duncan228
10-07-2008, 12:24 AM
Injuries keep Thomas, Stoudamire from full drills (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Injuries_keep_Thomas_Stoudamire_from_full_drills.h tml)
Jeff McDonald - Express-News
On Sunday, injured forward Kurt Thomas and guard Salim Stoudamire participated in practice after several days on the shelf, giving hope that the Spurs were nearing full strength — or as close to it as they are going to be for a while.
As it turns out, rumors of their return were greatly exaggerated.
It's true Thomas, who is nursing a strained hamstring, and Stoudamire, out with a strained groin, did work out Sunday. However, it was a light practice — so light, in fact, that it ended with a 30-minute yoga session.
Neither player has been cleared for full contact, meaning they were back on the sidelines for a good bit of Monday's 21/2-hour session. It should be a few days before either player is able to fully participate in camp activities.
Let's see action: It's only a week into training camp, and the Spurs already are dreaming of playing against someone wearing different colored uniforms.
They get their chance Thursday, when they travel to Houston for their preseason opener. One night later, they are back at home against New Orleans, the second leg of a preseason back-to-back.
“I'm excited for the first game,” said guard Roger Mason, heading into his first preseason with the Spurs. “I think we're all tired of beating up on each other.”
Bruce Bowen concurred.
“You're looking forward to playing someone else,” he said, “someone who is not as familiar with your calls as some of your teammates are.”
There is but one problem with that notion. At least one Rockets player — former Spurs guard Brent Barry — ought to be as familiar with the Spurs' calls as anyone in silver and black.
Yay to yoga: If coach Gregg Popovich has his way — and he almost always does — Sunday's yoga session won't be the last of the preseason for the Spurs.
“Concentrating on flexibility, relaxation, lowering of anxiety — that sort of concept is what we're looking at,” Popovich said. “It's something new for us this year. We're going to do it for a while and see what we think.”
Though some Spurs players — most notably resident wise guy Matt Bonner — cracked jokes about the team's new new-age bent, many players gave Sunday's session rave reviews.
Some, like Bowen, Stoudamire and Ime Udoka, were yoga proponents before it was incorporated into the Spurs' regular training regimen.
“It's very relaxing,” Udoka said. “It's something to get our minds off basketball.”
Jeff McDonald - Express-News
On Sunday, injured forward Kurt Thomas and guard Salim Stoudamire participated in practice after several days on the shelf, giving hope that the Spurs were nearing full strength — or as close to it as they are going to be for a while.
As it turns out, rumors of their return were greatly exaggerated.
It's true Thomas, who is nursing a strained hamstring, and Stoudamire, out with a strained groin, did work out Sunday. However, it was a light practice — so light, in fact, that it ended with a 30-minute yoga session.
Neither player has been cleared for full contact, meaning they were back on the sidelines for a good bit of Monday's 21/2-hour session. It should be a few days before either player is able to fully participate in camp activities.
Let's see action: It's only a week into training camp, and the Spurs already are dreaming of playing against someone wearing different colored uniforms.
They get their chance Thursday, when they travel to Houston for their preseason opener. One night later, they are back at home against New Orleans, the second leg of a preseason back-to-back.
“I'm excited for the first game,” said guard Roger Mason, heading into his first preseason with the Spurs. “I think we're all tired of beating up on each other.”
Bruce Bowen concurred.
“You're looking forward to playing someone else,” he said, “someone who is not as familiar with your calls as some of your teammates are.”
There is but one problem with that notion. At least one Rockets player — former Spurs guard Brent Barry — ought to be as familiar with the Spurs' calls as anyone in silver and black.
Yay to yoga: If coach Gregg Popovich has his way — and he almost always does — Sunday's yoga session won't be the last of the preseason for the Spurs.
“Concentrating on flexibility, relaxation, lowering of anxiety — that sort of concept is what we're looking at,” Popovich said. “It's something new for us this year. We're going to do it for a while and see what we think.”
Though some Spurs players — most notably resident wise guy Matt Bonner — cracked jokes about the team's new new-age bent, many players gave Sunday's session rave reviews.
Some, like Bowen, Stoudamire and Ime Udoka, were yoga proponents before it was incorporated into the Spurs' regular training regimen.
“It's very relaxing,” Udoka said. “It's something to get our minds off basketball.”