San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kawhi Leonard Expected To Play Sunday

May 13th, 2017 at 12:03pm CST by marksuleymanov

As the Warriors and Spurs prepare to kickoff the Western Conference Finals tomorrow night, San Antonio expects to have Kawhi Leonard in the starting lineup, a source tells ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.

Leonard injured his left ankle on Tuesday and sat out the Spurs’ 39-point decimation of the Rockets in Game 6 on Thursday, which clinched the series win. Jonathon Simmons replaced Leonard and promptly added 18 points in the rout. Now, the Spurs will look to having their superstar player back in the lineup, hoping to utilize his defensive prowess to tame at least one of the Warriors’ three superstars.

Spurs Near Immortality

May 12th, 2017 at 6:05pm CST by Austin Kent

The Spurs may have achieved sporting immortality, J.A. Adande of ESPN writes. The feature highlights what Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford have built in San Antonio and how it transcends any individual player or players.

Kawhi Leonard Won’t Play In Game 6

May 11th, 2017 at 5:51pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kawhi Leonard will sit out tonight’s Game 6 against the Rockets with knee and ankle injuries, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). If the Spurs fall tonight, they will play against Houston in Game 7 on Sunday.

Gregg Popovich made the decision to sit Leonard and he was asked if the MVP candidate fought him on the matter, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post tweets. Popovich responded with a Popovichian line: “He’d rather play.”

Jonathon Simmons, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, will start in Leonard’s spot. It’s a great opportunity for Simmons to increase his market value in free agency. The 27-year-old Houston native has seen 16.4 minutes per game this postseason and he’s averaging 7.9 points per game while shooting 45.5% from the field.

Re-Signing Mills Could Be Top Priority

May 8th, 2017 at 10:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni will likely stick with smaller lineups and force the Spurs to adjust in the wake of Nene Hilario‘s season-ending injury, Sam Amick of USA Today reports. With Nene suffering a groin tear in Game 4, the Rockets downsized and buried the Spurs with a flurry of 3-pointers. It’s a good bet that forward Ryan Anderson will be replaced in the starting lineup by guard Eric Gordon, a strategy D’Antoni employed in the second half on Sunday.
Unrestricted free agent point guard Patty Mills could enjoy a big payday this summer, according to Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News. Tony Parker‘s serious quad injury could make Mills the Spurs’ top priority this offseason. They own his Bird rights and can thus offer Mills more than any other team, Finger points out. Mills provides scoring and energy off the bench, as Manu Ginobili has delivered for so many years, Finger adds.

Poll: Who Will Win Spurs/Rockets Series?

May 8th, 2017 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets were firing on all cylinders in Sunday night’s win over the Spurs, making 52.6% of their field goal attempts, including 44.2% of their threes, en route to a comfortable 125-104 victory. Their Game 4 win evened up the series at two games apiece, and the two teams will head back to San Antonio for Tuesday’s Game 5.

While the Spurs maintain the home-court advantage, both teams have shown they’re capable of winning a game in their opponent’s arena so far, having split the first two games in San Antonio and the next two in Houston.

Injuries have also played a part in the series so far, but the Spurs managed to pull out a Game 3 victory after receiving word that Tony Parker would be sidelined for the rest of the postseason due to a ruptured left quadriceps tendon. As for the Rockets, their impressive showing on Sunday came – for the most part – without key reserve Nene, who played less than two minutes before leaving with a left groin injury. He’ll undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com details.

The Rockets and Spurs still have their MVP candidates – James Harden and Kawhi Leonard – on the court, and both teams have the firepower necessary to advance to the Western Conference Finals for a probable date with the Warriors. So which team do you think will make it through?

Vote below in our poll and jump into the comments section below to share your thoughts.

Who will win?

San Antonio Spurs 55.21% (578 votes)

Houston Rockets 44.79% (469 votes)

Total Votes: 1,047

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote in today’s poll.

