SB Nation - Michael Finley

Preview: Kings at Spurs

Ziller — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:00:23 -0000

by Darren Abate - AP

THE OPPONENT

The Spurs are far better than .500, despite the record. I could try to explain what's gone wrong, but Timothy Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell can do it from a tighter perspective, much more eloquently.

[T]hrough 18 games, those horses have come up lame. Rather than getting a lift from the supporting cast, Tim Duncan is playing with MVP-efficiency and barely keeping the Spurs at a half-respectable .500. If the Spurs recover from their start of sputter and stall, Tim Duncan ought to be placed at the center of the MVP conversation. He’s threatening a career season, at least in terms of efficiency. And it’s all lost on a 9-9 start.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that no one else is playing well. Matt Bonner is a having a career year; DeJuan Blair is occasionally sensational. Tony Parker is not dominating, but playing competent basketball. I get all that, and I could further qualify. It’s just that the supporting cast taken as a whole is providing more drag than momentum-gathering boost. Tim Duncan is all dragster, and the team is mostly parachute.

Richard Jefferson has certainly been disappointing, and Manu Ginobili has seemingly been on-and-off, hot-and-cold. For the Kings' sake, given that our defense isn't bright and the Spurs' defense continues to be, let's hope Jefferson disappoints and Ginobili is more cold than warm.

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Tim Duncan	16	32.3	7.6	13.8	55.0	0.0	0.2	0.0	4.0	5.2	77.1	3.1	7.7	10.8	3.4	2.0	0.5	2.1	1.9	19.1
Tony Parker	14	30.4	6.4	12.8	50.3	0.1	0.4	20.0	4.7	5.9	79.5	0.1	2.6	2.7	5.6	3.3	0.7	0.3	2.1	17.6
Richard Jefferson	18	33.2	4.4	10.1	43.4	0.9	2.8	33.3	3.1	4.6	68.3	0.7	3.6	4.3	2.7	1.6	0.8	0.3	2.1	12.8
Manu Ginobili	13	22.8	3.5	9.6	36.8	1.6	4.4	36.8	4.0	4.8	83.9	0.7	1.8	2.5	3.6	2.0	1.2	0.5	1.9	12.7
George Hill	18	25.3	3.7	9.0	40.7	0.9	2.3	38.1	2.4	3.1	78.6	0.6	1.4	2.0	2.1	0.9	1.0	0.4	3.4	10.7
Matt Bonner	18	21.5	3.3	6.7	49.2	2.0	4.4	45.6	0.7	0.9	81.3	1.6	3.7	5.2	1.4	0.7	0.2	0.2	2.3	9.3
DeJuan Blair	18	14.9	2.8	4.7	60.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.6	1.2	45.5	1.9	3.6	5.4	0.7	1.1	0.2	0.7	2.5	6.2
Antonio McDyess	17	20.9	2.5	5.2	47.7	0.0	0.1	0.0	1.1	1.5	69.2	1.8	3.8	5.6	0.6	0.8	0.6	0.4	2.6	6.0
Roger Mason Jr.	17	18.4	2.3	6.0	38.2	0.9	3.1	30.8	0.4	0.5	77.8	0.1	1.6	1.6	2.2	1.1	0.3	0.2	1.5	5.9
Michael Finley	17	18.2	2.1	4.6	44.3	0.7	1.7	41.4	0.4	0.5	66.7	0.2	1.5	1.7	0.9	0.6	0.3	0.2	0.5	5.2
Keith Bogans	17	17.5	1.4	3.5	40.0	0.5	2.1	25.0	0.6	0.8	76.9	0.2	2.4	2.5	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.1	1.9	3.9
Marcus Haislip	1	3.0	1.0	1.0	100.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	2.0
Theo Ratliff	9	8.8	0.7	1.4	46.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.4	50.0	0.6	1.2	1.8	0.3	0.7	0.0	1.2	1.4	1.6
Malik Hairston	9	3.8	0.3	0.6	60.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.4	0.4	0.2	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.7

THE KEY BATTLE

Tony Parker vs. Tyreke Evans. Reke struggled to defend the pick-and-roll against the Spurs last time around, with Parker slicing to the rim at will. Now granted, Parker does this against most teams. But if the Kings want to compete, Parker can't own the driving lines. He's going to have to work.

On the other end, it's a two-fold challenge in attacking San Antonio's defense: win the favorable size mismatches (particularly Evans-Parker) and overachieve in the problem spots (Andres Nocioni against the tough-inside, anti-three team defense, Jason Thompson vs Tim Duncan). Evans is the biggest key here, both in terms of punishing Parker without getting denied by Duncan and friends, and in terms of setting up Thompson, Spencer Hawes and others with easy attempts.

INTERESTING SIDESHOW

Let's play Inane Arguments, hosted by Grant Napear! His tirades against

a) Paul Westphal for protesting the shot clock violation when the Kings inbounded with 1 second on the clock, and

b) Jason Thompson for protesting his fifth foul, which came when he pulled Darius Songaila's jersey on defense

were inane. Everyone, including Westphal, who, you know, has been around the league a while, knows that there could be less than a second left. Westphal was indicating he thought the New Orleans scorekeeper jobbed the Kings by starting the shot clock just a touch before the ball was touched. This is a pretty classic home court advantage type move. If you read Westphal's lips, he says "Nice timekeeper!" or something like that. He is indicating that he believes the shot clock was started early. Not that the Kings deserve a full second because the clock read 1. You idiot.

Regarding Thompson, Napear kept on about how obvious a foul it was, and how Thompson should have shut up about it and play smarter defense. Of course, Thompson was protesting the fact that he was assaulted repeatedly at the other end, with nary a whistle to help him out. You can see him motion to the refs that he had been beaten about the head by the Hornets defense, and how he deserved to get some calls if the refs insisted on calling Nancy garbarge like the jersey yank. Thompson wasn't saying, "I didn't pull his jersey!" He was saying, "They are beating me about the head and whatnot, how bout a whistle, chum?"

And missing those things isn't terrible. It's the attitude that he, Grant, is the smartest person in the world that grates.

BOLD PROCLAMATION

Matt Bonner takes more three-pointers than Spencer Hawes.

NUMERIC PREDICTION

Spurs by ... never mind. I am not a jinx.

DETAILS

The tip-off, again, is at 5 o'clock. Game thread then, with the second game thread at 6 and the post-game thread at 7:45. Recap someday.

