Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs played his second game on Friday night after returning from an ankle injury. Against the Los Angeles Clippers, Ginobili illustrated why he’s such a fantasy basketball force. Despite playing limited minutes, he dominated for San Antonio.

In 17 minutes, Ginobili had 14 points, seven assists, three steals and one block while hitting 5-of-7 shots from the field, 2-of-3 attempts from behind the three-point line and 2-of-2 shots at the charity stripe. As he returns to health and gets in better shape, expect his minutes to return to about 30 to 32 minutes per contest.

Ginobili is the rare fantasy basketball player that you can count on even when he comes off the bench. The Spurs rely on him for production and he comes to play on a nightly basis. If you have him on your roster, keep him active from now on.

The overall impact on San Antonio’s roster will be positive. Tony Parker might not have to carry such a huge load but since Ginobili is such a good passer, his impact will almost entirely positive for the fantasy basketball world.

Here is a Manu Ginobili video showing you highlights of what the Argentine star is capable of doing on the basketball court:

When Manu Ginobili was originally diagnosed with a stress reaction in his leg, the Spurs said he’d be out for two-to-three weeks. Three weeks later and Ginobili still isn’t ready.

The latest out of San Antonio is that Ginobili will miss another week or two. If you are a betting man, expect him to return at some point in the last week in March.

Until Ginobili, Tony Parker and Roger Mason, Jr. will see their values retain their current level. Parker has had a few monstrous games as of late and is a good fantasy player to have on your team. Mason is streaky but his scoring and three-point shooting can definitely help.

The Spurs should also debut Drew Gooden at some point in the coming week. Keep a close eye on that situation to see how he affects the shot distribution in San Antonio.

Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs is sidelined once again with an ankle injury. The good news is that the injured ankle isn’t the same one that required surgery this summer. However, the stress reaction in his ankle is expected to keep him out 2-to-3 weeks.

Since Ginobili will have two “bad” ankles once he returns, his fantasy value the rest of the way takes a major hit. Additionally, you can expect head coach Gregg Popovich to play him even fewer minutes than usual to make sure that Ginobili will hold up come playoff time.

With Ginobili out, the player who will get the most added touches is Roger Mason, Jr. The starter at shooting guard for the Spurs should see his scoring average rise around a half dozen points or so with Ginobili sidelined.

Other players who will get more minutes with Ginobili out include veterans Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen and Ime Udoka. If you want to take a chance on a sleeper, consider George Hill. Although he’s the team’s backup point guard, he could see some minutes at shooting guard with Ginobili sidelined.

As could be expected, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker will also have to shoulder a larger part of the role until Ginobili can return. Once the Argentine sensation is back on the court, follow him closely to see how healthy he appears and if he gets to play enough minutes to warrant a spot on your fantasy roster.

Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs - 22.46 PER
Quietly, Manu Ginobili is one of the best players in the NBA once again. In a recent game against the Phoenix Suns, Ginobili scored 30 points and hit 18-of-18 from the free throw line. If his minutes start rising, he could become a fantasy basketball power.

Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee Bucks - 19.98 PER
With Michael Redd out for the season, the door has opened for Charlie Villanueva. He’s starting now and should get plenty of minutes and plenty of shot attempts. He’s shown All-Star type ability at times in his career and he’ll get a chance to become a fantasy basketball star.

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves - 17.59 PER
Early on in the season, Kevin Love looked like a draft bust. But as of late, he has really turned it around and now should be rostered in every fantasy basketball league on the planet. In January, he’s averaging 12.6 points and 10 rebounds in only 24 minutes per game. That is simply disgusting. If he plays starters minutes, he could become a star overnight.

Mickael Pietrus, Orlando Magic - 15.86 PER
In his first game back from injury, Mickael Pietrus put up 27 points, ten rebounds and four assists. And while he won’t do that every game, his impressive PER tells us that he’s a capable starter in the NBA. Pick him up on your fantasy team if you want to take a flyer on a player who could blossom as the season progresses.

Manu Ginobili hasn’t quite fully recovered since undergoing offseason ankle surgery. But in Monday’s game against the Miami Heat, he showed some of his old athleticism when he emphatically blocked a Dwyane Wade layup near the end of the game. You can see the Manu Ginobili video at the end of this entry.

Ginobili’s block on Dwyane Wade is a good sign that his recovery should be imminent. Compared to last season, his stats aren’t too different. His scoring and three-point shooting are down, but his rebounds per minute and assists per minute are both up. Plus he’s shooting better from within the three-point arc.

If you have Ginobili on your fantasy team, the only thing that should worry you is his minutes. Since he’s coming off of surgery, it’s unlikely that he’ll play as many minutes as he did last season. And with the emergence of Roger Mason, Jr., Ginobili will almost undoubtedly remain a bench player.

