Ankle injury troublesome for Jones
Second-year point guard Tre Jones has yet to make his preseason debut while recovering from a left ankle sprain suffered early in Spurs training camp.
Coach Gregg Popovich said he is hopeful the 21-year-old will be available when the Spurs close their exhibition slate Friday against Houston.
Jones was on the road to recovery when he had a minor setback during the rehabilitation process.
“He was going 3-on-3, and somebody stepped right on the spot where it was hurting,” Popovich said before Sunday’s game in Orlando, Fla. “It set him back.”
The ankle injury has engulfed what was setting up to be an important camp for Jones, a 2020 second-round draft pick.
Popovich had Jones ticketed to be the team’s backup point guard, spelling starting guards Dejounte Murray and Derrick White.
“That’s where he was going to play, and we wanted him to get some experience and get comfortable with the guys,” Popovich said. “It’s not great, but (the injury) is not serious. He’ll be back.”
The Spurs are still expecting solid contributions from Jones, who was was turning heads in camp before turning his ankle.
Jones appeared in 37 games for the Spurs last season while also spending time in the G League.
“I think Tre is going to surprise a lot of people,” swingman Devin Vassell said. “I’m excited to see what he does this year.”
Despite reduced role, Primo still pleasing
After making a sparkling pro debut in the Spurs’ preseasonopening win against Utah, rookie guard Josh Primo was relegated to a rotation afterthought in the next two games.
This can be par for the course for an incoming Spurs draft pick.
Primo’s veteran teammates have been impressed by the 18-year-old’s approach even as his
minutes have waned.
“He’s pretty mature for an 18-year-old,” guard Derrick White. “He just comes in and puts the work in.”
Drafted 12th overall in July, Primo made 7 of 8 shots and scored 17 points in 18 minutes of the Spurs’ 111-85 win over the Jazz.
He totaled 15 minutes in losses
to Detroit and Miami, not entering the game until after halftime of both.
With 53.6 seconds left in what became a 109-105 defeat to the Heat on Friday, Primo missed a corner 3-pointer that would have tied the score.
Popovich was pleased Primo had the confidence to take the shot.
“He is a pretty even-keeled young man for 18 years old, that’s for sure,” Popovich said.
Bates-diop returns to action; Landale out
Forward Keita Bates-diop was available for the first time since the preseason opener Sunday, having missed the previous two contests with a left hamstring strain.
The return from the active list was a welcome boon for a player fighting for one of the Spurs’ final roster spots.
Rookie center Jock Landale, meanwhile, remained unavailable after a collision late in Friday’s loss to Miami.
Having suffered a blow to the face, Landale automatically was placed in the NBA’S concussion protocol.
Popovich said he could not guess how long it would take Landale to be cleared to return.