Milestone alert: Pau Gasol is just 10 points away from passing David Robinson (20,790 points) for No. 38 on the all-time scoring list. Gasol is No. 7 on the all-time scoring list among active players and ranks No. 5 all-time among international players, behind: Dirk Nowitzki (No. 6; Germany), Hakeem Olajuwon (No. 11; Nigeria), Tim Duncan (No. 14; U.S. Virgin Islands) and Patrick Ewing (No. 23; Jamaica).
DeMar DeRozan had 28 points in his San Antonio debut, LaMarcus Aldridge added 21 points and 19 rebounds and the Spurs overcame a 23-point performance by Minnesota's Jimmy Butler in a 112-108 victory over the Timberwolves on Wednesday night in a...
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was asked about his thoughts on the 50-year anniversary of Tommie Smith and John Carlos' podium protest/black power fist moment at the 1968 Olympics. He had a lot to say: “That was a long time ago. That was '68. I was a sophomore at the Academy and it was quite a historic moment, obviously. It took a lot of courage for which he and Tommie Smith have paid the price over many years. It was kind of like a Muhammad Ali moment, with that sort of courage and fortitude to stand up for the injustices that have been perpetrated for so many years. It was a shock because it was a surprise to everybody in that venue that would happen. But it was beautiful and meaningful. You go 50 years later, and although progress has been made, you still wonder sometimes where the fight is going to go, and what has to be done to change minds. Because we see it in our politics every day. We see it in so many different venues across the country, such divisions, and it just seems that there's a large group of people, who, as Kareem said today, probably good people, but just pretty ignorant of facts and unable to walk in someone else's shoes; an inability to become, as I've said before, uncomfortable and [they] take for granted the advantages that one has, and actually believes [it's] deserved. There's another group of people who use it, obviously. You have politicians who are divisive and obviously use it for their own game; just a disingenuous cynical approach that's disgusting. We see it all the time. So one hopes that we can find leaders and people who are civil enough, and love America enough to go beyond themselves and their power and their positions to try to have conversations and figure out how to make all of us live at the same level. Because if we don't, then we're all hurt by it.”
Is Giannis ready to be MVP? Will the Lakers make the playoffs? What's the Jimmy Butler fallout? There are plenty of questions to answer this season.
Patty Mills called all the guard injuries deflating, but said the team is encouraged by the adjustments they've made so far.
The Spurs, already without Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker IV, have suffered more setbacks, as Derrick White and Rudy Gay were added to the list of players out with injuries.
Welcome to a new NBA season full of new looks, new courts and the full force of LockerVision.
Brian Windhorst, Tim MacMahon, Jackie MacMullan and Andrew Han discuss the latest on the Mavericks' continued internal drama (5:00), pro-ready Luka Doncic can be a special player (15:00), can Dejounte Murray's torn ACL shake up the Western Conference playoff race (40:00) and some Jimmy Butler trade scenarios (1:00:00).
How will the Spurs replace their starting point guard, and how does his injury affect their playoff chances?
San Antonio will likely be eligible to apply for the Disabled Player Exception for Dejounte Murray. The DPE will have little value based on the exception worth 50% of the $1.5M contract for Murray. The Spurs have 14 guaranteed contracts, 1 partial with Quincy Pondexter, $1.6M of the midlevel and $838K of the biannual exception.
The San Antonio Spurs' backcourt took another hit Monday as point guard Dejounte Murray was diagnosed with a torn right ACL. Murray was injured in Sunday's preseason loss to the Houston Rockets.
Spurs starting point guard Dejounte Murray went down Sunday with a right knee injury. He's expected to undergo an MRI on Monday, a source told ESPN's Michael C. Wright.
Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said don't sleep on the San Antonio Spurs: “Well, first of all, I think you underestimate them at your peril. I don't think you should do that. They traded one All-Star for another All-Star. So it's not like, oh God, all of the sudden they're going to fall off the grid. They're pretty good. You've got two All-Stars in Aldridge and DeRozan. You do have a young point guard, but he got a lot of experience last year. You've got Gasol coming in, Rudy Gay. They've got a lot of talent. People just kind of forget that, but they're good. Where they fit in the West, who knows where anybody fits? I think they'll be super competitive. It wouldn't surprise me if they were in the top 4. It wouldn't surprise me if they were 10th. It wouldn't surprise me if they were sixth. They better not be first or second. I know one thing: when you get to the playoffs, they'll be ready to play.”
Spurs first-round pick Lonnie Walker IV is expected to miss six to eight weeks, a source told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, after an MRI showed the rookie has a right medial meniscus tear.
Something for Spurs fans to keep an eye on this season: pace. The Spurs ranked 29th in pace last season, and through the first week of training camp, there has been quite a bit of talk about the team pushing the pace this season. Pop said this specifically about DeJounte Murray: "We're going to let him run and take advantage of his athleticism. People will have to respond to that. Other players are going to have to run like they've never run before, because he's going to go. If they want to get the ball, they're going to have to run with him."
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | - | W2 |
| San Antonio | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.5 | W1 |
| Memphis | 1 | 1 | .500 | 1 | W1 |
| Houston | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1.5 | L1 |
| Dallas | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1.5 | L1 |
| RD(PK) | PLAYER | POS | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1(18) | Lonnie Walker | SG | Miami (FL) |
| 2(19) | Chimezie Metu | C | USC |
| YEAR | W | L | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2017-18 | 47 | 35 | .573 |
| 2016-17 | 61 | 21 | .744 |
| 2015-16 | 67 | 15 | .817 |
| 2014-15 | 55 | 27 | .671 |
