Spurs Lose 2nd-Year Lottery Pick To MCL Injury

Not a great start to training camp for the San Antonio Spurs' 2021 lottery pick Josh Primo. He'll likely miss the rest of camp after suffering a knee injury.

Spurs are saying Josh Primo has suffered a left MCL sprain in camp. He’s going to miss at least the beginning of preseason but is expected to be ready to go for the regular season. The feeling is it’s minor.
— Matthew Tynan (@Matthew_Tynan) September 29, 2022

The Toronto-born Primo is said to have suffered a left MCL sprain and will miss at least some of the preseason, but is expected to be ready for the regular season in three weeks.

The 19-year-old 6'6" guard was the No. 12 pick in the 2021 Draft, and started 16 games of his 50 played in his rookie season last year, averaging 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in about 19 minutes per game.

Despite his young age, he showed some skill in the G League last year with the Austin Spurs, averaging 17 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 12 games in the Showcase Cup. He recorded very similar numbers across the board in his two Summer League games with the Spurs this July as well.

Coach Popovich has a number of starting spots open this season, and Primo was expected to get a chance for a bigger role this year. His teammates expect big things from the youngster.

"Josh Primo, obviously, he's had a huge summer," Spurs forward Doug McDermott said. "He going to be ready to go. I think it's going to be a huge year for him. His body looks great. He looks a lot more confident."

Confidence shouldn't be a problem for this kid, according to Spurs reporter Don Harris.

Josh Primo told me today that his dad told every night of his life at bedtime that he was going to be the best basketball player in the world and the smartest man in the world. Love how his dad poured confidence into him as a kid. pic.twitter.com/iMF0LuHKje
— Don Harris (@DonHarris4) September 27, 2022