Spurs Fail Again In Loss To Jazz

Wayne Vore (ATS) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:28:56 -0000

The Spurs failed me last night, plain and simple. I don't care if it was close. I don't care if they had a chance to win in this 104-101 loss. They didn't win -- thus, they failed me.

I had a terrible day yesterday. I have a leak in the water line that leads into my house. Mrs ATS' car overheated on the way home from work -- it was 45 degrees out -- and had to be dropped off at the shop. And I can't tell you what tops the list. So when I sat down to watch the game, I needed a win. My team needed to win a game for me. Because that's why I HAVE a team. They need to make my day better. It is my escape from reality. It is where I get to check out of my life and get something enjoyable placed into it.

Instead, they had another suckfest in a game they really couldn't afford to lose. At 9-9, with such an easy schedule so far, our record is very worrying.

I think we all remember this Pop quote from last year:

We suck on 'D. Both individually and team-wise, we suck. We're pretty consistent that way. I don't know if I have an answer to that. If I did, we wouldn't suck quite so bad.

If Pop dropped the "on 'D" part from that line, it would apply aptly to this year's team. Last night encapsulated all the problems we have seen. Let's take a look.

Turnovers

This is an easy one. We just don't take care of the ball, and it is a team effort (or failure) across the board. Last night against the Jazz, we had "only" 15 turnovers. "Only" because that is our best turnover rate in the last three games. But when the TOs came last night, they came in waves. We had 4 at the half. We then fueled the 37-19 drubbing the Jazz gave us in the third quarter with 7 turnovers.

Defense

The Jazz scored on 12 straight possessions in just under 6 minutes. They went on to shoot 53% for the game. This is after they got off to a terrible start early and were in the mid-30s after the first quarter. Again, this is nothing new to this game. The Spurs have not been able to play consistently on the defensive end for an entire game against any decent team.

Matt Bonner and The Final Play

Matt provided both a very high point in the game and a very low point. He lit up the scoreboard with 28 points. He also grabbed an impressive 8 rebounds. He caught fire and got us back into the game in the fourth quarter. He had a 17-point quarter. Then, inexplicably, with 10 seconds left and the Spurs down by one point, he decided to go one-on-one from the top of the key. Of course, this didn't go well.

How the hell was that our final play?

Execution In The Clutch

We've been abysmal in the final minutes of games. I'm used to us executing. I'm used to our ability to get good shots. This year, we are turning the ball over and getting terrible shots.

Last night with 3:00 left in a tie game, our next three possessions were: Manu TO, Bonner 1-2 free throws, Tim TO. Utah scored on their two possessions between ours and took a 3 point lead.

Nuggets end of game, down 1 with 3:14 left: Bad foul by Manu, Tony TO, missed layup, gave up offensive rebound, gave up offensive rebound

Celtics: The Mason quick 3 with 2:14 left, Michael Finley standing out of bounds when receiving a pass.

Thunder: down 5 with 40 seconds and a Tony Parker TO, down 3 with 15 seconds and a RJ TO.

Yeah, I'm doing some cherry picking -- sour cherries at that -- but the fact is we just haven't played well in close games in the last two minutes. Whether against good teams or not.

One And A Half Stars

I know I'd like to think we have a Big Four, but right now we've got a Big One and a Half.

Tim has been awesome. As good as we could want him to be.

Tony has been pretty good, but he has been extra-super-sloppy with the ball at times.

Manu has struggled. Sure, he's shown some flashes of getting it back but he is a LONG way from playing at an all-star level. His shooting the last three games has been very poor. 4-12, 3-9, and 2-7 for 32%. Add in 7 turnovers against 7 assists. When you play good teams, you need your best players to play well.

Rage has been, um, not scoring and not doing much of anything else offensively. He's averaged just under 8 points per game over the last 3, and hauled in just under 4 rebounds per game. He's 3-10 from 3-point range and shooting 36% overall. He's 0-5 from the free throw line. He's had exactly 2 turnovers and 2 assists in each game. That's consistency, I guess. Yeah, he's new to the system, but it is still basketball. The free throw line hasn't moved.

We need a Big Productive Four. Our stars not named Tim need to start playing like all-stars.

Our Free Agents

McDyess, Bogans, and Ratliff. Ewwww. Isn't that the first word that comes to mind when you think about how those guys are playing? Or, maybe with Ratliff, you thought "who?"

There really isn't even much to discuss about these guys.

Some Urgency Please

Ok, I feel better. I just had to get that bunch of suck off my chest. For sure, and make no mistake, we are playing like suck.

We are in an interesting situation. No, I don't think we are in danger of missing the playoffs. But since when was that the goal? The goal is to win it all, and I sure as hell don't see that happening with this team. A lot of guys are going to have to start playing better. And they better start doing it soon. Because they have a LONG way to go as a team. The Spurs like to say, "It's a process." Well, that process takes time. You don't just get better overnight, and they have a whole lot of getting better to do.

Spurs vs Sixers: Stats of the Game

BlaseE — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:00:29 -0000

There was something very weird about this game. I think ATS was pretty close about the game feeling in control even when it got close. I was excited for the big plays, but I wasn't super excited for the gritty stuff like usual. I think I've come up with a few culprits:

* A Sunday game

* During football season

* Against the Sixers (AI2, Dalembert, and who? I've heard of Holiday but, yeah...sorry Ivey, but I didn't even know you were on the roster until I looked at the boxscore. Shame on me.)

* Where the main event is actually post game.

Another list after the jump....

I don't listen to much Green Day anymore, but this is a great one for me.

STATS OF THE GAME

* We "live and die" by the 3 so anytime we shoot over 50% behind the arc is worth noting, 55.6% to be exact. So without Mason; Bonner, Finley, Manu, and RJ combine for 9 of 13 for 69.2%. Where were the other 5 attempts? K-Boges was 1 of 5....In his defense, I think most of them were fair attempts. You can't make them all.

* The Spurs have been doing a good job of making opposing leaders into being poor leaders. Jennings looked not so great against us. The Wizards, a veteran team, looked completely leaderless. Ariza chucked away to get his points. Iguodala 21 points and is an awesome athlete, but please don't tell him that. He was 1 of 6 from 3. If I was the Sixers coach, the first thing I would do is sit him down and say, "you are an average 3 point shooter at best, but you can rock the paint and get to line at will so if you don't drive the ball, I will bench you!" Once again, an opponents best player finishes the game with the worst +/- on the team. AI Jr. was -15.

