New San Antonio Spurs rookie Harper is looking at multiple weeks on the shelf. During a game against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 20, he had a calf strain. Harper’s injury happened in the second quarter when he jumped to try to defend a dunk. He landed on his left side while attempting to block Herro’s shot. He grimaced in pain and quickly sprinted to the bench.
At 19 years old, Harper was having a breakout season. He had recently been picked as the second overall pick in the draft when the injury hit. Those are his regular season averages coming into the game of 14.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest. Unfortunately, he was not successful. In front of a full house of 18,000, the Spurs fell to their in-state rivals, the Suns, 130-118.
Immediately following the injury, a member of San Antonio’s medical staff sprinted onto the court to help Harper. They instantly pulled her up to the locker room for additional analysis. An MRI on Monday reaffirmed that he indeed had a bad sprain. Because his situation became unclear, the team allowed him to sit out over the next few games.
Wembanyama was quick to recognize Harper’s great work done prior to the injury, which he mentioned,
“Yeah, I hope the best for him, for sure.” – Victor Wembanyama
It’s now left to the Spurs to make do down the stretch without the speedy Harper. They are committed to recovery enough that they will recover from this disappointment. Both the head coach and GM expressed optimism about other players still needing to return from IR. Losing Harper is a big hurdle for the talented squad to overcome as they look ahead.
“We’ve seen great things from him. It’s actually been hard to believe how good he’s played. But it happens. We have to be able to deal with injuries. But at the same time, we’re going to get some guys back.” – Victor Wembanyama
The Spurs will now need to adjust their lineup in Harper’s absence as they look to recover from this setback. Coach and team management are optimistic about the return of other players who have been sidelined, but the loss of Harper represents a significant challenge for the squad moving forward.
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