San Antonio Spurs Declare 2 Out for Wednesday's Game Against Toronto Raptors

The San Antonio Spurs have declared two of their young starters out for Wedneesday's game against the Toronto Raptors. Per Matthew Tynan, the team will be without Tre Jones and Jeremy Sochan for the third straight game.

Spurs injury report for tonight in Toronto:

Jeremy Sochan (back), Tre Jones (foot) and Romeo Langford (adductor) all remain OUT; Keldon Johnson (ankle) is questionable again. pic.twitter.com/8lYa3fnykE
— Matthew Tynan (@Matthew_Tynan) February 8, 2023

Jones had been an iron man for the Spurs, starting 51 of a possible 52 games this season before missing the past two. His increased role this season has cost him some of his efficiency: he's averaging a career-high 12.8 points per game with a career-low .437 field-goal percentage. With a -1.7 box plus/minus and 0.1 value over replacement player rating, the third-year player is still a long way from becoming the long-term answer at guard for the Spurs.

Meanwhile, Sochan's future is foggier. The ninth overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft has shown promise as a rookie, scoring 9.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game with a .514 true shooting percentage. At only 19 years old, he'll have every chance to learn and grow into a star with the team as it rebuilds its roster in the coming years.

At 14-40, the Spurs are 14th in the Western Conference and one of the NBA's most dismal teams. They've rightly embraced a total tank job this season. With any luck, their misery will position them for a potentially franchise-altering 2023 NBA Draft. The Spurs famously transformed one abysmal season after years of contention into Tim Duncan way back in 1997. Duncan propelled the team to two decades of dominance that included five NBA titles.