San Antonio Spurs Guard Tony Parker Could Return by November
Looks like the San Antonio Spurs are going to get Tony Parker back on the court a lot sooner than expected this season.
The veteran point guard's teammates had to carry him off the floor after he suffered a torn quadriceps tendon back in May and he was supposed to be out until January. However, Parker has spoken with ESPN's Marc J. Spears recently and he revealed that he has already been cleared by the doctors and he could return by November.
"The thing is, I did an MRI on Friday, and the doctor said they were really happy with the MRI. It looked very good. So they cleared me. But it's still going to be like another, I think, two months to get back in shape and getting my leg stronger," Parker said.
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"In my mind, hopefully, I can be back by mid-November, end of November. But overall, it's great news. Because at first, the doctors thought it would be the end of January. So it's still like great news," he added.
Earlier this month, Parker's teammate Danny Green also hinted that the six-time All-Star was a couple of months ahead of schedule in his recovery from the injury.
Of course, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich won't rush him back into the lineup, so Parker will have all the time he needs to get back in shape. He has even admitted that he may have to convince Popovich to let him play before December.
While he's on the sidelines, Patty Mills and Dejounte Murray should continue to get most of the minutes at the point guard position. Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginóbili will share some of the ball-handling duties as well.
In 63 games last season, Parker averaged 10.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists while playing 25.2 minutes a game. His numbers were down from previous years, but he's still a key member of the Spurs.
