Hoops Habit
Fansided

San Antonio Spurs: How Much Will They Miss Manu?

By Andrew Snyder

Mar 15, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (20) is helped off the court during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 15, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (20) is helped off the court during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Despite a devastating, and nationally televised, semi-collapse against Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers last Thursday night, the San Antonio Spurs have to feel good about where they sit with 14 games remaining in the regular season.

More from San Antonio Spurs

They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and have climbed all the way up to fifth place in the Western Conference. My earlier concerns about their potential demise were misplaced and they are heating up at just the right time.

However, things aren’t completely perfect in the land of the Alamo. Everyone’s favorite left-hander from Argentina went down with an injury Sunday night. The Spurs were in the process of blowing out the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-97 when Manu Ginobili injured his ankle by landing on the foot of Gorgui Dieng while attempting to grab a rebound.

Injuries are never a good thing, but this particular one does not sound especially troubling. He is expected to be out only seven to 10 days, but knowing Gregg Popovich, he may use this as an opportunity to rest his aging star even longer.

Ginobili has been an under the radar part of the Spurs season. He isn’t making headlines; he’s just there. The most powerful narratives have been Tony Parker’s struggle and resurgence, Tim Duncan’s spectacular season, Kawhi Leonard’s frequent injury issues, and the overall ups and downs of the entire team.

I have not devoted an entire article to Ginobili all season. The only time I have gone into detail about him was when I speculated that he would retire in the offseason. It sounds crazy because of how important he has been to the team during this current era, but Ginobili has just not been very interesting this season.

He’s played in 57 games this season, averaging 11.4 points, 4.4 assists, and 3 rebounds per game on 43 percent shooting. It is his worst season in terms of scoring since his rookie season, and his Player Efficiency Rating of 16.59 is by far the lowest since he broke into the league.

He shows flashes of the player he used to be in his prime, with his daring darts to the basket, and clutch three-point shots. His usage rate is still second highest on the team at 24.6 percent, only slightly behind Tony Parker’s rate of 25.1 percent. Isolation sets for Ginobili still serve as the bailout plan whenever their ball movement fails to yield an open shot.

Yet, those moments are not as frequent as they used to be

Though he is still valuable to the team, the Spurs should be able to handle this brief stretch without him. Even with the second highest usage rate on the team, he is still not as big a part of the offense as he used to be, and role players like Marco Belinelli and Patty Mills can provide scoring off the bench to pick up Ginobili’s slack.

Live Feed

Pass or Pursue: 3 High-Profile Spurs Trade Targets from Bleacher Report
Pass or Pursue: 3 High-Profile Spurs Trade Targets from Bleacher Report /

Air Alamo

  • NBA rumors: Trae Young trade buzz, Andre Drummond is a comedian, Wemby and KAT team upFanSided
  • 3 Members of the Spurs young core primed to have breakout seasonsAir Alamo
  • Devin Vassell sends loud and clear message to Spurs fans, NBAAir Alamo
  • Fred VanVleet and 4 free agents the Spurs might regret not signingAir Alamo
  • 11 Players the Spurs signed past their primeAir Alamo

    • Even with Manu healthy and contributing this two-week stretch would have been difficult for San Antonio. After three games in a row against the Bucks, Knicks, and Celtics they face five legitimate contenders in a row, including the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks and the Memphis Grizzlies.

    The Spurs have a knack for continuing to win even when prominent players are injured, or when Gregg Popovich decides it is time for his guys to get a rest.

    March is famously a brutal time for the NBA season. The NCAA tournament steals the attention from basketball fans, and teams listlessly coast towards the postseason as they try to avoid injuries.

    That makes this the perfect time for Ginobili to miss a few games. A little rest and relaxation for a 37 year old that has played deep into the playoffs in back to back seasons can only be a good thing.

    Take your time, Manu. Your team will be just fine.

    Next: Questions for Western Conference Playoff Teams

    More from Hoops Habit

    Home/San Antonio Spurs