Virus strikes Spurs again: Duncan misses practice, status uncertain for today

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Web Posted: 12/30/2006 08:53 PM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News

The Spurs, like the rest of the world, will bid farewell today to 2006. They would prefer to also wave a hearty goodbye to the stomach virus that has leveled half their roster.

Tim Duncan apparently became the latest player to fall ill when he missed Saturday's practice. Team officials listed him as questionable for this afternoon's game against Atlanta.

"He just called in and said he had an upset stomach," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "That's how it began with everybody. We'll just see how he feels tomorrow."

Duncan would be the sixth player to contract the stomach virus in the past week. Manu Ginobili, Brent Barry and Matt Bonner all missed Tuesday's loss to Milwaukee after becoming sick. Jacque Vaughn and Fabricio Oberto — in addition to both of the team's trainers and one assistant coach — also have been ill.

Ginobili felt a little dizzy during Saturday's short workout, but Popovich thinks Ginobili — and the other four players who have already coped with the virus — should be "back to normal" today.

If Duncan can't play, the Spurs could end up starting Oberto and Robert Horry. Horry made his first start in Thursday's victory over Utah while filling in for center Francisco Elson, who remains sidelined with a right shoulder injury.

The Spurs received flu shots a month ago as they do every year. But while the shots reduce the chances of contracting influenza, they don't protect against other "flu-like" illnesses.

Team officials have likened the spread of the virus through their roster to the outbreak of gastroenteritis on several cruise ships in recent years. Gastroenteritis is a more common stomach ailment often referred to as "stomach flu."

After the first group of players became ill, the team disinfected its practice facility, along with the locker room and family lounge at the AT&T Center.

"I've been fortunate I guess," said Bruce Bowen, who hasn't become ill. "That's not something you can necessarily guard against."

The Spurs have had an unusual December even before the viral outbreak. Seven of their 11 victories this month have been by at least 20 points. But they have had a difficult time evaluating their play because their schedule has been filled with ailing opponents.

Only two of the Spurs' 15 victories since Nov. 18 have come against teams that entered Saturday with winning records: Golden State (Dec. 4) and Utah (Thursday). The Spurs would like to build off their defensive effort from Thursday's rout of the Jazz.

"We're working on the consistency part," Popovich said. "I think the focus at this time of the year is always a little bit more difficult than it is in April and May, and I understand that.

"We just have to get through this period healthy and continue to get better as a club. That's always been our real standard: to try to be as good as we can be later on and work through all the glitches at this point."

Maggette deal unlikely: Spurs officials have spoken with the Los Angeles Clippers about forward Corey Maggette, but one NBA source said Saturday a trade between the teams likely "won't happen."

Maggette is a talented swingman and the Spurs could benefit from adding some athleticism to their aging roster. But Maggette also has frustrated his current and former coaches with his reluctance to defend and play a role — both of which the Spurs would ask him to do.

In addition, one Spurs official said Maggette — who has asked to be traded — would likely get fewer minutes with them than the 26.3 he's averaging with the Clippers this season.

The Clippers would be intrigued by an offer of Brent Barry and Beno Udrih, but the Spurs consider it too risky to part with two of their best ball-handlers. Some Spurs officials also are extremely hesitant to include Barry in any type of deal for Maggette given that Barry has been the team's most dependable reserve while ranking second in the league in 3-point accuracy.

Who is that singing?: Popovich had music from the late James Brown piped into the court during Saturday's workout. Brown died Christmas morning.

"We're paying tribute to a great man who affected a lot of people," Popovich said. "As much as anything, I wanted to see how the young guys even knew what songs he sang.

"Guys like Bruce and Michael (Finley) and Robert (Horry) were humming through practice and everybody else was just trying to understand the words."

So long, farewell: This will be the final game the Spurs play with the microfiber basketball. For all the complaints about the ball, the Spurs have averaged 100.5 points on 48.2 percent shooting with it — both sizeable improvements from last season.

The Spurs will use a leather ball for their game in Cleveland on Tuesday.