Boris Diaw injury: Spurs F/C out 3-4 weeks after surgery to remove cyst

Boris Diaw will miss three to four weeks of action after undergoing a surgery to remove a cyst from his lumbar spine, the San Antonio Spurs announced on Friday. The versatile big man logged 22.8 minutes per game over 75 contests with the Spurs this season, and he posted averages of 5.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Without Diaw, the front court rotation for San Antonio thins out a bit.

The 30-year-old power forward and center can't be considered an essential piece to a deep run in the playoffs, but now that he's unavailable it's up to Matt Bonner, DeJuan Blair and Tiago Splitter to pick up more minutes and mesh with Tim Duncan. Diaw's passing ability and varied skill set made it easier to mix-and-match players in the lineup, so now Gregg Popovich will have to manage a more delicate balance of niche players.

The Spurs (57-21) are currently a half-game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket.