Spurs' win doesnˇt provide answers
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_win_doesnt_provide_answers.html
Web Posted: 10/14/2008 10:20 CDT
By Mike Monroe - Express-News
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich likely will make some cuts when his club returns to San Antonio after the two-game road trip that began here last night with an 86-64 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Knowing this, he allotted significant playing time to each of the three young wing players trying to carve out a spot on the regular season roster.
The head coachˇs fondest wish: ¨Iˇd love for somebody to make it impossible for me to cut him,〃 he said.
That probably didnˇt happen Tuesday.
Nothing Popovich saw Tuesday placed Malik Hairston, Desmon Farmer or Devin Green on the uncuttable list. Each had good moments, and bad, against the Pistons.
But Popovich saw something late in the second half of his teamˇs first preseason victory that may change the dynamic of his roster evaluations altogether. Rookie point guard George Hill, after another impressive performance in the first half, suffered a sprained left thumb when he got tangled with Pistons big man Antonio McDyess under the Detroit basket.
¨Weˇre not sure,〃 Popovich said, ¨but he may have either a bad sprain or a torn ligament. Weˇll have to wait for the doctor on that and hope for the best.〃
A torn ligament likely would sideline Hill for an extended period. That could present the evaluation process with an unanticipated detour.
The X-ray machine at Van Andel Arena, where Tuesdayˇs game was played, was inoperative, so the extent of Hillˇs injury could not be determined. Hill will be examined today in Cleveland to diagnosis the extent of the injury.
Hill isnˇt sure how he injured the thumb, only that it resulted as he tried to box out McDyess, a veteran power forward who is one of the NBAˇs stronger post players.
¨It got a little physical down there,〃 Hill said. ¨Iˇll just wait for the exam tomorrow and hope for the best.〃
Before suffering the injury, Hill had knocked down 3 of 5 shots, including 2 of 3 3-point attempts.
He scored eight points, with four assists.
¨All in all,〃 Popovich said, ¨heˇs showing more confidence all the time and more awareness of what weˇre trying to do.〃
All of which makes the wait for todayˇs examination of Hillˇs thumb even more nerve-racking.
With starter Tony Parker sitting out Tuesdayˇs game with what Popovich called ¨an Achilles thing〃 better described as minor soreness in the All-Star point guardˇs left Achilles tendon Popovich ended up giving big guard-small forward Ime Udoka some time at point guard in the second half.
¨I didnˇt want to overplay Jacque (Vaughn),〃 Popovich said, ¨so Ime got a little time at the point. He enjoys handling the ball. Though heˇs not going to blow by anybody, he enjoys it, so we were able to do it for him tonight.〃
Udoka scored all seven of his points while playing the point, and did a decent job of running the Spursˇ offense.
¨Iˇve played a little spot point guard here and there,〃 he said. ¨Once George got hurt, Pop told me to be ready to take over for Jacque. I just tried to keep the little fellows off me. It would have been easier if all the other vets had been out there with me, but we managed to maintain the lead, so it worked out all right.〃
The Spurs never trailed against the Pistons, who had won their first four preseason games. The Spurs held them scoreless through the first 4儅儲1/2 minutes of the game, then limiting Detroit to eight points in the third period.
As for the evaluation of the three young wing players trying to make the roster, Popovich said he was no closer to a decision than he had been before Tuesdayˇs tipoff.
¨Theyˇre all competing very well,〃 he said, ¨trying to play the best basketball they can and trying to make the basketball team.
¨All three of them are making it very difficult on us. Theyˇre all playing very good basketball, each doing different things. It makes it a hard evaluation.〃