3. Injuries will be a concern with this year’s rookies
The most notable injury for the San Antonio Spurs this season was obviously Kawhi Leonard’s. He won’t be around next year, but there will still be injury concerns to deal with. Draft selections Lonnie Walker IV and Chimezie Metu both suffered injuries during their Summer League games, something that does not bode well for the future.
Miami product Lonnie Walker IV, who has already won over many hearts in San Antonio, exited Thursday’s contest against the Milwaukee Bucks with a right ankle sprain. Normally this type of injury can just be labelled as a fluke and there is no need to worry, but considering Walker’s injury history some concern is probably warranted.
According to Jared Greenberg of NBA TV, this is the same ankle that Walker injured during the Utah Summer League this year.
Lonnie Walker IV limped off just now for the #Spurs pic.twitter.com/fGBn6b1SpY
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 13, 2018
One of the main concerns with Walker is his injury history, and it is something that made many teams wary of selecting him in the 2018 NBA Draft. He tore his meniscus in college, and now his ankle seems to be acting up. It’s always possible that it’s just a fluke and nothing more will come of it, but it’s certainly not a pattern you want to see continue.
Second round pick Chimezie Metu also went down with an injury, fracturing his left wrist in the Spurs’ lone Summer League win, which came against the Washington Wizards. The good news is that he won’t require surgery and should be healthy by training camp, according to league sources.
The bad news is that the injury came so soon in Metu’s season. It’s never a good sign when young players get hurt before the NBA season even starts, and a wrist fracture is not the kind of injury you want to see.
There’s no need to overreact, as it is very possible that these two draft picks will get back on the court and stay healthy for many years to come. It is important, though, to keep an eye on trends. If these players start to miss extended time over and over, it may be time to make other preparations.