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Salim waived by Spurs

Plastic Man

By Plastic Man
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Plastic Man

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SA Express News

Jeff McDonald - Express-News Locker-by-locker, man-by-man, Salim Stoudamire limped around the Spurs’ locker room, giving hugs and handshakes to the players who had been his teammates for three weeks.

He had come to San Antonio in hopes of making the Spurs, in hopes of reviving an NBA career that had hit the skids in Atlanta.

This was farewell.

Stoudamire was waived Wednesday night, after giving it a semi-heroic go on a strained left groin in the Spurs’ 100-95 preseason loss to Washington at the AT&T Center.

“It was just my fate,” said Stoudamire, a 26-year-old point guard. “Obviously, it wasn’t meant for me to be a San Antonio Spur.”

Throughout the preseason, Stoudamire’s mind was willing. His body was not. His bid to make the Spurs was star-crossed from literally the first day.

He strained his right groin during the Spurs’ opening training camp session on Sept. 30, played in one preseason game, then injured his other side of his groin during practice on Tuesday.

With little left to lose Wednesday, Stoudamire hobbled through a desperate but noble attempt to show the Spurs something.

He played 18 minutes against the Wizards, never looking quite right, and scored three points.

“I was telling Kurt Thomas on the bench, ‘Sometimes you take for granted just being mobile,’” Stoudamire said.

Before the game, and before the cut, coach Gregg Popovich said he sympathized with the impossibility of Stoudamire’s situation.

“He’s not 100 percent, and he wants to make a basketball team, and he would like to be as healthy as possible to give it his best go,” Popovich said. “The situation is what it is, and he’s got to deal with it, and so do we. He makes it tough for us, decision-wise, for obvious reasons.”

Stoudamire’s dismissal leaves the Spurs with three more cuts to make before Monday’s deadline.

At least Wednesday offered Popovich one no-brainer: Tim Duncan appears to have solidified a spot for the 12th consecutive year. He scored a preseason-high 20 points in 22 minutes.

The Spurs head into the final days of the preseason with two roster spots up for grabs.

Anthony Tolliver, a 6-foot-9 shooter out of Creighton, has built a nice case for one of them.

He scored nine points against the Wizards, but it was a fourth-quarter hustle play that drew a standing ovation from Popovich.

Tolliver missed a two-footer from a tough angle, missed the ensuing tap-in attempt, then chased the ball to the other side of the rim to finally score the basket.

“I’m happy with my effort,” Tolliver said. “I know that’s something I control every night.”

The race for the Spurs’ final spot is shaping up to be a two-man competition between Malik Hairston, the rookie from Oregon, and Desmon Farmer, a second-year player.

Both guards had their moments Wednesday.

Farmer scored 12 points, all of them on 3-pointers, all of them in the second half. Hairston, meanwhile, was simply solid, scoring six points to go with six rebounds and three assists.

The pair did nothing to make the Spurs’ staff dread the looming cut day any less.

“The nice thing is, they’re all NBA players,” Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer said. “This is a great problem to have.”

The preseason ended for one would-be Spur on Wednesday. Stoudamire made no secret that he viewed this tryout with the Spurs as perhaps his last chance at an NBA career.

Now that chance is gone, in the strain of not one muscle, but two.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” Stoudamire said. “I’ll try to get healthy. I’ll call my agent, and we’ll discuss things and go from there.”

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TruJerz Newbie

TruJerz

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Sad to hear that he got cut. I thought he would definitely make the Spurs team this year. I didnt know he was hurt. If he wasnt hurt, I wouldnt mind seeing him in a Hawks uniform again either..even if it was just as a bench warmer..the kid had heart and can shoot the ball well too. I liked him since his College BB years but o well...get betta soon though Salim

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Plastic Man Newbie

Plastic Man

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maybe he can play with Josh in Greece

Maybe but I don't think Salim wants to swallow that pill just yet. After looking at the NBA depth charts there aren't many openings for him. But i think it's still possible for him to play for a team like OKC--they have no backcourt depth.

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