Ludden: Spurs hit with loss of Elson

[Kori Ellis]

Spurs hit with loss of Elson

Web Posted: 12/27/2006 11:32 PM CST

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...n.2fd79a7.html

The Spurs regained one player Wednesday, lost two more and continued to pine for the return of their defense, preferably before the Utah Jazz walk into the AT&T Center tonight.

While a stomach virus works its way through the roster, the Spurs received another setback when they learned starting center Francisco Elson has a small tear in his right rotator cuff and will be out about two weeks.

Elson was injured in the first half of Tuesday's loss to Milwaukee. Team officials said he suffered an impingement to his shoulder, which is caused by the shoulder blade pressuring the rotator cuff when the arm is raised.

Tests taken on Wednesday revealed the small tear. Elson, who played eight minutes in Tuesday's second half before leaving for good, will rest the shoulder for five to seven days before beginning strengthening exercises.

Fabricio Oberto is expected to start while Elson is out. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said forward Eric Williams and center Jackie Butler could see more time depending on matchups.

Elson might not be the only player who misses tonight's game. Brent Barry returned to practice Wednesday, but Manu Ginobili and Matt Bonner remained at home while trying to recover from the stomach flu. Jacque Vaughn and assistant trainer Chad Bergman also were added to the growing list of franchise members hit by the virus.

Ginobili and Bonner, who, along with Barry, missed Tuesday's game, are expected back today. But team officials don't know how strong they'll be.

"If anyone feels they need to lose a little weight after the holidays," Barry said, "I strongly recommend getting the stomach flu. I lost seven pounds in 12 hours."

Compared to the rest of the Western Conference, the Spurs had remained remarkably healthy before Tuesday. The only players to miss any time because of injury were Ginobili, who sat out four games with a bruised lower back, and Robert Horry, who couldn't play one night because of a neck strain.

In recent weeks, the Spurs have watched Houston's Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, the Los Angeles Lakers' Lamar Odom, Seattle's Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen and nearly half of New Orleans' roster go down with injuries.

"Everybody (has) got people injured," Tony Parker said. "We felt kind of lucky for a while."

With Ginobili, Bonner and Vaughn at home, Popovich decided to postpone the team's film session until this morning when he hopes to have a larger audience. Much of the time figures to be spent reviewing the team's defense, or lack of it: The 114 points Milwaukee scored Tuesday were the most the Spurs had allowed at home in a regulation game in five years.

The past four teams to visit the AT&T Center — Philadelphia, Memphis, Houston and Milwaukee — have shot a combined 52.4 percent. The Spurs have also surrendered four second-half leads of at least 13 points this month at home.

"A lot of times teams depend on their home crowds to carry them through, and I think that's what we've fallen into," Horry said. "On the road it's just us. We have to take that mentality we have on the road and act like we're stepping into a hostile environment here."

On Wednesday, Popovich reiterated his belief that this season's team is the franchise's worst defensive squad in seven or eight years.

"Both individually and team defensively," Popovich said. "I don't see the team trust or the individual commitment right now at the level it needs to be.

"The major responsibility is mine and the players that have been here a while to make sure that changes."

Neither the inconsistent defense nor Elson's injury has yet pressured the Spurs into making significant personnel changes, but team officials continue to look at options. The Los Angeles Clippers are trying to trade swingman Corey Maggette but appear intent on making a deal for Sacramento's Ron Artest and, for now, don't seem interested in anything the Spurs could offer.

In the meantime, the Spurs get another tough test tonight. Utah ranks seventh in the NBA in scoring (102.2 points per game), fifth in shooting percentage (.479) and fifth in rebounding (43.6 boards per game).

On Tuesday, the Bucks repeatedly attacked the Spurs off pick-and-rolls, something the Spurs should see more of tonight.

"It's a team effort and the whole team effort was bad (against Milwaukee)," Parker said. "We just have to wake up and find solutions.

"We're scoring enough points. We just have to stop people. That's the bottom line."

[Kori Ellis]

Neither the inconsistent defense nor Elson's injury has yet pressured the Spurs into making significant personnel changes, but team officials continue to look at options. The Los Angeles Clippers are trying to trade swingman Corey Maggette but appear intent on making a deal for Sacramento's Ron Artest and, for now, don't seem interested in anything the Spurs could offer.

So I guess the Spurs really have some level of interest in Maggette. Even though they don't have enough to give up (that they'd want to give up) to get him.

[milkyway21]

Ginobili and Bonner, who, along with Barry, missed Tuesday's game, are expected back today

Probable but.....yehey!

The Spurs haven't lost to Utah at home since Feb. 28, 1999, a span of 13 games-7 yrs(?).

Houston broke the 9 yr-losing streak few days ago.

Utah too?

[polandprzem]

Probable but.....yehey!

The Spurs haven't lost to Utah at home since Feb. 28, 1999, a span of 13 games-7 yrs(?).

Houston broke the 9 yr-losing streak few days ago.

Utah too?

Yea why not?

[ChumpDumper]

So I guess the Spurs really have some level of interest in Maggette. Even though they don't have enough to give up (that they'd want to give up) to get him.

Agreed, there could be a dozen players on the block the Spurs could be interested in, but it means nothing when you actually consider who would be traded for those players.

[Bruno]

The Los Angeles Clippers are trying to trade swingman Corey Maggette but appear intent on making a deal for Sacramento's Ron Artest and, for now, don't seem interested in anything the Spurs could offer.

I don't think Clippers will get Artest. My guess is that Kings have put Artest name in trade talks just to lit a fire under his ass because he wasn't really motivated this year.
Spurs should have proposed a crappy package around Barry.They surely hope that Clippers will come back to them if they don't get a good offer for Maggette. They won't overpay for Maggette because if Spurs don't get him and if Clippers trade him to another team, it won't be the end of the world for Spurs.

[timvp]

They won't overpay for Maggette because they can't.

Fixed.

What combo of scrubs can the Spurs offer to "overpay" for Maggette? Barry + Fillers (picks/Scola/ending contracts) = Steal for Spurs.

Won't happen but Maggette is the type of perimeter rebounder that this team needs. For example, he led the Clippers tonight in rebounds with 11 off the bench. When is the last time the Spurs had someone not named Duncan grab 11 rebounds?

[Bruno]

Fixed.

What combo of scrubs can the Spurs offer to "overpay" for Maggette? Barry + Fillers (picks/Scola/ending contracts) = Steal for Spurs.

Maybe overpay is too strong.
"they aren't ready to give something of equal value for Maggette"
Something of equal value = 2007 first round pick.
I know it will be a late first but 2007 first round pick (even the late ones) are quite valuable (cf AI trade).

Won't happen but Maggette is the type of perimeter rebounder that this team needs. For example, he led the Clippers tonight in rebounds with 11 off the bench. When is the last time the Spurs had someone not named Duncan grab 11 rebounds?

And just for you :
There is too a Hornets' swingman who has grabed 15 rebounds in the last two games.
When was the last time a Spurs' swingman grab 15 rebounds in 2 games ?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

On Wednesday, Popovich reiterated his belief that this season's team is the franchise's worst defensive squad in seven or eight years.

It's not any different than what he fielded in the playoffs last year, which coincidentally also happened to feature a lot of 'small ball'.

[SequSpur]

Trade Manu + fillers for him and a backup point.

Manu can't play more than 4 minutes at a time.

[Kori Ellis]

It's not any different than what he fielded in the playoffs last year, which coincidentally also happened to feature a lot of 'small ball'.

It's different. The Spurs "big ball" lineup sucks on D too.

[SenorSpur]

The Spurs dismal defensive display is causing me to contract the same stomach flu.