* Dejuan Blair had a disgusting line (11 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks).....in 16 minutes of play! A note from watching the Spurs this season: Manu likes passing to Blair more than anyone else. Watch for it. Manu forced at least 3 crazy passes in this game alone at Blair. The first I remember was a turnover because Blair wasn't ready. The second was a turnover because Manu's pass went too crazy for any human or Beast. The third was an easy score. I'm not sure if Manu and him just have a a connection, Manu wants to see Blair dominate the opponent, or Manu trusts Blair's wingspan and low body center to the person guarding him to prevail, but watch when they are on the court together. As the season goes along, expect Manu to Blair, points for Blair, assist for Manu to be a very common and efficient sight.

* Duncan and Parker were monsters of efficiency. For the sake of this being a triumvirate of power, I'll include Manu who wasn't half bad either in his limited role and coming off an injury. So your Cerberus of All the is Holy has a combined stat line of 84 minutes, 46 points on 17 of 30 shooting and 11 of 11 from the line, 15 assists, 9 rebounds (in spite of Blair's night and then Bonner, Finley, and Bogans combining for another 16 rebounds), 2 steals, and 5 blocks. What turnovers? I don't see that column.....

Finally, here is the man of the night!!! Thank God every Spursday or those ones in between that we can claim this guy to our franchise so I leave you with this last stat of the night: +1 Spurs with their retired jersey saying "Hall of Fame".

Saying Goodbye to Reunion Arena

Brown@TheBigandTheBrown — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:42:21 -0000

So, it happened yesterday, a few days earlier than expected. Reunion Arena, former home of the Dallas Mavericks came crashing down in a heap of dust and twisted metal.

I didn't think I'd be as sad as I am knowing that Reunion is gone. I wasn't bothered by Arlington Stadium or what will happen to Texas Stadium, but something about Reunion is different. This was the place where my love of basketball began and my fascination with the Dallas Mavericks was kindled.

My Top 10 Mavericks Memories from Reunion Arena (I say memories because they're not all specific events)...in no particular order

1) Kevin McCarthy's PA ways. I wasn't a fan of Humble Billy. I don't think PA guys need to be over the top (or DJ's in the case of Miami). McCarthy was understated and classy. I always liked that.

2) Barely any luxury suites. It never really dawned on me when I would go there, after all, I was a kid. However, looking back, this made it much more "college-like" in the fan intensity...I'm not sure that makes sense, but I think you guys know what I'm talking about.

3) The Triple J era. Remember 1994? Tonya Harding busted what's her name in the knee and made a sex tape about it (check my facts). The Menendez brothers killed their parents with OJ's bloody Bruno Magli shoes. I was captivated by the X-Men cartoon and the three core players on the Mavericks: Jason Kidd v 1.0, Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn. Remember? The year before kid was the 13 win year and then this rookie showed up and was a triple double machine. Then Jim Jackson had sex with Toni Braxton and effed the whole thing up. Damn you, Toni Braxton.

4) The sheer volume level. What I remember about Reunion is that it didn't really need all the lights, sound, smoke and lasers to make it home field. The Rowdies (where I credit "Rowdy, Proud, and Loud") made that place damn near uncomfortable to play for visitors. In that 1988 WCF against the Lakers, CBS apparently measured the game 6 volume at 121 decibels.

5) Now that I mention it, the entire 1988 season. Roy Tarpley was THE 6th man. Aguirre and Donaldson made the All-Star team. All together just kick ass before running into Show Time.

Rest after the jump...

6) The collapse in 1989 and 1990. I didn't say they were all good memories. The Aguirre for Dantley move. The Schrempf for Herb Williams move. James Donaldson loses his knee. Tarpley discovers alcohol and drugs. Perkins goes to the Lakers.

7) Fat Lever. Yes, he was a Nugget for most of his career. Yes, he came to the Mavericks after the 1990 debacle. Yes, he only played 35 games in 3 season. But damn it, his nickname was "Fat" and I was a kid who thought that was hilarious.

8) A young Michael Finley stokes hope again with Nellie on the bench. After the Triple J thing stopped working, and the NBA went all lock out on us. Finley went off and would be the foundation of the team. Nellie stepped out of the GM role and on to the bench for what would become the Mavs re-birth into today's greatness.

9) The German Invasion...part 3. Apparently I forgot that WWII humor doesn't sit well with the internet. So, I'll just say this. Dirk came into the locker room of Reunion a young schnitzel. Now's he's the big sausage. (That wasn't funny. I'm sorry.) Don't forget, he wasn't the first big German to play for the Mavs, he was third after Schrempf and Blab.

10) Cubes takes over, and the Mavs move on a good note. The brand spanking new AAC was built, and the Mavs had a young nucleus and a flashy new owner.

Video of the collapse, courtesy of the Dallas Observer's Unfair Park Blog

Game 9 Recap: Oklahoma City 101, San Antonio 98

Zorgon — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:08:16 -0000

Yahoo! Sports Box Score:

Good interior defense? Against the Spurs? Wow!

We moved the mountain!

I'm a bit in shock after this win, really. The spurs had a full lineup, a 2 game winning streak, and were at home....he did we manage to win? It might be my image of the spurs being the NBA's impenetrable wall of defense, which is about half a decade out of date, but man, am I excited about this win.

The game was fairly tight during the duration of its run, except when the Spurs had a 53-43 lead near the end of the 2nd. But, that was when the Thunder really showed up, as they were back in front with 9:18 to go in the 3rd.

After that bad run of luck, the Thunder never trailed by more than a point, so their victory should have seemed secure. Yet, these are the Spurs we're talking about, so there's no way one can ever count them out of a game. With 31 seconds to go in the 4th, they were down by 6, and it was looking pretty bad for them. But then, George Hill made a 3, cutting the lead to just one possession. After Kevin Durant made both of his free throws, Tony Parker promptly made a layup, keeping the gap at one possession. We all held our breath as Kevin Durant barely missed one freethrow, only increasing the lead to 4. Michael Finley missed a 3, but the Spurs managed to tip it in in what looked like a mess from a College game. As the lead was down to two with 2 seconds to go on the clock at this point, Thabo Sefolosha was in the same situation as Kevin Ollie was last game. If he makes both, the game is sealed, but if he misses one, the game is in danger of overtime. Guess what happened? He missed one. Luckily, the Spurs could barely get it over half court before time expired, and George Hill had to resort to an extremely long, leaping 3 that easily missed the mark.

