The San Antonio Spurs just can't seem to catch a break. At the start of the season, the Spurs were already without stars Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker, but each game of the season so far has only crippled the team further. Four games in, the team lost backup big man Joffrey Lauvergne, a huge blow to their rotation's depth.
White out with a fractured wrist
Now, the team has been thrown a second curveball, as rookie Derrick White is out for the foreseeable future.The Spurs' front office announced yesterday that rookie Derrick White would be out indefinitely with a fractured wrist.
The break is in White's right wrist, which, unfortunately, is his shooting wrist. This doesn't bode well for his development throughout this season, as, without being able to shoot, White won't even be able to play in the G-league until the injury is fully healed. When asked about a timetable for White's return, Coach Gregg Popovich said there was none just yet. The Spurs may have to look for other answers off the bench for the next couple months, as their second unit options continue to shrink.
Parker reassigned to G-league affiliate
Tony Parker has warmed up with the team prior to the last two home games, but the Spurs felt another stint with the Austin Spurs would expedite his rehabilitation process.
Parker was assigned to San Antonio's G-league affiliate just two weeks ago for the squad's training camp. Clearly, the Spurs' front office feels that camp did some good for the former all-star. The Austin Spurs are practicing in San Antonio this week, so it would appear that this will be another short stay with the team for Parker.
It's likely that the Spurs recall him once the team heads back to Austin. Popovich seems confident that Parker will indeed return this November, but the coach has also made it clear that they won't rush the veteran guard back if he isn't one hundred percent.
Spurs keep moving on
Despite their bad luck with injuries, the Spurs have kept doing what they always do: they push through games and win quite a few of them.
LaMarcus Aldridge has finally blossomed into the star San Antonio hoped he could be when they acquired him back in 2015. Aldridge has been the main motor behind this team, propelling them to a 6-4 record to start the season, a winning record that has come largely without three (and now four) key players. His numbers may dip a bit once Kawhi Leonard comes back, but, until that happens, Look for Aldridge to be the go-to guy for San Antonio.