Derrick White is not expected to return this season

Ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich gave a grim outlook for Derrick White, who left Monday’s win against the Washington Wizards with sprained ankle. Pop specifically said he does not expect White to return this season.

It’s touch break in a season that has been full of them for White. After missing the first four games of the season while recovering from offseason toe surgery, he suffered another injury in his first game back that forced him to miss 14 games. Later, he missed another five games with COVID, and now this. The good news is he is not an injury that is expected to need surgery for a full recovery.

White was averaging a career high 15.4 points while attempting a career-high 6.8 three-point attempts. Pop also said Devin Vassell will be starting in his place because he wants to keep Lonnie Walker with the bench unit so the rotation won’t be interrupted. He should have no trouble replacing White’s defensive production, but he will need to be ready to take the threes that the starters create for him.

The Spurs, currently 31-29 and sitting in the West’s 9th seed, have 12 games left in the regular season, ending with the Phoenix Suns in May 16.