Reply With Quote
Good read, with Kevin and Allen out tonight there's no reason we shouldn't come out with a w.
Ginobili practices, but won't play against Celtics
Jeff McDonald
For the better part of the past month, Manu Ginobili has been the Spurs' version of Sasquatch.
Reports of his existence were legendary, but unsubstantiated. Some folks of dubious reliability had claimed to have seen him. Occasionally, there would materialize a grainy video of him pedaling a stationary bike, but nothing conclusive.
That is, until Thursday, when there was a bona fide Manu sighting at the Spurs' practice facility.
For the first time in his glacially paced recovery from a sore right ankle, Ginobili emerged from his behind-the-scenes rehabilitation regimen for a substantial on-court practice session, huffing and puffing though a full team workout and reaffirming his being to a skeptical world.
“It's the next step in him getting back to whole,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
It was a D-Day of sorts for Ginobili, who has missed 16 games and counting with a stress reaction in his distal right fibula.
Popovich had said that if Ginobili were not up and about on the practice floor by Thursday, he would officially begin to worry about the star guard's availability for the start of the playoffs.
Ginobili met that deadline, going through some one-on-one and scripted drills as the Spurs prepared for tonight's home game against Boston.
At one point, he punctuated a drill with a left-handed power dunk.
“He looked like he was moving around pretty good,” Matt Bonner said. “It was good to see him back out there.”
Still, it would be premature to expect Ginobili back in all his glory anytime soon. His gait was a bit tentative at times Thursday, and he was sucking wind by the end of full-court drills.
Ginobili has not played since Feb. 11. Popovich says it will be “at least a week” before he will consider ending Ginobili's hiatus.
“When he's able to play without fear of making it worse, that's when he'll play,” Popovich said.
Ginobili's return to the practice court Thursday threatened to obscure a visit from the defending NBA champions — or what's left of them anyway.
Like the Spurs, who are expected to get Tim Duncan back from a one-game sabbatical to rest his sore knees, Boston comes to town tonight with a medical staff on the verge of burnout.
Kevin Garnett has missed 14 games with a right knee strain. Ray Allen is day-to-day with a hyperextended right elbow. Tony Allen (left thumb), Leon Powe (right knee) and Brian Scalabrine (concussion) have been ruled out.
That's not to mention Rajon Rondo, Glen Davis and Eddie House, all of whom are playing through various bumps and bruises.
“The good thing about it is that these guys are going to be fresh,” said Paul Pierce, Boston's last All-Star standing Wednesday in Miami. “Maybe it could be a blessing in disguise that these guys got some time off, especially Kevin.”
The Spurs so far have survived their latest Ginobili-less stretch, going 11-5 and clinging to a slim lead in the Southwest Division.
The Celtics have not been as lucky. The injury epidemic likely has cost them the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They have lost four of their past six, and six of 11.
“Every team suffers a little bit when they have key injuries to people, so I don't think it's amazing they've dropped a couple games here and there,” Popovich said. “When they're healthy, you still have to count them as the best team in the NBA until somebody has proven differently.”
There is strong speculation the Celtics could get Garnett back tonight. It will be awhile until the Spurs get Ginobili back.
Still, Thursday's practice session — and others like it to come — will go a long way toward helping the Spurs' medical staff clarify a timetable for Ginobili's return.
“You can tell if someone is ready or not,” Popovich said. “The court is what gives us those answers. For him to finally get on the court today, and play a little of both offense and defense, it starts to make a picture for us to at least look at.”
The Spurs just hope what they've captured on film is their Sasquatch, at long last ready to emerge from hibernation.
Good read, with Kevin and Allen out tonight there's no reason we shouldn't come out with a w.
Jeff's analogies suck ass.
I think Manu will be back against the Clippers.
Jeff may not be a very good writer, but at least the topic was promising. Manu practicing is a very good sign. Hopefully, after a couple of days, Manu doesn't feel pain.
Getting him back healthy would be huge. And a week is sooner that I thought.
Did the Spurs put manu under quarantine after the practice? At the very least I was expecting him to be asked how his leg felt, if he felt any pain or soreness... I think that's what fans want to know.
Manu will only take 2 or 3 games as a warm up for the playoffs IMHO. In fact Manu is already 100% healed and more than enough to devote to games, but pop has already made a smart decision in saving him for post season as long as their 2nd place are not threatened by rockets or any other contender.
Seriously, that's what I was thinking...I mean a Sashquash analogy in sports?
I can't wait to find that out myself.
Disagree.
Manu will be back next week.
Yea Manu was having his 1st practice and he was not looking that good and people wants him to play in games now.
wtf? he had only 1-1 practice and positioning shooting with the team O's and X's. He was not doing much.
Not sure what practice you were watching. I thought he did well. Not saying he's ready to play, but he didn't seem rusty, he was hitting his shots, got in a nice dunk. He definitely looked good.
Frankly I just read and saw first minute or so because something was wrong with dowloading this file. But he was not running fine IMO.
And practice and game is two doiferent things.
Manu needs to put full practice 5-5 and then we can say if he is really ready to be on the court and produce in a good way, the best way.
btw. Jeez somebody is persuading me that KG is top2 PF ever and will surpass Tim in not long time: Than Kg had bad squads and his win production was the best and all those
I agree that he needs to be in full 5 on 5 action to find out if he's ready. We had a miscommunication. I thought you were saying he looked bad. He had a couple of times where it looked like he was being cautious..but that just be him making sure he didn't get hurt again. But that in itself is enough reason to hold him back at least a week..Frankly I just read and saw first minute or so because something was wrong with dowloading this file. But he was not running fine IMO.
And practice and game is two doiferent things.
Manu needs to put full practice 5-5 and then we can say if he is really ready to be on the court and produce in a good way, the best way.
btw. Jeez somebody is persuading me that KG is top2 PF ever and will surpass Tim in not long time
just sit manu until the playoffs
i think he's in painFrankly I just read and saw first minute or so because something was wrong with dowloading this file. But he was not running fine IMO.
And practice and game is two doiferent things.
Manu needs to put full practice 5-5 and then we can say if he is really ready to be on the court and produce in a good way, the best way.
btw. Jeez somebody is persuading me that KG is top2 PF ever and will surpass Tim in not long time
he looks exactly like the games against the lakers last playoffs
I don't think you remember just how BAD Manu was during the playoffs.
If he looked like that in practice he wouldn't have any lift on his jumpers nor would he have finished with a dunk.
People are exaggerating Manu favoring his leg. Like Pop said, Manu is still mindful of his recovery and will only be put back in once he gets his confidence back irreversibly. Anyone would try to preserve their recently injured leg, creating a mental block and I think that's what's gonna keep him out for another week or so, since it'll make him unfocused and ineffective on the court.
Also Tim said what Manu has to recover from is fatigue from not being able to practice, so I'm not too worried about Manu's recooperating.
He's not going to lie about feeling good, otherwise he wouldn't have mentioned the pain last week.
I was able to see the whole practice highlight from yesterday.
And he looked better then in this first minute.
So I think I made it sound worse then it is.
Another thing is that Manu must to get into rythym faster now then after an injury he had at the begining of a season.
As for his mental block. Well I think that the purpose of winning in the playoffs and the 'war' situation in win or go home will unblock him faster. So if the leg is 90% he will be good.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
