SAN ANTONIO — Midway through his rookie season, San Antonio Spurs forward Riley Minix has been ruled out for its remainder, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.
Minix suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder on Jan. 1 during an Austin Spurs game against the Iowa Wolves and underwent successful surgery Tuesday. He will now be sidelined through the end of the season as he begins his recovery process.
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In one appearance with the Spurs, the forward logged seven minutes and two rebounds, but averaged 19.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a strong 3-point threat down in Austin before his injury.
“He can score at every level,” Austin Spurs coach Scott King said of Minix. “He can facilitate. He can pass and create … very versatile offensively. To be able to do all of that stuff offensively, you have to have a high basketball IQ. He’s done pretty much everything for us on that end.”
READ MORE:Â Riley Minix Shining Early with Austin Spurs
Minix attended Southeastern University for four seasons before comitting to Morehead State for his final year of eligibility — granted to players due to the COVID-19 pandemic — where he eventually became the first NBA player to hail from the NAIA after signing a two-way contract with the Spurs.
If he develops according to plan, San Antonio can add another versatile scorer to its roster with potential to connect from deep. In the G League, he was certainly showing those flashes, but will now close the first chapter of his young career a few months early.
Now, it’s up to him to keep it up after he’s fully recovered.
“The mindset is always the same,” Minix said of his development. “I’m trying to get better every day and focus on the process. Everything else will take care of itself.”
