NBA Playoff Predictions: Will Injury to Manu Ginobili Risk Spurs 1st-Round Exit?

In the last game of the 2010-2011 NBA regular season, the San Antonio Spurs decided to play their starters against the Phoenix Suns.

It is debatable whether or not the starters should have been on the court at all.

In one hand, the Chicago Bulls emerged victorious against the New Jersey Nets earlier in the evening, putting them ahead of the Spurs in the standings and taking home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.  A San Antonio victory could have evened the records and set up a strange flip of the coin to decide home-court advantage.

Did the situation warrant having Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the game?  The answer to this question will never be agreed upon, but after an unfortunate injury to Manu Ginobili it is safe to say any coach would have hoped not to play his starters in this game.

Manu Ginobili went down just two minutes into the game against Phoenix with what it seems to be a hyper-extended right elbow.  Further details on the injury should be available during the game’s halftime intermission or after the game ends.

San Antonio will face either the Memphis Grizzlies or the New Orleans Hornets in the first round of the playoffs.  With Memphis resting three starters tonight, it seems that Memphis will be their most likely first round foe.

Will the San Antonio be able to beat the Memphis Grizzlies without a healthy Manu Ginobili, or without Manu Ginobili at all?  This unfortunate event might change this series around dramatically.