All that said, if you gambled on Ginobili late in your fantasy basketball draft, you have to be happy with his return. He consistently helps in a multitude of areas and is very capable of breaking out and having a huge game. And as the season progresses, you can expect him to get better and better.

Here’s the video of the Manu Ginobili block on Dwyane Wade:

Tony Parker returned to the basketball court after missing three weeks due to a left ankle injury. Although he came off the bench for the San Antonio Spurs, Parker played extremely well in helping the team beat the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

Parker finished with 15 points and seven assists in 17 minutes of action. Best of all, he looked healthy and ready for big minutes. He could be back in the starting lineup as quickly as Saturday against the Houston Rockets.

Even though rookie point guard George Hill has been impressive, Parker is in no danger of losing his grip on the Spurs’ point guard duties. His minutes might be cut a little bit but his numbers should remain looking very good.

Earlier in the season, Parker was leading the league in scoring and even had a game in which he scored 55 points. If Manu Ginobili healthy and Hill and fellow newcomer Roger Mason, Jr. playing well, Parker won’t have to score as much as before. The good news is that his assists could receive a bump and his shooting percentage should remain high.

Although Manu Ginobili was expected to miss the first 20 to 25 games, he suited up and played for the San Antonio Spurs in their 13th game of the season. Sidelined due to offseason ankle surgery, Ginobili came off the bench against the Memphis Grizzlies.

In his comeback game, the Spurs and Ginobili couldn’t have script it any better. In 11 minutes, he scored 12 points, pulled won four rebounds and helped the Spurs post a 94-81 victory.

Although he wasn’t as explosive as usual, Ginobili played quite well in his 2008-09 debut. As he continues to get into basketball shape, he should get more and more minutes.

Fantasy-wise, expect Ginobili to be a valuable player. However, don’t expect him to play nearly as many minutes as he did last season. Cut about five or six minutes off of his minutes per game average and that’s what you can expect for the rest of the season.

It’s unknown whether or not Ginobili will go back in the starting lineup, though there’s a good chance that Roger Mason, Jr. could start for the rest of the season. Luckily, Ginobili plays equally as well in the starting lineup or off the bench.

Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs thrilled fantasy basketball owners recently when he had a game with 55 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. He then had fantasy owners shedding tears the next game when he injured his ankle. The ankle injury is expected to keep Parker out for about a month.

For the Spurs, this is a devastating blow. Parker will join Manu Ginobili on the sidelines and now Tim Duncan will have to fend for himself. With Ginobili out another 3-to-5 weeks, winning is going to be a difficult task for San Antonio.

As far as fantasy owners are concerned, the player to pounce on is Roger Mason, Jr. While he won’t start at point guard right off the bat, he’s going to get plenty of offensive opportunities and should be a very good option for the next month. Even with Parker, he 16.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Rookie George Hill will likely start at point guard for the Spurs with Parker out. While Hill is a decent prospect, it’s not a sure thing that he will produce enough to be on a fantasy basketball team roster. He’s more of a defender and his offensive game is very raw. However, he’s made great strides since summer league so he may be able to surprise.

Backing up Hill at point guard will be Jacque Vaughn and Mason. If Hill struggles, expect one of those two players to get the nod as a starter.

Photo credit: Newscom

The San Antonio Spurs have started the season 0-2, however fantasy basketball owners have to be excited about what they are seeing out of San Antonio’s two biggest stars. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker have been very productive in the first two games.

The good news for the fantasy basketball community is that the production for Duncan and Parker should continue in the short term. Both players are healthy and in a rhythm offensively.

However, once Manu Ginobili returns, expect the pie to be divided three ways instead of in half. All three players will likely average around their career numbers once Ginobili is back on the court. Right now, he’s sidelined with an ankle injury and is expected to be out up to the first 25 games of the season. Until then, milk Duncan and Parker as much as possible.

Outside of those three players, there’s not much in terms of fantasy viable players. The one player to keep an eye on right now is Roger Mason, Jr. He’s played two very good games so far and is a candidate to start at shooting guard at some point this season.

Manu Ginobili, the star shooting guard on the San Antonio Spurs, is back on his feet and is running once again. Ginobili underwent offseason ankle surgery and is expected to miss up to 25 games during his recovery.

Recently, Ginobili was able to run for 15 minutes on a treadmill. It was his first time running since the surgery. While Ginobili is sidelined, the Spurs will likely start either Michael Finley, Ime Udoka or Roger Mason, Jr. at shooting guard.

The news of Ginobili running is good news for fantasy owners. There are whispers around San Antonio that Ginobili may in fact be ahead of schedule. Ginobili himself is hoping to return at the end of November instead of the end of December.

In fantasy basketball drafts, Ginobili continues to be a bit of a fantasy sleeper. Many fantasy owners are scratching him off of their draft cheat sheets due to the injury. While the injury shouldn’t be ignored, it also shouldn’t be forgotten how well he played last season.