And now, the Thunder are 5-4!

Below: Awards, Analysis

There's no question as to who tonight's Thunder Wonder is. Russell Westbrook had a cool 19 Points on 7-13 Shooting, 5 Rebounds, and 11 Assists, making for his first solid performance in a while. I mean, he outperformed Tony Parker! That's a statement in and of itself, even though Parker was coming back from an injury. Also, Jeff Green did more than enough to earn the Thunder Down Under award, scoring 21 Points on 8-19 shooting, and grabbing 10 rebounds.

It was clear that Scott Brooks wanted to exploit the fact that the Spurs didn't have a very good defending center, as Nenad Krstic took 3 of the first 4 shots. He missed two of them, but he finished with a solid 5-11 shooting performance, with a surprisingly high 7 Rebounds, 2 Steals, and 3 Blocks. Nevertheless, sometimes oyou wish that he could make his mid-range shots more often. They're hardly ever contested, and he manages to brick half of them.

A key to the victory could have been the fact that the Thunder managed to outrebound the Spurs. One would think that such a team would manage to be excellent rebounders, but for some reason, guys like Nenad Krstic were grabbing rebounds for us, and nobody but McDyess and Duncan was able to grab rebounds for the Spurs.

One can't really give a Thunder Wonder award for this game fairly, because....well, nobody had a bad performance. So, I'll just give it to Thabo Sefolosha for missing a crucial free throw at the end of the game. Yes, fate can be cruel.

On San Antonio's side of things, you'd got to expect better things from players like Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson. Together, they combined for 1-12 shooting and 11 points. Sure, Ginobili did some rebounding and distributing, but you'd expect these guys to get at least 10 points a game on their own. Still, there's no question that Tim Duncan was the Thunder Plunderer for this game. He had 22 Points, 10 Rebounds, 3 Assists, and a couple of sick dunks. Even when some things go wrong for the Spurs, Duncan is the only constant. You can't discount George Hills contribution, either, as he scored 18 points too make up for Ginobili and Jeffersons floundering. And Tony Parker had his usual performance, adding 17 Points, 5 Rebounds, and 5 Assists.

Next Game: Versus the Clippers, Sunday, November 15th, at 6:00 PM Central Standard Time

As a Taco Bell fire sauce packet once said: "Ah, we meet again."

Mavericks Vs Spurs:Game 8 Preview

Phillip Baggett — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:39 -0000

The Match-ups:

Point Guard

Jason Kidd: Everyone continues to make claims that Kidd simply cannot stand up against the young, quick point guards in the league, yet he continues to prove the naysayers wrong. Last night against the Rockets was no different. The Rockets Aaron Brooks was on fire in the first quarter, making acrobatic shot after acrobatic shot, but Kidd stayed steady and in the end it was the leadership and experience of Kidd that won out in the end.

vs.

~~Tony Parker~~ George Hill: The Spurs 2008 first round draft choice should get his second consecutive start due to the ankle injury suffered by Tony Parker. Hill is a good shooting point guard, as he is shooting 46% from the field and 57% from beyond the arc. Make no mistake though he is not Tony Parker.

Edge:Mavericks

Shooting Guard

Josh Howard: Josh in his second game back had another solid scoring night, dropping in 14 points. Josh's ankle is still very tender and bothersome at times, this was very visible last night in the third quarter. Josh had to move very gingerly on it, and it is the ankle that is causing him difficulty getting the proper lift that he needs on his jump shot. Josh is going to be fine, the more he plays the better that tender ankle will get, and so will his jump shot.

vs.

Michael Finley: The first look at "Sir Bricks-A-Lot" of the year for the Mavs. Fin is going to make a few dazzling shots, but you can also count on several hideously ugly shots as well, and at least once he will dribble the ball off his feet. Finley's job these days is to simply stand behind the arc and then not to screw up when he gets the ball.

Edge: Mavericks. This match up is not even close, even with Howards bum ankle.

Forward

Shawn Marion: While Shawn did not have an extremely significant impact on the offensive end last night against the Rockets (10 points) it was his defense on Trevor Ariza that allowed the Mavericks to pull away from the Rockets. Once again though, his lack of trips to the free throw line is a major area of concern.

vs.

Richard Jefferson: Scoring wise Jefferson is off to his worst start since his sophomore season in the league. With the Spurs missing Duncan and Parker the bulk of the Spurs scoring will be left upon the shoulders of Jefferson and Ginobili tonight. Look for the Spurs to try to get Jefferson involved early and often.

Edge: Even. As good as Jefferson can be offensively the defensive prowess of Marion is that good as well.

Power Forward

Dirk Nowitzki: Dirk continues to struggle from the field, but he well makes up for it by getting to the line, and it is his energy that is keeping him and the team in games. Dirk has been somewhat quiet since his 29 point 4^th quarter explosion, tonight could be the night that he flips the switch again.

vs.

~~Tim Duncan~~ Antonio McDyess: While I have McDyess listed as the starter replacing Duncan do not be surprised if the rookie DeJuan Blair gets the nod. It is all going to depend on how Pop decides he wants to attack the Mavs. If he decides (and I think he will) to slow the pace down and turn the game into a half court beat and bang affair, the rookie will see a lot of action.

Edge: Mavericks. There are not many times the edge will not go to the Mavs as long as Dirk is here.

Center

Erick Dampier: It is amazing what a contract year will do for a player's ability. Suddenly Dampier is playing like he did in his final year in Golden State.

vs.

Matt Bonner: This guy is just not good, never has been and never will be. How is it possible for a center in the NBA over a six year career to average only 3 rebounds a game?

Edge: Mavericks. Not even close (did I just say, that the Mavs had the edge at center and it is not even close? I got to stop drinking so much)

Injuries/Suspensions

San Antonio Spurs

OUT - Tony Parker- Sprained ankle Tim Duncan- Sprained ankle

Dallas Mavericks

OUT - Tim Thomas- Recovering from knee surgery

Prediction: No Tim Duncan + No Tony Parker = No chance for the Spurs

Mavericks- 104

Spurs- 89

Mavericks vs Spurs coverage

San Antonio Spurs 2010 Season Preview

Wayne Vore (ATS) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:34 -0000

The Spurs 2010 season FINALLY starts on Wednesday. I say finally because I have been stoked ever since the trade for Jefferson on June 23rd. I sat and watched us snag DeJuan Blair in the draft. I read about us signing Antonio McDyess. I sat, in an uncomfortable chair I might add, and watched game after game of the Summer League in July as George Hill and Malik Hairston showed how much better they were. Then two months of boring old summer where we signed Marcus Haislip and Theo Ratliff. Lastly, a month of preseason games I couldn't watch. Yet, we made it. All of us together.

