Feeding The Post: Trio of Significant Injuries

*Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich will be out up to three months due to thumb surgery. This is unfortunate for Hinrich, but could actually be a good thing for the Bulls considering the logjam of guards the Bulls have. 2008 NBA Draft first overall pick, Derrick Rose, will have a little more breathing room as he won't have to worry about Hinrich taking minutes away from his development. Ben Gordon will probably still come off the bench, but get more burn. Larry Hughes, returning soon from a shoulder injury, will get more time on the hardwood that he would have had a hard time getting if Hinrich didn't get hurt. Finally, Thabo Sefolosha will get to show off his skills that had been hyped since he was drafted in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft.

*This hurts. Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs will be out 2-4 weeks because of a sprained ankle. The Spurs are already reeling from an injury that has Manu Ginobili out until December at the earliest, so losing Parker will keep the Spurs down until both guards return. The Spurs at 1-4 will need Roger Mason and rookie George Hill to step up for the injured Parker. As much as I'd like to doubt how well the Spurs will do without their two best guards, I have to remember that the Spurs still have Tim Duncan. You should too.

*Atlanta Hawks wunderkind, Josh Smith, will be out 2-4 weeks thanks to an ankle sprain... who knew ankle sprains could be so evil. The Hawks are off to a great start at 4-0, one of three teams that have gone undefeated early in the season. The other teams are the Utah Jazz (5-0) and Los Angeles Lakers (4-0). Hopefully for the Hawks, Smith comes back soon because he is arguably their best player along with Joe Johnson. Plus, we need more J-Smoove dunks!!!

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