Spurs Injuries Give Bama Alum Another Shot in NBA

Josh Primo, a former Alabama basketball player and San Antonio Spurs 2021 first-round pick, is getting another shot in the NBA this weekend. Just maybe not in the way the team would have preferred.

Primo, despite spending significant time on the NBA club earlier this season, has spent some time recently on the Spurs' G-League affiliate in Austin, TX. He was called back up to SA on Friday after a one-game stint back with the Austin squad.

San Antonio has had some injury issues this year, explaining much of Primo's playing time in 21 games. He didn't really crack into the starting lineup and get significant minutes until early January when injuries began racking up.

The Spurs' current situation is a unique one, making its use of Primo a little unclear. It appears as if developing Primo in the G-League is the goal, but the lack of depth has created a lot of back and forth for the rookie. He has only gotten to play in five games for Austin this season as he has been needed in the rotation in San Antonio.

If the team was in a complete rebuild stage, allowing Primo to develop at the professional level may be the more clear solution. But, with the Spurs fighting for a spot in the NBA play-in tournament currently at the 11 seed, they can't really afford to let the rookie play through his mistakes on the big stage.

Unfortunately, injuries have forced the Spurs' hand and kept Primo away from getting more significant minutes in the G-League.

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Primo started in four of his 22 games for San Antonio, playing a high of 39 minutes in a game against the Brooklyn Nets. He's averaging 13 minutes and just above 4 points a game, shooting 38% from the field and almost 35% from three when he is getting time on the court.

In his first game back in the bigs on Friday night, Primo played 13 minutes and scored 5 points with one three on two attempts. Sunday night, he played 29 minutes against the No. 1 Phoenix Suns and scored 13 points, nine that came from behind the arc, had 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 assist.

In five regular-season starts with Austin, Primo has averaged 30 minutes a game and 18 points, shooting nearly 48% from the field and 50% from beyond the three-point line. Including the G-League Showcase season from November to December, Primo has played in 17 games and started in 16, averaging 17.5 points per game and shooting 43% for two and 38% for three.

The Spurs' situation has taken attention away from allowing Primo's development, but if injuries allow him significant minutes at the NBA level, he can take that opportunity to now only grow but show the basketball world his potential as a No. 12 pick in the draft.