loveforthegame
12-21-2005, 02:08 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA122105.7C.BKNspurs.notebook.a7ef255.html
Spurs notebook: Foot injury to sideline Ginobili against Knicks; guard might miss rest of week
Web Posted: 12/21/2005 12:14 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
MILWAUKEE — Manu Ginobili will miss his sixth consecutive game tonight, and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich didn't sound too confident his All-Star guard would be ready to play by the end of this week.
Ginobili has been sidelined since spraining his right mid foot in practice Dec. 12. He worked out Monday, testing the foot by running in a circle and doing other agility exercises.
"All directions aren't cleared yet," Popovich said. "He can go some ways, some directions. In others, he can't still."
Popovich said the team's training staff has told him Ginobili "possibly" would be ready to play Friday against Toronto. He interpreted that to mean Ginobili wouldn't be 100 percent.
"Because it's not really an ankle — it's the top of his foot — I don't want to (mess) with a stress fracture or whatever else might appear," Popovich said. "We want to make sure he's totally healed before we put him back on the court."
Iron man: Bruce Bowen played in his 297th consecutive game for the Spurs, breaking Avery Johnson's franchise record.
In his five seasons with the Spurs, Bowen has had only one injury force him out of the lineup: a broken right middle finger Jan. 9, 2002, that sidelined him for 23 games.
Unexpected analyst: Six months ago, Terry Porter figured he would be working the Spurs' annual visit to the Bradley Center.
He just didn't know it would be as their TV analyst.
Porter was fired as Milwaukee's head coach June 22, a little more than a month after the team announced it was picking up the third and final year on his contract.
"It's strange being here in this capacity," said Porter, who still lives in Milwaukee.
Porter said he never received a clear explanation about his dismissal other than "we want to go in another direction."
After announcing Porter would remain the coach in 2005-06, the Bucks won the NBA Draft lottery.
They hired Terry Stotts, a former assistant with the team, to replace Porter, though there had been reports they also pursued Flip Saunders and Doug Collins.
"Maybe they thought they had one of those guys and he decided not to come at the last minute," Porter said.
Porter, who grew up in Milwaukee, ranked third in the Coach of the Year voting after guiding the Bucks to a 41-41 record and the playoffs in 2003-04.
Last season, Milwaukee had 15 players miss games with injuries, including point guard T.J. Ford, who missed the entire schedule. The team also traded Keith Van Horn and Mike James at the trade deadline.
After Porter was let go, the Bucks upgraded by drafting center Andrew Bogut, signing forward Bobby Simmons and trading for center Jamaal Magloire.
"I'm just disappointed I wasn't given a chance with the current team," Porter said. "I think I was deserving of that because of my first year."
Spurs notebook: Foot injury to sideline Ginobili against Knicks; guard might miss rest of week
Web Posted: 12/21/2005 12:14 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
MILWAUKEE — Manu Ginobili will miss his sixth consecutive game tonight, and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich didn't sound too confident his All-Star guard would be ready to play by the end of this week.
Ginobili has been sidelined since spraining his right mid foot in practice Dec. 12. He worked out Monday, testing the foot by running in a circle and doing other agility exercises.
"All directions aren't cleared yet," Popovich said. "He can go some ways, some directions. In others, he can't still."
Popovich said the team's training staff has told him Ginobili "possibly" would be ready to play Friday against Toronto. He interpreted that to mean Ginobili wouldn't be 100 percent.
"Because it's not really an ankle — it's the top of his foot — I don't want to (mess) with a stress fracture or whatever else might appear," Popovich said. "We want to make sure he's totally healed before we put him back on the court."
Iron man: Bruce Bowen played in his 297th consecutive game for the Spurs, breaking Avery Johnson's franchise record.
In his five seasons with the Spurs, Bowen has had only one injury force him out of the lineup: a broken right middle finger Jan. 9, 2002, that sidelined him for 23 games.
Unexpected analyst: Six months ago, Terry Porter figured he would be working the Spurs' annual visit to the Bradley Center.
He just didn't know it would be as their TV analyst.
Porter was fired as Milwaukee's head coach June 22, a little more than a month after the team announced it was picking up the third and final year on his contract.
"It's strange being here in this capacity," said Porter, who still lives in Milwaukee.
Porter said he never received a clear explanation about his dismissal other than "we want to go in another direction."
After announcing Porter would remain the coach in 2005-06, the Bucks won the NBA Draft lottery.
They hired Terry Stotts, a former assistant with the team, to replace Porter, though there had been reports they also pursued Flip Saunders and Doug Collins.
"Maybe they thought they had one of those guys and he decided not to come at the last minute," Porter said.
Porter, who grew up in Milwaukee, ranked third in the Coach of the Year voting after guiding the Bucks to a 41-41 record and the playoffs in 2003-04.
Last season, Milwaukee had 15 players miss games with injuries, including point guard T.J. Ford, who missed the entire schedule. The team also traded Keith Van Horn and Mike James at the trade deadline.
After Porter was let go, the Bucks upgraded by drafting center Andrew Bogut, signing forward Bobby Simmons and trading for center Jamaal Magloire.
"I'm just disappointed I wasn't given a chance with the current team," Porter said. "I think I was deserving of that because of my first year."