Tony Parker went down with a knee injury that saw him carried off the court in a Game 2 Spurs victory over the Rockets. The Spurs evened the series. Parker has upped his game in the playoffs, averaging 16+ points per game in the first round after putting up just 10 a game during the regular season. It’s possible the Spurs will miss Parker’s leadership as much as his penetration, though increasingly Kawhi Leonard seems to be not only the best player on the Spurs but also their true leader. However you look at it, a long absence by Parker isn’t good news for the Spurs. But there may be a silver lining, as the Spurs played 16 games without Parker this season due to other injuries. They went 12-4 during those games.
The Spurs are also a deep team, not least at the point guard position. If you count Kawhi Leonard‘s duties at point, the Spurs have 6 options for the point position. (Leonard, listed as a forward, often brings the ball up to begin the offense — just like fellow forward LeBron James — “point forward” they call it.) Here are players who can and have all played a version of the point position for San Antonio this year:
- Patty Mills
- Manu Ginobili
- Dejounte Murray
- Kyle Anderson
- Jonathan Simmons
- Kawhi Leonard
