duncan228
10-13-2008, 11:12 PM
Spurs' Thomas might play during two-game trip (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_Thomas_might_play_during_two-game_trip.html)
By Mike Monroe
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. The Spurs brought their full complement of 20 players on their only extended road trip of the preseason, including injured players who won't see any action.
The trip begins here tonight with a game at Van Anden Arena against the Detroit Pistons.
The good news: One of the players who was held out of the first two games, forward-center Kurt Thomas, may see some action, most likely in Thursday's game against the Cavaliers in Cleveland.
Thomas, who has been nursing a strained left hamstring suffered the first day of training camp, participated in all of the team's practice activities in a brief session on Monday, and a club spokesman said he may available for game action this week.
Salim Stoudamire, the combo guard who has yet to play because of a strained right groin, also will make the trip. But he has yet to be cleared for full practice activity, so he is less likely to play.
Guard Manu Ginobili, expected to miss the first 20-25 games of the regular season, and second-year forward-center Ian Mahinmi, likely to miss the entire preseason, also accompanied the team on the trip.
Higher hops? Veteran swingman Michael Finley, who reported to camp 20 pounds lighter than he ended the 2007-08 season, showed off what looked to be an increased vertical jump resulting from having to get fewer pounds off the ground.
At the end of his typical post-practice shooting drill, Finley stood, flat-footed, under the basket and jumped for a two-handed reverse dunk.
Has his vertical leap increased?
I don't know, he said. We'll see. That's yet to be discovered, but hopefully, it works that way.
Finley has played slightly more than 12 minutes in the first two preseason games he did not even suit up for the first game but looked very sharp in his brief stint in Friday's game against the Hornets, making 2 of 3 from 3-point range and 3 of 6 shots overall.
Preseason playing time, he said, is nothing a veteran worries about.
The coaching staff has a gameplan, not just for me, but all the veteran guys, he said. You just have to play the cards you're dealt. Whether you get a lot of minutes, or limited minutes, you have to make the most of them. I'm always going to come in and put my work in before practice, and after practice and stay in tip-top shape. Then, when the regular season does roll around, I'll be ready to go.
I feel good. With extra practice, my game should be coming around. I'm on pace. Hopefully, I can keep this going.
By Mike Monroe
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. The Spurs brought their full complement of 20 players on their only extended road trip of the preseason, including injured players who won't see any action.
The trip begins here tonight with a game at Van Anden Arena against the Detroit Pistons.
The good news: One of the players who was held out of the first two games, forward-center Kurt Thomas, may see some action, most likely in Thursday's game against the Cavaliers in Cleveland.
Thomas, who has been nursing a strained left hamstring suffered the first day of training camp, participated in all of the team's practice activities in a brief session on Monday, and a club spokesman said he may available for game action this week.
Salim Stoudamire, the combo guard who has yet to play because of a strained right groin, also will make the trip. But he has yet to be cleared for full practice activity, so he is less likely to play.
Guard Manu Ginobili, expected to miss the first 20-25 games of the regular season, and second-year forward-center Ian Mahinmi, likely to miss the entire preseason, also accompanied the team on the trip.
Higher hops? Veteran swingman Michael Finley, who reported to camp 20 pounds lighter than he ended the 2007-08 season, showed off what looked to be an increased vertical jump resulting from having to get fewer pounds off the ground.
At the end of his typical post-practice shooting drill, Finley stood, flat-footed, under the basket and jumped for a two-handed reverse dunk.
Has his vertical leap increased?
I don't know, he said. We'll see. That's yet to be discovered, but hopefully, it works that way.
Finley has played slightly more than 12 minutes in the first two preseason games he did not even suit up for the first game but looked very sharp in his brief stint in Friday's game against the Hornets, making 2 of 3 from 3-point range and 3 of 6 shots overall.
Preseason playing time, he said, is nothing a veteran worries about.
The coaching staff has a gameplan, not just for me, but all the veteran guys, he said. You just have to play the cards you're dealt. Whether you get a lot of minutes, or limited minutes, you have to make the most of them. I'm always going to come in and put my work in before practice, and after practice and stay in tip-top shape. Then, when the regular season does roll around, I'll be ready to go.
I feel good. With extra practice, my game should be coming around. I'm on pace. Hopefully, I can keep this going.