On Saturday, July 14, news from the Spurs organization confirmed that rookie Chimezie Metu has a fractured wrist and will be fitted for a cast, per Tom Osborn of MySanAntonio.com.

The injury occurred after Metu jumped to catch a lob pass and then landed on his wrist. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward had been having a fairly productive Summer League campaign, averaging 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in his two games in Vegas.

According to Osborn, the injury is not considered serious by the Spurs medical staff and Mezu will more than likely be ready for the start of the regular season.

As a third-year player out of USC, Mezu turned heads as a junior, making the 1st team All-Pac-12 and starting all but one game.  The Spurs used the 49th pick to select him as a possible backup for LaMarcus Aldridge and provide a scoring punch and energetic play.

Metu is certainly an intriguing pick with some potential, and the Spurs have a history of turning late-round picks into serviceable players. Stars like Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, picked with draft spots 28 and 57, respectively, became key proponents in the Spurs dynasty that ended up winning five championships.

More recently, second-round pick Davis Bertans has blossomed into a useful bench player now that he is getting more minutes.

While this is certainly a minor step back for him, Metu can certainly bounce back and still contend for a spot on the Spurs roster. Hopefully, he can recover quickly and make an appearance on opening night.