Latest from SA Express News regarding Parker and game against Mavs:
Parker's status uncertain for opener
Web Posted: 10/30/2006 06:30 PM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff
The Spurs had just beaten Dallas Friday night to close out their exhibition schedule, and coach Gregg Popovich didn't need long to point out the team's biggest accomplishment of the preseason.
“Everybody's healthy,” Popovich said. “Hopefully we can keep it that way next week when we go up to Dallas.”
That task became more difficult Monday after Tony Parker sprained his right ankle during practice. X-rays were negative, but the Spurs want to see how Parker responds overnight before determining whether he'll have to miss Thursday's season opener in Dallas.
“He did a decent job on it,” Popovich said.
Parker rolled his ankle after stepping on a teammate's foot during the Spurs' scrimmage. He initially tried to walk off the pain, but needed some help leaving the court.
“We still have three days before the game,” Manu Ginobili said, “so we're trying to be optimistic.”
If Parker can't play, Beno Udrih will likely start at point guard. Udrih returned last week after missing most of the preseason with a sore right hamstring. Jacque Vaughn and Brent Barry can back him up.
“Beno's coming along pretty quickly,” Popovich said. “He's working himself into shape and now it's really important he keeps doing that and doesn't re-injure that hamstring.
“We've really gone slowly with him to make sure when he came back, he had strength. But he feels pretty good. Hopefully that will continue.”
Parker has already overcome one injury in the past three months. He broke his right index finger in August while playing for France's national team and wasn't cleared to resume working out until a few days before training camp opened.
Aside from sometimes being a little tentative to go for a steal, Parker hasn't had any problems with his finger. He was the Spurs' best player during the preseason, averaging 17.2 points and 4.8 assists in 22.7 minutes. He shot 69.6 percent from the field and missed only one of his 25 free throws.
“It's bad timing,” Michael Finley said. “We want everybody to be as healthy as possible starting the season.
“Hopefully, it's something minor and he can get over it.”
Parker has been pretty durable throughout his career. He's missed only two games because of injury (a bruised right shin and a left quadriceps contusion) in the past two seasons.
Parker did sit out the first seven games of the 2003-04 season after spraining his left ankle in an exhibition game. He also missed five games midway through his rookie year with a sprained right ankle.
Unlike other teams, the Spurs have remained relatively healthy during the preseason. Udrih and Eric Williams are the only two players to miss any time because of injuries.
“You can't be thinking about your ankles or your knees all the time when you're playing,” Ginobili said. “You just try to do the best you can, but you play aggressive and try to win, even in practice. That's what happens when you play hard.
“We were just lucky during the whole preseason.”
NOTEBOOK: Finley returned to practice Monday after a stomach virus caused him to miss Friday's exhibition game against Dallas. “It was a 24-hour thing,” Finley said. “It literally came in and went out.” …Popovich on the passing of former Boston coach Red Auerbach: “It just boggles your mind what he accomplished. But more than that, when you hear the stories of all those former players about what a character he was and what a great manager he was of people -- how he got people to do the things they needed to do, regardless of ego -- you realize what a special guy he was. He's like an icon in basketball. You just lost one of the most colorful people in the game.” …The Spurs won a franchise-record 65 games, but lost to Dallas in seven games in the Western Conference finals in EA Sports' NBA Live video-game simulation of the 2006-07 season. The Mavericks beat Cleveland in the NBA Finals. Popovich was Coach of the Year. …All Spurs' games shown on KENS-5 this season, including Friday's home opener against Cleveland, will be broadcast in HDTV.
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