Tim Duncan did not travel with the San Antonio Spurs to Orlando for the NBA restart, according to Don Harris of News 4 San Antonio. Instead, the first-year assistant coach stayed with members of the medical staff to oversee LaMarcus Aldridge’s shoulder rehabilitation program.
I can confirm that Spurs Asst. Coach Tim Duncan is NOT with the team in Orlando. The Spurs tell me that Tim and some members of the medical and performance group are running LaMarcus Aldridge’s rehabilitation program.
– Don Harris (@ DonHarris4) July 13, 2020
The seven-time All-Star initially injured his shoulder in a game in Utah on February 21, and after a six-game absence, he joined the lineup for the final game before the pandemic-induced hiatus. Despite the silence about his condition for most of the break, the organization announced that Aldridge underwent end-of-season surgery during the hiatus and would miss the rest of the 2019-2020 campaign to recover from the operation.
The loss of San Antonio’s second leading scorer is a significant setback to his postseason plans, and his 23rd consecutive playoff appearance will be on the line when they return to action against the Kings on July 31. Before that, the good guys will have a chance to get back in shape with a series of three games scheduled for July 23.
While Duncan and Aldridge will not join the Spurs on the bubble campus of Walt Disney World, Gregg Popovich, Becky Hammon and the rest of the list arrived in Orlando on Thursday. And after a 48-hour quarantine period, Silver and Black hit the hardwood for the first time in four months, preparing to complete the unlikely task of securing the eighth seed in the west.
