Spurs guard Tony Parker out 'for the foreseeable future' with 'a variety of maladies'

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich announced on Tuesday that point guard Tony Parker will be out "for the foreseeable future" with "a variety of maladies."

Popovich also indicated that forward Kawhi Leonard is a game-time decision and center Tiago Splitter is doubtful for Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers while guard Manu Ginobili will be limited.

"He doesn't have a pulled hamstring or anything, but he's got a lot of little things," Popovich said. “Basically a lot of basketball the last three years, all season long, all summer long, It's caught up to him."

In addition to playing in the NBA, Parker has also suited up for the French national team in the offseason. Parker played in the All Star Game on Sunday and finished with four points, two rebounds and an assist.

"The main thing with Pop, he doesn't want me to play 50 percent, 60 percent," Parker said. "That's the main thing. He wants me to get all of my little stuff healed. So however much time it takes, next time I come back on the court he wants me to be 100 percent. Against Charlotte, against Detroit, I was not myself. He just doesn't want me to play like that."

The bad news for the Spurs could get even worse if one of the “whispers” that former NBA coach George Karl heard about franchise center Tim Duncan over All Star Weekend turns out to be true.

"You know over the weekend, that was the whispers that I got. I got a couple of phone calls, one from San Antonio that said that Tim Duncan's thinking this is going to be his last year,” Karl said on ESPN. “The best, most fundamental big guy ever to play in the NBA, and he leaving would make me very very sad. The San Antonio Spurs without Tim Duncan would be very difficult for me to watch."

[ESPN]