Spurs Find Fill-Ins For Tony Parker

May 6th, 2017 at 10:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs were able to shake off a season-ending injury to Tony Parker because other players stepped up in his place in Game 3, according to Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. LaMarcus Aldridge had his best game of the series, and Jonathon Simmons and Dejounte Murray both gave San Antonio what it needed in a 103-92 victory. Veteran center Pau Gasol said the team had to get over the mental aspect of not having Parker. “We understand how much Tony means to this team, what he brings to the table and how well he was playing for us in the playoffs, making huge plays at critical points in critical games,” Gasol said. “He will be missed on the floor and off the floor, because he’s an emotional leader for this team. He brings a lot of poise, a lot of leadership.”

End Of An Era For Parker?

May 5th, 2017 at 5:21pm CST by Austin Kent

The ruptured quadriceps tendon that immobilized Spurs guard Tony Parker on Wednesday has Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post wondering if hoops fans may have witnessed the end of an era. The scribe is rather ambiguous, neglecting to mention anything about Parker still being under contract through the end of the 2017/18 campaign.
In an official press release, the NBA has announced that Rockets center Nene Hilario has been fined $15K for pushing Spurs center Dewayne Dedmon.

Is Kawhi Leonard The Best Ever Non-Lottery Pick?

May 5th, 2017 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Is Spurs star Kawhi Leonard the best non-lottery draft pick of all-time? Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com examines that question and others in his latest mailbag feature.

Tony Parker Out For Postseason

May 5th, 2017 at 11:38am CST by Arthur Hill

MAY 5: The Spurs announced today (via Twitter) that Parker underwent successful surgery to repair his ruptured left quadriceps tendon. The club will determine a recovery timetable for the veteran guard at a later date.

MAY 4: Tony Parker has a ruptured left quadriceps tendon and will miss the rest of the postseason, the team announced via Twitter.

The extent of the injury was confirmed by an MRI this morning in San Antonio. Parker is expected require surgery, and a timeline for his recovery “will be determined at a later date,” according to the Spurs.

The recovery time for an operation of this type is usually 6 to 8 months, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News, which would jeopardize Parker’s availability for the start of next season.

Parker suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s victory over the Rockets. He landed awkwardly without contact and had to be carried off the court by teammates.

Parker missed 19 regular season games and San Antonio had a 15-4 record without him, notes Ben Gulliver of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Patty Mills is expected to move into the starting lineup in Parker’s absence and Kawhi Leonard will take on a larger role in running the offense.

Parker, 34, is in his 16th NBA season, all with the Spurs. He has one year remaining on his current contract at more than $15.45MM.

Tony Parker Injures Knee; MRI Set Today

May 4th, 2017 at 11:32am CST by Arthur Hill

11:32am: The pre-MRI diagnosis is a partial or full tear of the quadriceps tendon with surgery needed either way, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.

9:41am: MRI results aren’t complete, but the Spurs expect Parker to need season-ending surgery, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.

8:44 am: Tony Parker will undergo an MRI today after leaving Wednesday’s game with a left knee injury, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.

Parker had to be carried off the court after suffering a non-contact injury early in the fourth quarter. Post-game comments from the Spurs locker room indicated that the veteran point guard may be looking at an extended absence.

“You kind of know we’re not going to see him any time soon,” Manu Ginobili said.

“It’s not good,” added coach Gregg Popovich.

The Spurs responded with a 21-5 run after the injury to take Game 2 and even the series, but their playoff prospects look shaky without Parker in the lineup. He has been a productive force through eight postseason games, averaging 15.9 points per night. If the injury turns out to be serious, Patty Mills is expected to take his place in the starting lineup.

“There is an empty feeling there for sure,” Mills said after the game. “We talked amongst ourselves about keeping at it. Guys are ready to step up and make an impact, that’s for sure.”

Parker, 34, has been with San Antonio throughout his 16-year NBA career and has been a starter since joining the organization in 2001. He has one more season left on his current contract at nearly $15.5MM.