The word on Ginobili is that he will have heel surgery. Ginobili reinjured himself during the Olympics, while playing against Team USA. While we don’t know the timetable for his return from surgery, Spurs fans worldwide will be worrying.
Might there be a silver lining though? Popovich knows his stars, and how to manage their minutes. I don’t think any of us are doubting Manu will be ready for the playoffs, and while he recovers from surgery, there could be a few extra minutes to spread around. The second year in the Spurs system is when everything seems to click for a player, so we can probably expect a breakout year from Kurt Thomas, as well as Ime Udoka. Udoka has enough versatility that he could use a few of Ginobili’s minutes to get some extra time on the floor. Even more importantly though, newcomers Roger Mason and George Hill could see some quality playing time earlier than they might have otherwise, which could be of great benefit down the stretch this year.
Our hope still remains for Ginobili to return quickly, but until then, the bench needs to take hold of this opportunity for more playing time, and put it to good use.
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