 Marquis Daniels hasn't played since this March 2 game in Phoenix.
(Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty)
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April 4, 2007
What began with a torn hamstring in training camp will in all likelihood finish with a knee injury.
Marquis Daniels' first season with the Pacers has been painful, however, in ways beyond the physical.
He has missed the last 17 games in a row, and 25 of 31, because of the pain in his left knee. Originally diagnosed as tendinitis, it was discovered to be something more complex, but apparently not structural. There is no projected return date. With just nine games left in the regular season, it's becoming apparent there isn't much chance he'd play again this year unless the Pacers reached the playoffs – and there's no certainty he could return then.
That the team has gone 3-14 in those 17 games reveals how much Daniels has been missed by the Pacers.
"It's very disappointing, very frustrating," Daniels said Tuesday. "I know I can go out and help the team, but I've still got to be there, support the guys and keep them upbeat. It's a long season. We still have our chance at the playoffs and hopefully everything will work out.
"Everything's a learning experience. You've got to go through some things to get where you want to be. Right now, I'm going through some trials and tribulations but hopefully everything will turn out for the best."
A heralded arrival when he was acquired from Dallas on July 1 for Austin Croshere, Daniels was expected to play a vital role off the bench both as a scorer and perimeter defender. Those plans were sidetracked by the hamstring injury that wiped out most of the month of October.
When he rejoined the team, Daniels was behind in just about every way possible. A valuable month of conditioning and preparation was lost. He had to play catch-up while the team was moving forward.
But he did catch up. In fact, one of the motivations for the eight-player trade with Golden State in January was the creation of a clearly defined role. Daniels stepped right into the rotation and thrived, averaging 24.6 minutes, 13.7 points and 54.1 percent shooting in 11 post-trade appearances. It was a stark contrast to the averages of 15.6 minutes, 5.0 points and 39.6 percent shooting prior to the trade.
"Since the trade, he was one of the guys we felt was going to become a more important player," said Coach Rick Carlisle. "He's become a major part of our situation and losing him was a blow, it really was. But that's just another one of the things we've got to deal with and finding other guys to make plays has been a real challenge."
What the Pacers lose without Daniels is a player who can create his own shot, who can break down the defense, get into the lane and either draw contact or finish around the basket. His style is unorthodox in that he doesn't possess an electrifying first step, dazzling quickness or spectacular leaping ability. It wouldn't even be accurate to say he drives to the basket; it's much more like a weave as he threads his way between defenders, changing directions on a dime, using screens to full benefit.
The good news is he should be at full strength, maybe even better than ever, when training camp opens next October. It's a long wait, longer than anyone would've hoped, but it should be over, once and for all.
"It's frustrating but you've got to take the good with the bad," he said. "I just look forward to next year, getting everything corrected, putting all that behind me and going out and being productive.
"I'm 100 percent positive things are going to turn around. It can't be bad forever."
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"I don't pay attention to it," he said. "I'm just getting ready for the next game. I don't think about it, really. I've approached this job and the Detroit job the same way: I come in every day and concentrate on the task at hand. I don't listen to stuff like that. I concentrate on my team and getting guys ready to play."
From the brawl year to the Ron Artest saga to the wholesale change that has marked this season, Carlisle has dealt with plenty of tumult in his time with the Pacers. While acknowledging the difficult of dealing with the circumstances he's faced, neither does he claim them as excuses.
"Our struggles have been a little different this year than in other years but the job is the same," he said. "You've got to keep working it. You've got to keep convincing the players we're still in this thing and to keep battling, which they have. At the end, we'll see where we're at."
While the Hall annually inducts broadcasters, referees, international players and coaches, etc., it has yet to recognize a player or coach exclusively for his work in the ABA. Thus, names like Bobby "Slick" Leonard, Roger Brown, George McGinnis and Mel Daniels remain absent from the Hall.
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"It would be very nice to get some guys from the ABA in," Daniels told Montieth. "We did play, and it is a basketball Hall of Fame. For whatever reason, they chose to neglect (some ABA players and coaches). It's beyond me."
Perhaps the biggest affront is the exclusion of Leonard, who won three ABA championships and 529 games with the Pacers, while obscure international coaches are annually honored. This year's example is former Yugoslavian national coach Mirko Novosel.
"You get some guy who coached in the Ukraine in 1914 and he's a Hall of Famer," Daniels said. "Slick can't get in the Hall of Fame. I don't understand it."
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Tisdale posted the following message to fans on his Website (www.waymantisdale.com):
"By now I am sure that most of you know that I am in the process of recovering from a procedure to remove a cancerous cyst in my leg. On behalf of myself, my lovely wife, Regina, and our entire family, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your prayers.
"I am pleased to report that my recovery will be 100%, and that I have been told that I am otherwise cancer-free … I want to thank you all for your kindness and well wishes, which, together with my desire to be with you again, may very well help me to recover sooner than expected."
Tisdale, whose most recent CD Way Up" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and spent 30 weeks in the top 10, hopes to resume touring in time for his Smooth Jazz Cruise in January 2008. In the interim, he plans to devote his time to a new album project. The title: Rebound.