The season starts NOW. Holy FSM am I ready for it.

As a Spurs fan, I think we deal with two issues when starting a new season. One, the Spurs organization doesn't seem excited. Do you recall an interview with Pop saying something like "Man, this is going to be a great year! I can't believe the talent on this team. Easily the most talented team we've ever had." No. Me neither.

Two, they will play the regular season without excitement. Not too high. Not too low. How many times over the next 2-3 months do you think we will hear a player or coach say, "We're just trying to get better day-to-day. Each day is a step to the end of the season. We are trying to build on what we learn everyday." 500? At least. You won't hear Tim say, "Man, this team is stacked. We're playing great defense right now and it will only get better. I just can't see how anybody is going to beat us come May." Just business as usual.

News Alert - This Team Is Stacked

Well, I'm here to tell you this team is stacked. Top to bottom, this is a stout team with a great mix of attributes. We have everything we've had in the past and a couple things we have been missing. We have scorers, we have rebounders, we have playmakers, we have 3-point shooters, we have balance, we have depth, we have youth, we have athleticism, we have experience, we have length, and we have Tim.

Me, I have unbounded enthusiasm. I am stoked to the gills. Let me tell you some of the reasons why.

Three

Let's start at the top. We still have the Big 3. You win in the NBA with great players and we have three great players. We have three great players who have been in our system. We have three great players who have won before and still know what it takes to win. We have three great players who are still great. Tim might not be the best he's ever been, but he's not far from it. Manu probably isn't the best he's ever been, but he's not far from it. Tony is still getting better. We have three awesome players who contribute at both ends of the floor.

Four?

Do we have a fourth great? Very possibly. Richard "Rage" Jefferson will fit in wonderfully with this team. He can play off the ball and get shots off the play of others, and he can create shots for himself. He can sit in the corner and bury the open 3, or he can post up his man. He can also take his man off the dribble. He will spend most of his energy on the defensive end bullying the other team's best wing. He'll be a great if he is really good being a bully.

The Quiet Giant

Antonio McDyess is a quiet man and his play will be quiet. His ability to grab tough defensive rebounds, play physical defense, and hit open jumpers will be a huge part of the team's success. I think Antonio is the best big man to play next to Tim since David Robinson retired. He just has a great all-around game that will complement Tim's game wonderfully.

Bomb Brigade

We return three great 3-point shooters, all of whom should flourish with slightly reduced roles. Roger Mason, Michael Finley, and Matt Bonner shot 42.1%, 41.1%, and 44.0% respectively from long range last year. These are fantastic numbers that we want to see replicated. What we don't want to see replicated are 30.4, 28.8, and 23.8. Those were their minutes per game. Due to injuries and a lack of depth in the front court, all three played more minutes than I think is good for the team. I think we had to lean too hard on them. But, they are all back and they should all still be able to shoot.

Cubits, Baby, Cubits

You know I got on the George Hill bandwagon very early during the '08 Summer League debacle. I bought my George Hill jersey just about the time Pop sent him to the bench and declared him not ready for the playoffs. My faith wavered not. I started to really feel good about my decisions at '09 Summer League when George started showing his leadership skills. Now, after a very impressive preseason and effusive praise from Pop, I believe I know what my Halloween costume will be Saturday. Anybody know where I can find some long arms?

Oldies But Newies

The Spurs brought in a couple vets as situational players. Again, these guys are great complements to the team. Theo Ratliff and Keith Bogans were both brought in to play defense. Defense, defense, defense. I don't expect either to play more than about 8 minutes per game, but they should be very effective minutes. Will they score much? No. But if they can harass shooters, bang in the paint, and grab a couple rebounds . . . mission accomplished.

Beast, Man-Child, Freak of Nature

Yep, DeJuan Blair. He of the preseason double-double. He's the great wild card in the season. The greatest point of excitement. The unlimited upside. He can take over a game without ever running a play for him. Will he? On some nights, yes. Other nights, no. Anything he gives us will be a bonus. And I expect him to give us a lot.

Some Things I Will Keep An Eye On

Our defense in the last 3 minutes of games. Who's playing and how effective are we? You know, I know, and my dog knows that Pop will play with lineups during a game. He will play with different defenses. He will see what works. He will see what doesn't work. But, in the last 3 minutes, when it is winning time, he will go with his best. Pop, above all other things, will want to find out who his best defenders are and whether or not they can execute in the crunch. I expect we'll see a lot of Tony, Manu, Rage, Tim, and Antonio at the end of games. Look for George to be a situational substitution for Tony and Manu. Besides who is playing, how they play will be important. Will we play suffocating defense down the stretch of a game? This is the most important question in our season.

Manu's explosiveness. Manu has been the Spurs 4th-quarter master. He's the guy that has found a way to make plays. The 4th quarter is also when he has really looked to be aggressive scoring his own points. He needs his explosiveness to do it. When will he get it back and how much of it will he have? If Manu is able to recapture his 2008 physical form, well, I fear for the league. His explosiveness makes everybody that plays with him much, much better.

The second unit. I completely agree with Stampler. Our bench is the deepest in the league and, unlike the last two years, our second unit will build leads. In fact, as Stampler said, they will blow people out. Last year, everybody after the big 3 was a role player. Somebody that fit in with a particular skill. This year, we have guys that can make plays. Theo can block shots. DeJuan can get offensive rebounds. George can play tenacious defense. Rage can score his own points. This second unit has guys that can run over a team. Oh, and Manu will be leading that nasty second unit. Keep an eye on the second unit. Their ability to open up leads will be a huge benefit. However, their ability to close leads will be even better. How many times last year did it feel like our goose was cooked early in the second quarter? Tim and Tony had started -- Manu was injured -- the other team came out strong and got us down 8 early, then Tim and Tony went to the bench. We were trying to fight our way back into games with Fab, KT, Mason, Ime, and Jacque. This year, it will be George, Manu, FinDog, Blair, and Ratliff (we could also substitute Rage in for FinDog since I think we will rarely see 3 of the Big 4 on the bench). I don't know about you, but that lineup looks pretty damn good. I think it could win some games.

