"For much of the Spurs' past few road trips, Manu Ginobili has been a ghost.

Still recovering from a broken left hand suffered Jan. 2 in Minnesota, the Spurs' All-Star guard has been mostly hidden from public view, save for a few appearances behind the bench in street clothes.

Though still a few weeks away from returning to the court, Ginobili is out of his post-surgery splint and has been cleared to do some basketball work with his repaired hand.

"He's shooting mid-range shots, lefty," coach Gregg Popovich said Monday. "He'll be cleared to go one-on-one in a week or so.""