San Antonio Spurs: How will Derrick White fit in now that he’s healthy?

The San Antonio Spurs got Derrick White into the lineup for the first time this season in his return from a plantar fascia injury. How does he fit in with this team?

The San Antonio Spurs came into the season with a huge hole at point guard after Dejounte Murray went down with a torn ACL in October.

Derrick White was expected to fill in for Murray, but he suffered an injury of his own in one of the final preseason games.

White saw his first action of the year on Wednesday night against the Heat after recovering from his plantar fascia injury.

White looked notably rusty in his first game back.

Pop decided to give the second-year guard the first start of his career, which was a surprise to many who thought he would be eased back into the lineup.

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White struggled mightily going 0-for-3 from the floor with two turnovers. He did manage to dish three assists and grab a rebound but he finished with a plus-minus of -9 in the seven-point loss.

While White started the game, he did not start the second half as Patty Mills got the nod after a hot first half.

I would expect White to stay in the starting lineup for Saturday’s game against Houston, but Pop has shown that he’s willing to ride the hot hand at point guard if White isn’t playing well.

Bryn Forbes and Patty Mills are both capable of having big nights that could send White to the bench as the game goes along.

I still think White is capable of having a breakout season, and being rusty after sitting out for a month is totally acceptable. I don’t believe Pop has lost any trust in White, but I think he may have regretted starting him in his first game back.

With DeMar DeRozan playing well as a scorer and distributor, White doesn’t have to run the entire offense. He just needs to execute when he’s asked to handle the ball and play good defense on the other end of the floor.

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White is the closest facsimile to Dejounte Murray that the Spurs have with his skillset on offense and defense, which makes him the best fit with the starting lineup.

The Spurs should ride with White through this rough patch as he gets back into a rhythm because he is the best option they have at point guard this season.