Player Expectations

Tim Duncan. King of the Spurs universe. In some ways, I expect this to be a down year for Tim statistically for anybody keeping an eye from a distance. I expect his points will be lower and you know that is 90% of what people pay attention to. I think his shot attempts and free throw attempts will be down. I think this will largely be because his minutes will be down AND that the team will run very little offense through him. HOWEVER, I think Tim is going to step up as a great garbage man. Expect his offensive rebound numbers to be up. Expect his rebounds per minute to be up. Expect his field goal percentage to go up. I think we will see relatively little of a very efficient Tim Duncan. Yeah, I'm worried about his knee and his mobility. But, we'll never know how he's doing. He'll play. He'll run the court. He won't complain.

Tony Parker. Offensive leader of the team. Tony just gets better every year on the offensive end. His one man fast break is one of the most amazing things in the NBA. The other team's need to game plan for him most likely represents itself in the fact that a relatively poor Spurs rebounding team last year was first in the league in defensive rebounding. Teams have to get back. Look for Tony to maintain his scoring average at 20-21 points per game, but look for his assists to get up in the 8+ range. Tony has better offensive players with him this year, and that will result in more passes to open players who can score.

Manu Ginobili. Leader of the second unit. Manu will be the pseudo-point guard of the second unit. George may bring the ball up the court, but Manu will initiate the plays. Again agreeing with Stampler, look for Manu to have great assist numbers playing with guys who can score on the second unit. Keep an eye on his 3-point shooting. If he gets his average up near 40%, he's going to be a nasty cover for teams.

Richard Jefferson. Defensive stopper. Rage's ability to be the primary wing defender will be critical to the team's overall defensive ability. If he can make the great scorers in the league work hard, then the Spurs will be in great shape. I know he'll fit in offensively. He'll sit in the corner and hit the open 3 when the other guys are doing their thing. He'll spend some time in the post when matchups call for it. And, he will be dangerous in the open floor with Tony and Manu.

Antonio McDyess. Veteran. I expect boring and solid. I expect many games where he doesn't do much but play 16 minutes and grab 4 rebounds. Those won't bother me. It's how he plays against the elite teams in the league that I want to see. Will he give us 10 and 10 against the Lakers? Can he lock up Gasol? Can he harass Dirk? Will he pull Shaq away from the basket? That's what we need from him. Don't judge him by a game against the Kings. Judge him by his ability to make solid plays in big games.

Michael Finley, Matt Bonner, Roger Mason. Shooters. These guys are here to shoot. Period. They will earn court time based on their ability to knock down 3 balls. As I said earlier, these guys can all shoot and I expect all of them to have fewer minutes. If any of them find that they don't have a good stroke this year, expect that person to see extended pine time. Don't get me wrong, they all know the system and be where they need to be. But they have to make shots.

George Hill. Backup point guard. The development of George Hill will be great to watch this season. I think we will see him playing 22 minutes per game. 14-16 as Tony's backup and 6-8 at shooting guard. Two things really impressed me in the game against the Thunder. One, he not only knocked down his corner threes, but he shot them aggressively and with confidence. Two, he attacked the rim and made a Tony-style layup where he extended his arm and flipped it up before the help defender could get over. Last year, he would try to get all the way to the rim and flip the ball up wildly off the side of the rim. He made layups harder than they needed to be. It looks like in one year, his offensive game has developed tremendously. But he's still a better defender. He's in the Bruce Bowen mold. He loves to defend. I think George is going to have a tremendous year. I think he'll end the year as one of the 20 best point guards in the league. I don't even think it will be debatable. Maybe, just this once, Pop isn't snowing us and George really is his favorite player.

DeJuan Blair. Wild card. If he gives us nothing, I think we have a great team. However, he's very capable of giving us 20 and 10 on any night. The best thing about Blair, and what separates him from any other Spur in the last 10 years, is that he can do it without ever having a play run for him. He can do it all without taking anything away from the team. DeJuan has something you don't see in very many hustle rebounders. Great touch. He has fantastic touch around the basket which gives him the ability to score. And score a bunch. DeJuan is a natural scorer. He knows how to use his body. He knows how to use the rim to protect against shot blockers. He has great footwork as well. His ability to put the ball in the bucket is what makes him special. He's not just a rebounder, which he will do plenty of, he's a scorer. And he scores off his rebounds. He's all upside. When you get a chance to watch him, watch his feet and watch how he scores. He's Ginobili-esque in his ability to get shots up in traffic and have them go in. I'm telling you. He's special.

Everybody else. Theo Ratliff, Keith Bogans, Marcus Haislip, Ian Mahinmi, and Malik Hairston. This team is so deep I'm afraid I forgot somebody. I think all these guys can help the team. I don't think any of them are 20 minutes per game guys. The contributions of these guys, along with the development of George and DeJuan, is what will keep our big guns fresh. Their ability to play well is what will get us a one or two seed in the West and home court advantage. They are important, but I think there will be small roles for each of them.

Defense

Back to basics. The team needs to get back to being a tenacious group. Our defense slipped a lot last year. Teams shot really well against us and we didn't cause turnovers and we didn't block shots. We need to get back to making teams uncomfortable. I think we have the personnel to do it. Defense is what the team will work hardest on all year. That's why Jefferson is so important. Look for us to be better in all three areas. Our defensive field goal percentage will be lower, we'll have more steals, and we'll block more shots. In general, I think teams will find us to be much more rugged.

Offense

Easy baskets. Our scoring out of our half court sets will be the same as always with a little less Tim. Tony and Manu will run the pick-and-roll. They'll drive. They'll kick out to 3-point shooters. Wash, rinse, repeat. However, I think we will be on the break more. For three reasons. One, we have more athletic personnel that will flourish in the open court with Tony's speed spearheading the attack. Two, our defense will create some havoc. Turnovers and blocked shots, and even stops, lead to more running opportunities. We wont' be the Suns, but we will get up and down the court some. Three, we will be a better offensive rebounding team. We really can't be worse, but I'd like to see us get to the middle of the pack.

My Outlook

I really think this will be the best team of the Spurs championship era. Pop won't push the older guys during the regular season like he used to. So I don't know if we will win 65 games. We very well might though if our second unit is as good as I think they will be. My schedule analysis said we win 56 games. I think that is worst case. I think we'll win 62-63 games. Best case, this team can win 66-67. Seriously, this is a very good team. This team is significantly better than last year. They are significantly better than every team in the West except the Lakers. This team is significantly better than every team in the East except the Celtics, Cavs, and Magic. This team should blow people out this year. I expect our point differential to be near 10 points per game this year through the end of January. We will be a juggernaut.

