100 percent already - loose.
While some question whether Bryant should even test the knee in a relatively meaningless preseason game, Jackson said that Bryant knows his body well enough at this stage of his career to make such a decision.
Certainly both pieces of information regarding Kobe and Sasha are good news for the Lakers. On the other hand, forward Josh Powell will be held out of tonight’s game due to the same strained left hamstring that caused him to miss Thursday night’s win against Charlotte. Powell did tell me that he’s “definitely” going to be ready for the season opener, and we’ll see if the training staff concurs next week.
Kobe Bryant, Sasha Vujacic and Josh Powell will all be in street clothes for L.A.’s Thursday evening contest between the Lakers and Charlotte Bobcats.
After consecutive impressive outputs this past weekend at STAPLES Center, spirits were up at the Lakers’ practice facility on Monday.
The most pressing news: Sasha Vujacic completed his first practice since the first day of training camp. After the workout, we heard from Phil Jackson, Andrew Bynum and Vujacic, interviews you can watch on our video page.
Here are your Phil bullet points:
A note about Bynum: He said that while his knee’s feeling good, he did have a little bit of swelling a week ago, and left it at that.
Stay tuned for a preview of Tuesday night’s action in San Diego against the Charlotte Bobcats with Derek Fisher serving as analyst/assistant coach.
Vujacic
Sasha Vujacic participated through the entirety of Monday’s practice, saying that he had a little discomfort in his ankle but no sharp pain. He didn’t want to push off it too much, and won’t play in L.A.’s preseason game in San Diego on Tuesday. However, he does feel good about his progress and will see how the ankle responds to a day’s worth of activity.
Click here see the Vujacic interview on video.
Radmanovic
Vladimir Radmanovic sprained the middle finger on his left hand Sunday night against Toronto, though x-rays were negative. Lakers spokesman John Black said Vlad went through the first portion of practice on Monday and is day-to-day.
Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic will be shut down from basketball activities for 10-to-14 days due to a small avulsion fracture in his ankle.
The fracture is thought to have been aggravated when Vujacic sprained his ankle, though he said he felt no pain in his ankle whatsoever before the sprain. Vujacic also suggested that he will give his ankle a shot in seven, not 10 days, but L.A.’s training staff will surely make that call.
“I’ve played with (a hurt ankle) before so it’s nothing new,” said Vujacic. “Right now it’s just a little bit frustrating … I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
You can watch a post-practice interview with Sasha on our video page.
The Slovenian guard went on to say that he’d like to play in one or two preseason games, but L.A.’s final games come against Charlotte and Oklahoma City on the 23rd and 24th, the first just nine days away.
L.A.’s season opener against Portland is set for Tuesday, Oct. 28, 14 days from today.
Sasha Vujacic spent another day away from live action as he nurses the sore ankle that he suffered early in training camp. Vujacic put up some shots today but wasn’t able to get in any of the scrimmages with his teammates.
Luke Walton on the other hand is progressing nicely. “Luke’s playing. He’s playing pretty well,” said Head Coach Phil Jackson. Walton could be available for this weekend’s shootout at STAPLES Center.
Lakers spokesman John Black offered an injury update following Friday’s practice:
- An MRI from a few days ago revealed that Sasha Vujacic does have a sprained ankle, as was thought to be the case.
- Jordan Farmar missed practice with a sore right foot.
- D.J. Mbenga practiced for the first half of the session but sat out the second with a sore right heel.
