http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog...u-no-good.html
By
Jeff McDonald
on Mar 10, 2009 7:06 pm
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich confirmed Tuesday night what most of us had already come to suspect: Manu Ginobili's triumphant return to the active lineup will not come Thursday against the L.A. Lakers.
When Ginobili was initially shelved after the All-Star break, suffering what what was later diagnosed as a stress reaction in his right ankle, team doctors put a prognosis of two to three weeks on his return. Thursday's game would come three weeks to the day.
Ginobili has begun a rehab regimen consisting of weight training, pool work and time on the stationary bike and treadmill, but has not yet been cleared to return to practice. So Popovich's announcement that Ginobili would in no way, shape or form be available against L.A. came as no surprise.
Meanwhile, Popovich says he doesn't expect Drew Gooden will be making his Spurs debut against their biggest Western Conference rival, either. Gooden has been nursing a
calf strain since before signing with the Spurs on Saturday.
Popovich hinted Gooden might see his first action on the two-game road trip to Houston and Oklahoma City that begins Saturday.
"When he came, I told him he wouldn't play against Phoenix, or here or probably not even L.A., and we'd assess it then," Popovich said. "He had a week of rest. Now he'd have a week of strengthening that area and just see what he feels like at that point."
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