San Antonio Spurs guard Derrick White is questionable for Thursday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a contusion in his right gluteal muscle.
Derrick White (contusion, right glute) is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game.
— Paul Garcia (@PaulGarciaNBA) November 6, 2019
White played just 19 minutes on Tuesday night and has failed to top 26 minutes in any single game this season. He was thought to be a potential breakout star after turning in an excellent series against the Denver Nuggets during last year's playoffs, but the injury has staggered his time on the floor.
Despite the lack of playing time, however, White has made his contributions. Prior to Tuesday night's loss against the Atlanta Hawks, White had scored in double figures in five straight games. He is averaging 12.4 points per game while shooting better than 43 percent from beyond the arc.
The Spurs do not have a shortage of backcourt players with the return of Dejounte Murray and the steady play of Patty Mills. Murray has been seeing the most time at the point, with Bryn Forbes getting a lot of time at the shooting guard spot.
Should White get healthier, however, there is no reason that he could not challenge Forbes for minutes. Forbes was a sniper last season, but an uptick in scoring has brought a decrease in efficiency. Meanwhile, White has plenty of potential as an explosive combo guard that can also make plays at the rim.
Regardless of how Popovich juggles the rotation, the Spurs are better for their depth. The need White to remain healthy for the large part of the season in order to contend for a playoff spot.
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