duncan228
04-10-2009, 12:29 AM
Duncan's knees are big worry for Spurs (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Duncans_knees_are_big_worry_for_Spurs.html)
Jeff McDonald
Roger Mason Jr. does not want Gregg Popovich's job. He wouldn't want the responsibility.
He wouldn't want the nightly pressure of balancing the immediate need to win basketball games against the long-term health of the Spurs' most important player.
In short, Mason wouldn't know what to do with Tim Duncan, either.
“I stay out of that,” Mason said. “If I see him out there, I'm just happy he's there.”
For the Spurs, simply seeing their All-Star forward on the floor isn't always enough anymore.
Battling soreness in both knees, Duncan hasn't always been able to be Duncan, even on nights when he is able to slip on his familiar and fabled No. 21.
Since the All-Star break, Duncan is averaging just 16.4 points and shooting 45.7 percent from the field. In his most recent outing, a 95-83 loss to Portland on Wednesday in the second night of a back-to-back, Duncan scored four points and — courtesy of an early hook from Popovich — didn't finish the game.
With Manu Ginobili out for the season, the Spurs' hopes of making noise in the playoffs now rest on Duncan's iffy knees. It is a dicey proposition.
Before Ginobili went down with a stress fracture in his right fibula, Spurs insiders had privately expressed more concern for Duncan's health than Ginobili's.
“He's been like that for a while,” Tony Parker said. “People don't realize Timmy's been playing on one leg for like a month and a half now.”
Some nights, a one-legged Duncan has been enough.
Less than 24 hours before limping to the finish against Portland, Duncan poured in 25 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and helped lead the Spurs to a stirring victory in Oklahoma City.
This could be the new normal for Duncan, who will turn 33 before the end of the month. There will be nights he looks like the old Duncan. And nights, like against Portland, when he will just look old.
The Spurs face Utah tonight in another game important to playoff seeding, hoping for the former version of their franchise player.
“He's been playing a little banged up,” Mason said. “We all know that. He's still been able to produce. Obviously, we'll need him Friday and the rest of the season.”
Duncan seemed rejuvenated to start the season, as if he'd spent the summer bathing in the Fountain of Youth.
At the All-Star break, he was averaging 20.8 points and shooting 52.2 percent from the field, and had found himself on the fringes of early MVP discussion. Duncan's play was a key reason the Spurs were able to endure injuries to both Ginobili and Parker early in the season and remain near the top of the Western Conference.
Then, Duncan's knees began to betray him. He missed three games at the end of February after being diagnosed with tendonosis in his right quadriceps, and hasn't been the same since.
He has taken to wearing braces on both knees, bulky blue monstrosities that unflatteringly recall a latter-day Patrick Ewing.
Those who know him say Duncan has brought up his knees in conversation, a telling sign of his discomfort level. Duncan almost never talks about his aches and pains.
Popovich has done his best to limit the pounding on Duncan's knees, and says he is “hopeful” his team captain will be at his best once the playoffs start. There are no back-to-backs in the postseason, so that is one bit of good news.
“I think he's fresh,” Popovich said. “We haven't extended his minutes at all, even though we haven't been playing well. His health is kind of going to be a day-to-day thing, really.”
For the Spurs, the best-case scenario might be a repeat of 2006, when Duncan battled plantar fasciitis for much of the season but rebounded in the postseason.
All that is for certain: For the Spurs to be the Spurs in the playoffs, they need Duncan to be some semblance of Duncan.
“In the playoffs,” Mason said, “it all starts with Timmy.”
Jeff McDonald
Roger Mason Jr. does not want Gregg Popovich's job. He wouldn't want the responsibility.
He wouldn't want the nightly pressure of balancing the immediate need to win basketball games against the long-term health of the Spurs' most important player.
In short, Mason wouldn't know what to do with Tim Duncan, either.
“I stay out of that,” Mason said. “If I see him out there, I'm just happy he's there.”
For the Spurs, simply seeing their All-Star forward on the floor isn't always enough anymore.
Battling soreness in both knees, Duncan hasn't always been able to be Duncan, even on nights when he is able to slip on his familiar and fabled No. 21.
Since the All-Star break, Duncan is averaging just 16.4 points and shooting 45.7 percent from the field. In his most recent outing, a 95-83 loss to Portland on Wednesday in the second night of a back-to-back, Duncan scored four points and — courtesy of an early hook from Popovich — didn't finish the game.
With Manu Ginobili out for the season, the Spurs' hopes of making noise in the playoffs now rest on Duncan's iffy knees. It is a dicey proposition.
Before Ginobili went down with a stress fracture in his right fibula, Spurs insiders had privately expressed more concern for Duncan's health than Ginobili's.
“He's been like that for a while,” Tony Parker said. “People don't realize Timmy's been playing on one leg for like a month and a half now.”
Some nights, a one-legged Duncan has been enough.
Less than 24 hours before limping to the finish against Portland, Duncan poured in 25 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and helped lead the Spurs to a stirring victory in Oklahoma City.
This could be the new normal for Duncan, who will turn 33 before the end of the month. There will be nights he looks like the old Duncan. And nights, like against Portland, when he will just look old.
The Spurs face Utah tonight in another game important to playoff seeding, hoping for the former version of their franchise player.
“He's been playing a little banged up,” Mason said. “We all know that. He's still been able to produce. Obviously, we'll need him Friday and the rest of the season.”
Duncan seemed rejuvenated to start the season, as if he'd spent the summer bathing in the Fountain of Youth.
At the All-Star break, he was averaging 20.8 points and shooting 52.2 percent from the field, and had found himself on the fringes of early MVP discussion. Duncan's play was a key reason the Spurs were able to endure injuries to both Ginobili and Parker early in the season and remain near the top of the Western Conference.
Then, Duncan's knees began to betray him. He missed three games at the end of February after being diagnosed with tendonosis in his right quadriceps, and hasn't been the same since.
He has taken to wearing braces on both knees, bulky blue monstrosities that unflatteringly recall a latter-day Patrick Ewing.
Those who know him say Duncan has brought up his knees in conversation, a telling sign of his discomfort level. Duncan almost never talks about his aches and pains.
Popovich has done his best to limit the pounding on Duncan's knees, and says he is “hopeful” his team captain will be at his best once the playoffs start. There are no back-to-backs in the postseason, so that is one bit of good news.
“I think he's fresh,” Popovich said. “We haven't extended his minutes at all, even though we haven't been playing well. His health is kind of going to be a day-to-day thing, really.”
For the Spurs, the best-case scenario might be a repeat of 2006, when Duncan battled plantar fasciitis for much of the season but rebounded in the postseason.
All that is for certain: For the Spurs to be the Spurs in the playoffs, they need Duncan to be some semblance of Duncan.
“In the playoffs,” Mason said, “it all starts with Timmy.”