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Thursday, March 27, 1997

Del Negro's performance stands out in struggling year for Spurs

By JERRY BRIGGS

San Antonio Express-News

SAN ANTONIO - Guard Vinny Del Negro hates to see the Spurs trudge through the last quarter of the season without any realistic playoff hopes.

He has played for too many winners here - teams that produced 49, 55, 62 and 59 victories, respectively - since he came aboard in the summer of 1992.

Del Negro has put in too much work to wake up, open the newspaper and be reminded that the Spurs are a month away from something very unsightly - like 22-60, or worse.

But if the Spurs are searching for silver linings to a season wrecked by injuries, they can look no further than Del Negro, his steady play and professional attitude.

"It's been very difficult for everybody," he said. "You just do the best you can. The main thing you have to do is respect the game ... and try to understand the situation."

The situation for the Spurs has been grim since center David Robinson reported to training camp with a bad back.

It also looked like it might be a bleak year for Del Negro individually when it became apparent Robinson would miss much of the season with injuries.

Del Negro and Robinson, for the past few years, have combined to give the Spurs a potent offensive weapon on pick-and-roll plays.

Without Robinson, the pick-and-roll hasn't been nearly as successful this season. But fans who were waiting for Del Negro's offensive production to drop off dramatically are still waiting.

Last season, he averaged a career-high 14.5 points and shot 49.7 percent from the field. This season, Del Negro had an average of 12.5 points on 47 percent shooting after Tuesday's game against Cleveland.

"The main thing is, I'm playing a lot of minutes," said Del Negro, held back in November and December by a sprained knee, ankle and shoulder. "Also, I've had some plays called for me, and that helps."

What the coaches like the most about Del Negro this season is his expanded game. Offensively, he has turned into a threat when he runs off screens, catches and shoots.

Defensively, he has held his own despite limitations in speed and quickness.

"Vinny has played really physical on defense," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He has rebounded. He has been great."

Fans also should take note of Del Negro's attitude. He didn't whine when coaches handed Vernon Maxwell the starting off-guard spot for about a month. He didn't flinch when trade rumors surfaced at the Feb. 20 deadline.

Del Negro continued to play hard. Injured and tentative early in the season, his shot started to fall with regularity once he got healthy. Typically, he shrugged off his resurgence.

In the backdrop of a lost season for the team, he knows the expansion of his game isn't going to make many headlines. As Del Negro said recently, "I try not to look at the stat sheet this year."

But it does make you wonder what kind of player he will be when Robinson returns. He'll probably be the same old Vinny, returning next fall with a few more layers of confidence.

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