By K.C. Johnson
HOUSTON -- Joakim Noah tried it all: stretching, a massage, a painkilling shot.
And still he succumbed to the plantar fasciitis in his left foot, missing his first game this season after getting scratched about nine minutes before tipoff Saturday night.
"I've had it a little throughout the year, but it's getting worse and worse," Noah said. "This morning I could hardly walk. I couldn't stop or jump or cut or push on it. I tried everything I could to play. I went through warmup lines. Before the game, I was doing spot shooting. I just couldn't get going. The pain is too much."
Photo: Joakim Noah is getting treatment for plantar fasciitis in his left foot. (Rick Scuteri/AP)
"There was no point in playing (Saturday)," Noah said. "Depth is one of our strengths."
The Bulls first disclosed Noah's injury after Friday's victory in Phoenix. As he iced his foot in the postgame locker room late Friday, Noah said the situation flared up to "very painful" condition Wednesday night after the Clippers' loss.
Taj Gibson also is battling the condition in his right foot.
"I think Jo's is more serious because Taj hasn't missed a game and Jo did," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "And I know Jo would've if he could've. It's a tough injury to get rid of during the season. We'll be aggressive with it and see how he reacts."
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Are the Bulls the only team in the NBA that get plantar fasciitis?? Didn't Nocioni suffer from this pretty much a whole year? Deng had a stress fracture or something last year but didn't he have plantar at some point? Now Taj has had it so far all season and Noah has it!!
What the hell are the trainers doing? Worse yet, what is going on in practice to cause this?
Sounds like an injury that is best if it can be prevented from the start, as it appears very difficult to cure once a player develops it. The Bulls might need to look into the footwear these guys are wearing, or perhaps some sort of shoe insole cushion or something. Obviously the team's trainers and medical staff are on top of this, but it's just some thoughts. Hate to see injuries, especially ones which can be season long, set in on the team.
i think Phil Jackson hit on something when he said that Ron Artest needed to change the shoes he's wearning. if all these guys have the same shoe contract or similar style of shoe it may be the reason.
i think Phil Jackson hit on something when he said that Ron Artest needed to change the shoes he's wearning. if all these guys have the same shoe contract or similar style of shoe it may be the reason.
that injury sucks.... hard to get rid of