San Antonio guard Manu Ginobili is doubtful for Game 1 of their playoff series against Memphis after spraining his right elbow in the Spurs regular season finale.
Ginobili had an MRI exam on Thursday that revealed a sprain and the Spurs said he will be listed as doubtful for the playoff opener on Sunday when they host the Grizzlies.
Fans who might feel sorry for the Spurs because Ginobili may not be able to go, you won’t get any sympathy from the Grizzlies.
Memphis has been playing without Rudy Gay since February 15 when he injured his shoulder in a game against Philadelphia.
Of all the teams in the NBA playoffs, none have had to endure a season ending injury to a star player.
At the time Gay was injured, Memphis was 31-26 and by no means had a playoff berth locked up. Meanwhile, the Spurs have been on cruise control since December.
Memphis has had to fight their way into the postseason playing a second half schedule that was among the toughest in the NBA, and the Grizzlies did it without Gay.
If anyone thinks Memphis suddenly has a huge advantage because Ginobili might not play in Game 1, they better think again.
San Antonio is a veteran team with a wealth of playoff experience that can beat anybody even without the services of Ginobili.
Besides, listening to San Antonio fans would suggest it doesn’t matter if Ginobili can play or not. They’re confident the Spurs are going to sweep Memphis out of the playoffs without so much as breaking a sweat.
The Grizzlies know that they’re going to have a fight on their hands but they surely don’t fear the Spurs. In fact, Memphis went 10-6 against the top four teams in the Western Conference, including 2-2 against San Antonio.
Memphis may not win the series, but they’re not going to get swept. And they definitely aren’t going to feel sorry for San Antonio because Manu Ginobili has a boo-boo.
