As if the San Antonio Spurs – currently holding down the fifth Playoff spot in the Western Conference – didn’t already have enough issues to deal with. Now, there’s talk (largely from his teammates) that Tim Duncan’s knees have practically turned to dust with the postseason right around the corner.
The San Antonio News-Express reports on the Spurs’ big worry:
Roger Mason Jr. does not want Gregg Popovich’s job. He wouldn’t want the responsibility. He wouldn’t want the nightly pressure of balancing the immediate need to win basketball games against the long-term health of the Spurs’ most important player. In short, Mason wouldn’t know what to do with Tim Duncan, either.
“I stay out of that,” Mason said. “If I see him out there, I’m just happy he’s there.”
Before Ginobili went down with a stress fracture in his right fibula, Spurs insiders had privately expressed more concern for Duncan’s health than Ginobili’s. “He’s been like that for a while,” Tony Parker said. “People don’t realize Timmy’s been playing on one leg for like a month and a half now.”
As the article points out, this won’t be the first time that a banged-up Duncan will lead his squad into the postseason (he did it valiantly three seasons ago); it’s going to be the ultimate test for his 33-year old body should his Spurs end up facing a young, healthy and hungry team like the Blazers in the opening round.
