The San Antonio Spurs have recalled veteran point guard Tony Parker from his rehab assignment with their G-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. The Spurs announced the move, per Marc J. Spear of ESPN. The team said Parker will continue his rehabilitation from left quadricep surgery with the Spurs. No timetable on Parker’s return was included in the announcement. The announcement coincided with the Spurs’ six-game homestand, which will start Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. With Parker still out, the Spurs have Dejounte Murray as their starting guard.
In seven games, Murray has shown that he’s capable of doing the playmaking chores for the Spurs, averaging 8.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
Aside from Parker, Kawhi Leonard and Joffrey Lauvergne are also on the injured list for the Spurs and their return is still unknown. After a 4-0 start, the Spurs have lost their last three outings. On Thursday, the Spurs will take on the Golden State Warriors in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals. Leonard suffered an ankle injury in the first game of that showdown, causing him to miss the remainder of the series. The Warriors capitalized on Leonard’s absence, sweeping the Spurs to reach the Finals for a third straight time.
When will Leonard play?
After their loss to the Boston Celtics, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said he will play Leonard when he’s physically ready. Popovich said he’s not inquiring with the team medical staff about Leonard’s status or when he will return. Earlier, Popovich said there is a possibility that Leonard might return in November.
Leonard sustained a quad injury that caused him to miss all of the preseason. Leonard averaged 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per outing last season and was a finalist for the MVP Award, losing to Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Lauvergne has missed the Spurs’ past four games due to an ankle injury.
In his first three games as a Spur, Lauvergne averaged 6.0 points and 5.3 rebounds off the bench.
Spurs assign White, Bertans to G-League
The Spurs have assigned rookie Derrick White and Davis Bertans to their G-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. White, the Spurs’ first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, played just three games for San Antonio this season, averaging 0.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 17 total minutes of playing time. Bertans played in four games, averaging 2.3 points in 7.8 minutes of action. The assignment will give White the playing time he needs to develop and be ready in case the Spurs call him up again.
