The San Antonio Spurs will play their final NBA preseason game on Friday night against the Indiana Pacers. The Spurs will then begin to prepare for the regular season opener against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. However, it appears San Antonio will be without two important players for Wednesday's contest, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
“Spurs wing Lindy Waters is set to undergo a minor laser eye procedure that was caught during preseason physicals,” Weiss wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Waters identified an issue with his eye about a year and a half ago but his preseason physical determined a procedure was needed. He will miss opening night but likely to be back in the first week of the season. De’Aaron Fox (hamstring) played in shootaround scrimmaging this morning but is still not on track for opening night.”
Weiss writes that Waters will not play on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Fox is reportedly “not on track” to be available in Dallas against the Mavs.
The hope, of course, is that both players won't need to miss too much time. San Antonio is looking for Fox and Victor Wembanyama to lead the Spurs this season. Fox was acquired via trade from the Sacramento Kings last year. He averaged 19.7 points, 6.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per outing across 17 total contests played with San Antonio following the trade.
The 2022-23 All-Star projects to play a pivotal role as the Spurs look to contend soon. They likely aren't ready to make a championship run yet, but San Antonio could emerge as a playoff contender within the next year or two. Adding another star and more reliable depth may lead to the Spurs reaching the next level — which would be to compete with the best teams in the Western Conference.
Updates on Fox and Waters' injury statuses will be provided as they are made available.
