LaMarcus Aldridge will return for the Spurs tonight vs. the Thunder

For the first time in 11 days, the San Antonio Spurs are set to take the court tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder following a COVID-19 outbreak within the team. They were already set to be severely shorthanded with five players (Rudy Gay, Keldon Johnson, Derrick White, Devin Vassell and Quinndary Weatherspoon) still quarantined under COVID-19 protocols and DeMar DeRozan away from the team while mourning the passing of his father, but a bit of good news has come out to relieve some of the stress on the roster.

LaMarcus Aldridge is set to return after missing the last six games with hip soreness, giving the Spurs ten available players.

Although the Spurs have gone 5-1 in his most recent absence, there is no denying having him back while so severely depleted is a good thing. His ability to create his own shot will especially be needed, and his return has actually bumped the Spurs up to one-point favorites in the Vegas odds after they were considered two-point underdogs before. The Spurs face a steep challenge in maintaining their spot in the standings while waiting to get back to full strength, so any help they can get is vital.

It has not yet been announced if Aldridge will start or come off the bench, but odds are he will be under a minutes restriction. Gregg Popovich will definitely have some experimental lineups out there, but it will also offer a chance for players who otherwise haven’t been able to play much this season to show what they can do. Below is a list of the available players for tonight.

LaMarcus Aldridge

Kieta Bates-Diop

Drew Eubanks

Tre Jones

Trey Lyles

Patty Mills

Dejounte Murray

Jakob Poeltl

Luka Samanic

Lonnie Walker IV

Who’s ready for some Spurs basketball again?