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Sep 30, 2008 6:50 am US/Central
Spurs' Ginobili Continues Surgery Recovery
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Manu Ginobili playing for Argentina holds his ankle during the men's semifinals basketball game against the U.S. at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics on Aug. 22, 2008 at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium in Beijing, China.
Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE /Getty Images
There was no noticeable limp when Manu Ginobili walked into the San Antonio Spurs training facility on Monday.
And there was no sign of bad feelings from his fellow Spurs as the team prepares for the start of training camp Tuesday.
Ginobili could miss at least two months of the season because of the surgery he needed on his left ankle after the Olympics in Beijing.
"It could be a blessing he's gotten operated on and (surgeons) went in there and cleaned things out," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Had he not hurt it in the Olympics he probably would have done it 15, 25, 35 games into the season.
"His ankle probably would be in better shape now than it's been in years."
Popovich had advised Ginobili, the sixth-year, 31-year-old guard, not to play in China after Ginobili suffered an impingement in the ankle during the Western Conference semifinals against New Orleans and aggravated it in the Western finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Spurs have delayed contract extension talks until they see how Ginobili recovers from surgery. He has two seasons remaining on his contract.
Ginobili, who helped Argentina to a bronze medal this summer, maintains there was nothing wrong with his decision to play. Though Popovich advised him not to play, he did not tell Ginobili he could not play. He sent a trainer to monitor Ginobili's progress while the national team prepared in Argentina.
"I didn't do anything wrong," Ginobili said. "I did everything the Spurs told me to. They gave me the go-ahead to play, and I did."
Ginobili underwent surgery in early September. He's off crutches and out of a protective boot, but he's still got plenty of time for rehabilitation.
"They told me eight to 12 weeks, so I'm looking for eight," he said. "I would like to make it for the beginning of the season, but I know they are going to be very cautious."
A pair of his teammates, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, recognized the adjustment the team must make while Ginobili sits.
"We'll have to play around it," Duncan said.
"Everybody is going to have to step up their game," Parker said.
The Spurs have added free agent guard Roger Mason Jr., who averaged almost 10 points per game and started nine games for the Washington Wizards while Gilbert Arenas was out with an injury.
Popovich said Mason, in his fifth season, was their target after failing to lure Corey Maggette, the former Duke star who signed with the Golden State Warriors.
But the Spurs also lost Brent Barry to free agency, so Michael Finley may be the starter in place of Ginobili despite struggling at 41 percent from the floor last season. Finley started ahead of Ginobili in 61 games last season, leading to Ginobili being named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year.
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