If you aren't excited about this season, you might not be a Spurs fan. If you are a Spurs fan, you should be excited about this season. Get ready. Get tickets. Watch games. This is going to be an amazing year. I'm just glad it's getting started. You should be too.

San Antonio Spurs Season Preview

Wayne Vore (ATS) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:08:26 -0000

I know what you are thinking. Why today, ATS? Why today for a team preview when the preseason has just started? Well, today is my day. As part of blogger preview organized by Jeff at CelticsBlog, I've got the Spurs on Saturday, October 10th. So let's get down to it.

With the Spurs offseason acquisitions putting them well into luxury tax land for the first time, there is only one sufficient outcome to this season. Winning it all. Will they do it? Let's take a look.

Front court

The front court is where the Spurs have the most significant changes. I'm considering small forwards to be part of the back court. This may sound strange to non-Spurs people, but the Spurs use their 2's and 3's interchangeably. Roger Mason, Manu Ginobili, and Michael Finley are just as likely to be on the court as a shooting guard as they are as a small forward.

The Spurs have seven players on the roster for the two front court positions. Of those seven players, two played in a game for the Spurs last season: Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner. The Spurs added Antonio McDyess, Theo Ratliff, and Marcus Haislip in free agency. They picked up DeJuan Blair in the draft. Ian Mahinmi missed the season with an injury and has played about 23 total minutes in his NBA career. Those five guys will be replacing the contributions of Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto. With so many people around, minutes are going to be hard to come by. I expect Tim's minutes to be down, but not by much. Expect stiff competition for playing time in the Spurs front court this year. AND, a really big and, that stiff competition presupposes that Popovich doesn't play small ball with either Finley or Jefferson at the 4.

Backcourt

Richard Jefferson is the big new name. Bruce Bowen is now in retirement. Ime Udoka and Jacque Vaughn were not resigned. The Spurs just recently signed Keith Bogans. With the holdovers from last year and the signing of Malik Hairston this summer, the Spurs back court now consists of: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson George Hill, Roger Mason, Michael Finley, Keith Bogans, Marcus Williams, and Malik Hairston. Yes, that is 16 players on the roster. Williams and Hairston are both on unguaranteed contracts and one of them won't be on the team. Still, that's a lot of depth. How deep?

Well, George Hill IS the backup point guard. He and Tony will get all the point guard minutes this year. Manu and Jefferson will get the bulk of the minutes (I'm calling over half "the bulk") at the 2 and the 3. That leaves about 40 minutes per game for Finley, Bogans, and Mason with the winner of the Williams/Hairston battle getting nothing.

Offense

The end of the Bruce Bowen era and the addition of Richard Jefferson gives the Spurs a completely different look on offense. We no longer have a player the opposition can ignore on defense. That's not quite true. Teams couldn't ignore Bruce because he could bury that corner three. However, they could hide their worst defensive player very easily. You just had to be warm to be able to guard Bruce. Gone are the days where Steve Nash would spend his game covering Bruce. Now, he gets Richard Jefferson? I don't think so. The offensive balance and ability to attack mismatches will be something new for Spurs fans. We might see some different looks this year and a reduced role for Tim.

In his media day interview, Manu flat-out said Tony Parker is the offensive leader of the team. I don't think this year's Spurs will be running nearly as much offense through Tim in the low blocks. We had been moving away from Tim in the last few years, but I expect him to be much less of a focus this year. I think Tim will be getting the ball a lot more on the move and in the high post than as a set play down in the blocks.

The last couple years the Spurs have lived and died by their 3-point shooting. When they were on, they were hard to beat. When they were off, they couldn't win. Michael Finley, Roger Mason, Bruce Bowen, and Matt Bonner are all spot shooters. We routinely had at least two of them on the court at one time. Add in a Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto, who doesn't really shoot at all, and the Spurs played large chunks of games with three guys on the court who specialized in standing still and shooting.

This year, I think the Spurs will be able to be more consistent scoring the ball and less reliant on 3-point shooting. I'd like to think the additions of Jefferson and McDyess as guys who can put the ball in the hole will keep teams from forcing the ball out of the hands of our stars and putting it in the hands of one dimensional shooters.

Oh, and having Manu back healthy will be a huge lift on the offensive end. His ability to drive and create for his teammates IS what he brings to the team. This team will be good offensively. In fact, I think they will be one of the most efficient offensive teams in the league.

Defense

Defensively is where I have the biggest question mark for the team. Last year was a huge step back in team defense for the Spurs. Perenially one of the best defensive teams in the league, the Spurs in '09 were nothing but ordinary. Will the addition of Jefferson and a longer, stronger, defensive focused front court players turn that around? I'm not sure. I hope so, but this is the one thing the team will have to prove on the floor this year.

The additions of McDyess and Ratliff give the Spurs some extra rebounding and shot blocking ability. Shot blocking, or even shot challenging, was something we didn't get last year out of Thomas, Oberto, and Bonner. The addition of Jefferson adds some size and athleticism on the wing.

Last year, the Spurs didn't make teams uncomfortable. They played smart, position defense. If a team could hit the jumper, we were content to let them take it. Hopefully, this year, we can start making teams uncomfortable again.

Athleticism, Length, and Energy

Where I hope we see the biggest improvement in the team is in the intangibles. The new roster changes infuse the team with desperately needed athleticism, length, and energy. The additions of Jefferson, Ratliff, McDyess, and Blair; and the emergence of George Hill, should help the Spurs with all the smaller things we didn't do well last year. A team that scraps for offensive rebounds. A team that tips rebounds. A team that challenges shots in the paint. A team that collects loose balls. A team that creates turnovers. A team that gets some easy baskets. A team that can win a game against a good team without playing a perfect game.

The Spurs will be good this year. They will be very good this year. But, they will need to be great. Will we see greatness? That is the question to be answered and I really like our chances.

RaptorsHQ at Media Day Part I - Jack, DeRozan, and Colangelo

RaptorsHQ - Franchise — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:58:51 -0000

With Media Day complete, the new Raptors' season is right around the corner...

View full size photo »

With Media Day over and training camp jumping off this morning in Ottawa, the season is about ready to get under way. Over the next few days, RaptorsHQ will be rolling out a series of interviews they did with players and coaches from Media Day and this morning Franchise kicks things off with chats with Jarrett Jack and DeMar DeRozan, in addition to an audio listen in on he and the media's scrum with Bryan Colangelo.

