Handles small bench role in return Bates-Diop (conditioning) logged 14 minutes off the bench Friday in the Spurs' 131-106 win over the Rockets, finishing with four points (2-3 FG), four rebounds and one steal. Impact After recently missing four straight games while he was in the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols, Bates-Diop returned to action Tuesday with an 11-minute appearance off the bench in the Spurs' loss to the Warriors. However, head coach Gregg Popovich said after the game that Bates-Diop struggled from a conditioning standpoint against Golden State, prompting the Spurs to hold him out of the front end of the back-to-back set Thursday versus Miami. Bates-Diop returned to action Friday and should face few restrictions moving forward, assuming he wasn't feeling too gassed during his spurts of playing time off the bench. When San Antonio is at full strength, expect him to serve as the team's fourth forward behind starters Doug McDermott and Keldon Johnson and sixth man Devin Vassell.
FEBRUARY 5, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
