Poeltl still on the mend after COVID bout
Three games into his return from a bout with COVID-19, Spurs center Jakob Poeltl still does not feel quite like himself.
He believes he is getting there, though.
Poeltl missed six games over 16 days while in the NBA’S health and safety protocols.
It is going to take more time for the 26-year-old Austrian to get back to normal.
“I had to get my conditioning, but also sitting at home for a week and a half, you’re not shooting the basketball,” Poeltl said. “It’s tough to get back in game rhythm. But it’s feeling better with every minute I am out there.”
Poeltl, who was fully vaccinated, was in the midst of a career season when the coronavirus hit him.
He is averaging 12.6 points and a team-leading 8.8 rebounds while shooting 65.9 percent.
After easing back into action with a 15-minute stint off the bench in a loss at Minnesota, Poeltl was back in the starting lineup for Monday’s loss to Phoenix.
He was active enough, scoring 15 points to go with nine rebounds in a 31-minute shift.
Poeltl headed into Wednesday’s game against Atlanta confident it would be another step forward.
“I made sure I was in shape before I came back,” Poeltl said.
“I feel like that part is fine. When it gets to going up and down the court, you’re not in absolute game shape yet. A couple more games, I’ll be 100 percent again.”
Poeltl has dealt with a lengthy injury layoff before. In March 2020, he missed five consecutive games with a knee ailment.
He said recovering from COVID was a different situation, given the added precautions taken by the medical staff.
Under NBA rules, players are not allowed to participate in physical activity while in health and safety protocols.
“It’s a little weird, because with getting COVID and stuff, it takes the wind away,” Poeltl said. “Everybody is cautious about running or whether you’re putting out too much energy. So even the build-up process was slower than it would be for a regular injury.”
Poeltl said he noticed a reduced lung capacity early in the return process, but feels himself getting back to normal in that regard.
“I definitely felt that coming back,” Poeltl said. “Right now, it’s getting better. If it keeps going like this, it’s not going to be a problem.”
Jones says hello to college roomie
Spurs guard Tre Jones welcomed a familiar face to the AT&T Center on Wednesday. Hawks forward Cam Reddish was Jones’ freshman-year roommate at Duke in 2018-19.
Mostly, Jones said, the two served as each other’s alarm clocks.
“We always had each other’s back with the early-morning practices and everything,” Jones said with a smile.
At the 2019 NBA draft, Reddish honored Jones and his mother, Debbie, who was battling breast cancer at the time.
Reddish wore a suit to the festivities with a pink ribbon and the words “Mama Jones” emblazoned inside the jacket. Now in his third season after Atlanta made him the No. 10 overall pick, Reddish entered Wednesday’s game averaging 11.8 points off the bench.
“I am really happy for him,” Jones said. “I feel like he’s coming into himself more and more. I think a lot of us know how talented he is. It’s just about him being comfortable at this level and continuing to grow.”
Landale returns to active roster
Poeltl isn’t the only Spurs big man in the process of working his way back from the health and safety protocols.
Rookie Jock Landale was available for the first time Wednesday after entering protocols Nov. 10.
Landale has played sparingly this season, appearing in just four games before his illness.