Kori Ellis
10-26-2004, 12:14 AM
Practice injury sidelines Udrih again
Web Posted: 10/26/2004 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA102604.1D.spurs.24884636.html
DALLAS — Beno Udrih walked out of the Spurs locker room late Saturday without any trace of a limp, no small accomplishment considering the Seattle SuperSonics had just spent part of the evening introducing him to one of the SBC Center's basket supports.
Unfortunately for the Spurs, Monday's practice proved even more hazardous for their rookie point guard.
Udrih will miss at least the next two preseason games after banging his right knee during the workout.
He underwent an MRI, which revealed only that the injury he sustained last month to the same knee is healing.
Udrih did not accompany the Spurs on their flight here and will remain home for tonight's exhibition against Dallas and Wednesday's against Houston in Laredo. He will be re-evaluated later in the week to determine his status for Friday's final preseason game against New Orleans.
Udrih initially bruised his right knee in early September while helping Slovenia qualify for next year's European Championships. He did not play the remainder of the tournament and the Spurs held him out of contact drills the first two days of training camp.
After the pain lessened, Udrih wore a protective sleeve over the knee through the Spurs' first four exhibitions. He apparently aggravated the injury Monday during a knee-on-knee collision with a teammate.
Staying healthy has been Udrih's biggest challenge since arriving in the NBA. He bruised his left knee at the Chicago pre-draft camp in June then aggravated the injury a week before his summer-league debut. The Spurs held him out of a couple games at the Rocky Mountain Revue only to watch him hurt his hand when he returned.
The Spurs hope Udrih, who also missed part of last season in Europe with an ankle injury, proves to be more durable as he gets stronger. He showed some of his mettle Saturday when he made his first start of the preseason after Spurs coach Gregg Popovich decided to rest Tony Parker.
Vitaly Potapenko, Seattle's 285-pound center, was among the first to welcome Udrih into the NBA, though he didn't come carrying a gift basket. Less than four minutes into the game, Udrih drove into the lane only to have Potapenko crack him to the floor.
Udrih peeled himself from the court then raised his hands in disbelief when Potapenko did not receive a foul. He looked at veteran official Phil Robinson for an explanation, but Robinson simply turned and ran downcourt.
During a timeout later in the quarter, Malik Rose offered Udrih a few words of advice: Get used to it.
"I told him he's going to have to go stronger," Rose said. "He got hit a lot, but he's not going to get any calls. Especially this first year."
"I just need to get used to it," Udrih said Saturday. "I need to play my game and just do my job."
Despite his injuries, Udrih has stayed on the court long enough to impress the Spurs with both his passing and poise. Late in Saturday's second quarter, he drove baseline, then made a perfect kick-out pass to Manu Ginobili, who was standing behind the 3-point line.
"Usually point guards come in trying to do too much," Bruce Bowen said. "They're in that position like a quarterback. Sometimes they throw too many interceptions in football, sometimes they don't make the reads in football. But Beno seems to find people like he's been here a couple years already."
Said Rose: "He's just a natural. You can see it already."
Though Udrih is only 22, he played professionally in Europe for five years. Ginobili remembers being impressed by him when their teams met in the 2001 Euroleague quarterfinals.
"He's been playing in important games since he was 17," Ginobili said. "He's very mature and you can see that on the court. I don't think experience is going to be a problem. He may have other problems, like getting used to the refs, but he's ready."
In other news, the Spurs officially waived James Thomas on Monday. Sean Marks (sprained back) and Linton Johnson III (sprained left ankle) also did not travel with the team.
Web Posted: 10/26/2004 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA102604.1D.spurs.24884636.html
DALLAS — Beno Udrih walked out of the Spurs locker room late Saturday without any trace of a limp, no small accomplishment considering the Seattle SuperSonics had just spent part of the evening introducing him to one of the SBC Center's basket supports.
Unfortunately for the Spurs, Monday's practice proved even more hazardous for their rookie point guard.
Udrih will miss at least the next two preseason games after banging his right knee during the workout.
He underwent an MRI, which revealed only that the injury he sustained last month to the same knee is healing.
Udrih did not accompany the Spurs on their flight here and will remain home for tonight's exhibition against Dallas and Wednesday's against Houston in Laredo. He will be re-evaluated later in the week to determine his status for Friday's final preseason game against New Orleans.
Udrih initially bruised his right knee in early September while helping Slovenia qualify for next year's European Championships. He did not play the remainder of the tournament and the Spurs held him out of contact drills the first two days of training camp.
After the pain lessened, Udrih wore a protective sleeve over the knee through the Spurs' first four exhibitions. He apparently aggravated the injury Monday during a knee-on-knee collision with a teammate.
Staying healthy has been Udrih's biggest challenge since arriving in the NBA. He bruised his left knee at the Chicago pre-draft camp in June then aggravated the injury a week before his summer-league debut. The Spurs held him out of a couple games at the Rocky Mountain Revue only to watch him hurt his hand when he returned.
The Spurs hope Udrih, who also missed part of last season in Europe with an ankle injury, proves to be more durable as he gets stronger. He showed some of his mettle Saturday when he made his first start of the preseason after Spurs coach Gregg Popovich decided to rest Tony Parker.
Vitaly Potapenko, Seattle's 285-pound center, was among the first to welcome Udrih into the NBA, though he didn't come carrying a gift basket. Less than four minutes into the game, Udrih drove into the lane only to have Potapenko crack him to the floor.
Udrih peeled himself from the court then raised his hands in disbelief when Potapenko did not receive a foul. He looked at veteran official Phil Robinson for an explanation, but Robinson simply turned and ran downcourt.
During a timeout later in the quarter, Malik Rose offered Udrih a few words of advice: Get used to it.
"I told him he's going to have to go stronger," Rose said. "He got hit a lot, but he's not going to get any calls. Especially this first year."
"I just need to get used to it," Udrih said Saturday. "I need to play my game and just do my job."
Despite his injuries, Udrih has stayed on the court long enough to impress the Spurs with both his passing and poise. Late in Saturday's second quarter, he drove baseline, then made a perfect kick-out pass to Manu Ginobili, who was standing behind the 3-point line.
"Usually point guards come in trying to do too much," Bruce Bowen said. "They're in that position like a quarterback. Sometimes they throw too many interceptions in football, sometimes they don't make the reads in football. But Beno seems to find people like he's been here a couple years already."
Said Rose: "He's just a natural. You can see it already."
Though Udrih is only 22, he played professionally in Europe for five years. Ginobili remembers being impressed by him when their teams met in the 2001 Euroleague quarterfinals.
"He's been playing in important games since he was 17," Ginobili said. "He's very mature and you can see that on the court. I don't think experience is going to be a problem. He may have other problems, like getting used to the refs, but he's ready."
In other news, the Spurs officially waived James Thomas on Monday. Sean Marks (sprained back) and Linton Johnson III (sprained left ankle) also did not travel with the team.