Preview: How the Derrick White Injury Changes Spurs Game Plan
Derrick White will sit with an injury (Photo via Twitter)
Derrick White will be out when the San Antonio Spurs take on the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. White is dealing with a sore left foot, however the Spurs haven’t given an indication regarding how long he will be sidelined.
Foot injuries are nothing new for White, unfortunately. Last season, he missed the beginning of the season after a plantar fascia tear in his left foot. Later in the season, White missed time with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The injury to his left foot caused him to miss nine games, while the injury to his right foot cost him to miss six games. We don’t yet know if this latest foot injury is related to the plantar fascia tear suffered last season but if it is, White will likely be out for at least a week.
With White sidelined, the Spurs will need to shuffle their rotation. Dejounte Murray will remain the starter at point guard, with Patty Mills to slide over to fill White’s spot as the backup point guard. That would leave some shooting guard minutes up for grabs, which will likely mean either Lonnie Walker IV or DeMarre Carroll will enter the rotation tonight against the Wizards.
Keldon Johnson Called Up
There’s an outside chance that Keldon Johnson could be the recipient of minutes while White is out. Johnson, the 29th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, has a big body that should allow him to play shooting guard or small forward as a professional.
Johnson has had a really impressive start with the Austin Spurs in the G League. Through five games, he’s averaging 20.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 29.8 minutes per game, while shooting 52.8% from the field. San Antonio couldn’t have realistically expected a better start from their 20-year-old prospect.
Spurs Losing Streak Ending?
Oddsmakers believe that the Spurs’ six-game losing streak will be ending tonight, as the Silver and Black are two-point favorites on the road against the Wizards. A high-scoring game is expected, as oddsmakers are predicting it to be a 120-118 shootout. Considering Washington is allowing 120.1 points per game while scoring 118.0 points, a shootout is a strong possibility.
Davis Bertans Getting Playing Time
Former Spurs sniper Davis Bertans is doing well with the Wizards. He’s averaging career-highs in minutes (27.6), points (11.7), rebounds (4.1), blocks (0.5) and three-pointers made (3.0) per game. On a per possession basis, his numbers are very similar to what he did in San Antonio, which the Wizards have to be happy considering all the other issues they’ve had during their 3-8 start to the season.