Rudy Gay admits he came back too early from wrist injury

Rudy Gay admits that he jumped back onto the court too soon after his wrist injury, but what impact did it have on the game?

Rudy Gay admits that he came back to the game “too early” from his wrist injury, and he said that it has been difficult to watch the team take subsequent beatings on the court, leaving him powerless to do anything to help. While Spurs coach Gregg Popovich declined to discuss Gay's condition, the forward has been sidelined for quite a while as he nurses a sprained wrist.

Gay is promising to return in time to help his team possibly face off against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, but he also said that he wanted to “help” his team against all the other teams that they subsequently lost to.

“You think about what you could have done, how you could have helped. You hate sitting it out.”

The 32-year-old was injured during a 122-111 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on December 29. He then came back to the court on January 3 and scored 13 points in 23 minutes in a 125-107 win over Toronto. But, he said, it was this return that was “too soon” after his injury.

“I came back (against the Grizzlies) and realized that I was in a position where I couldn’t really do much. I just need to make sure it’s better before I go back out there.”

With Gay on the sidelines, the Spurs had no other choice but to play LaMarcus Aldridge at power forward for the third straight game with 38-year-old Pau Gasol starting at center. Jakob Poeltl had started at center for the previous two games.