And they're off.

The media sessions are done for now, training camp is under way, and the season is finally right around the corner.

Yesterday evening I posted a quick recap of some of the key notes from yesterday's media event at the newly renovated ACC, but over the next few days we roll out the various individual interviews we did, in addition to some of the scrums we participated in.

We won't be attending training camp this year in Ottawa (damn real jobs) but we'll be touching base with a close friend of ours who's attending the action, Holly MacKenzie from The Score. Be sure to follow her on Twitter (http://twitter.com/stackmack) for all your Training Camp updates.

On to the interviews and first up, Bryan Colangelo.

I've posted this as an audio file because it was simply too long to transcribe. Even my portions of the scrum concerning new players and how close the Hedo situation was to not happening, brought forth long answers from the Lego Master.

When the audio file starts, Colangelo is in the middle of discussing the Bosh situation next year and how the apparent amalgamation of the agents of Bosh, James and Wade will impact said negotiations. What I unfortunately missed was the interesting point BC was making regarding his relationship with Leon Rose and Henry Thomas; from the Andrea extension this off-season (a strategic move then?) all the way back to the drafting of Michael Finley. I found this fascinating as it really showed just how important keeping good rapports with key agents is in the NBA, and that basketball savvy and cap management are only two parts of the "successful GM equation." You can have all the draft success you want but if you can't woo the agents to make sure said players stay around, you can find yourselves like the Minnesota Timberwolves - perpetually rebuilding.

To listen to the scrum, click here.

Up next we have Jarrett Jack.

I managed to grab Jack after he had already participated in the main scrum thereby allowing me to get some questions in that normally I wouldn't have had time to ask.

Franchise: How are you doing, bit of a circus here, Media Day!

Jarrett Jack: You know, as expected.

F: As expected. So how long have you been in the city now?

JJ: Almost...a little bit more than a week.

F: Ok, so have spent much time here in Toronto before?

JJ: Naaw, other than when we used to come here, then leave right after, that's pretty much the extent of it.

F: Ok, and what do you think of the city so far?

JJ: It's nice...I didn't expect it to be as cold as it is already....

F: I didn't either ha ha

JJ: (Laughs) I left most of my short-sleeve stuff at home.

F: No kidding. So talk a bit about your role on the team this year, I'm sure you've been asked this a ton of times; has Bryan and the coaching staff talked to you about sort of what they're looking for, and you know, what would you prefer I guess in terms of role?

JJ: I mean, I just want to go out there and have an opportunity to do what I do; meaning if I play the point or the 2, if I come off the bench or I start, whatever happens, happens and I'm just trying to make the most of my opportunity.

F: Any personal goals for you this season at all?

JJ: Get in the playoffs man. That's something I haven't experienced being in the NBA, and in college, I was in the postseason every year...

F: ...I'm a Duke fan...

JJ: Ohhhhhhhhhhh (Iaughing and mocking me)

F: so I was rooting against you a lot of the time...

JJ: ...well, you know, I think postseason play here in the NBA is something I'm looking forward to.

F: What about this offseason? Anything you worked on in particular, training, were you playing in any certain leagues with anyone?

JJ: Aaaah...ball handling and long-distance shooting. Those were my two main focuses, and trying to come back in the best shape I can.

F: Ok, and I know some of the talk about bringing you on was that this would be a real defensive anchor in the back-court for a team that really struggled in that regard last year, is that something you've been talked to about?

JJ: Yeah! For us to be successful we need to be efficient on both ends of the court; not only offensively but defensively being able to hold teams to one shot per possession, and also, rebound the basketball. That's two things that winning teams have and we've gotta adopt those philosophies.

F: Any projections for this year? Wins? Playoffs?

JJ: Um...I don't like to put a cap on it because you might say 50 wins and we might get 60 wins you what I mean. I don't want to put us on the downside at all...

F: ...but there are some nice pieces here right?

JJ: Definitely, definitely some nice pieces. We've been playing this past week and a lot of eye-brows have been raised on the amount of talent we have on the floor and I just think that ah, we'll create our own limits.

F: Who's surprised you the most of the players that you saw just playing with this week?

JJ: I wouldn't say suprising as I watch basketball all day every day. So was pretty much, kind of knowing everybody's ability; I know Marco can shoot the hell out of the ball, I know Andrea can shoot the hell out of the ball, I know Reggie is going to come in with toughness, and you know, play hard, Marcus is very, very quick with the basketball, Douby's a scorer...I was just happy that guys came in ready.

F: Definitely, that's the best thing.

F: Cool man, well thanks and good luck this season!

JJ: Thank you.

Finally, DeMar DeRozan was on his way out but I was lucky to be able to grab him for a quick second. Here was the discussion:

Franchise: So last time I got to talk to you was in Vegas.

DeMar DeRozan: Yeah!

F: Talk a bit about what you've done since Vegas - you know online on Twitter, a lot of fans see you talking a lot about hitting the gym, working on your jump shot and stuff, what's sort of been your main focus this offseason?

DD: You know, just getting my jump shot as pure as I can, getting my defence up to par, getting everything better! I'm trying to polish up my whole game so the upcoming season I can be the best player I can be.

F: Ok, and have the coaches talked to you at all about starting, or your role with the team?

DD: I'm just coming in, doing everything I can. When it's time for me to know then it's time for me to know but right now, I'm just trying to be the best player I can be.

F: And what about this week, I know you guys got a few runs in, any players that jumped out at you? I heard Sonny was trying to dunk on everyone.

DD: Yeah...Sonny (laughs) athletic. I love Sonny. You know, everybody, everybody out here surprised me doing a little bit of everything so it's great.

F: Do you feel the excitement level now with all the media stuff started, and now, you know, you're here - NBA time?

DD: Definitely. I definitely feel it, especially as a rookie going through the whole process, it's great.

F: What about, have you talked to Tim Floyd at all or any of the USC situation?

DD: I haven't talked to Tim Floyd recently but I'll probably get in touch with him in a bit, try to you know, get a little bit of advice on everything.

F: Ok. So what are you listening to right now? Give me something that people in the T-Dot need to hear.

DD: Jay-Z Blueprint III!

F: Blueprint III? You feeling Blueprint III?

DD: Yeah, for sure.

F: Have you listened to Raekwon at all?

DD: Oh yeah.

F: You like Blueprint III better?

DD: Hmmmm...you know, both of those are great albums so I could listen to both of them all day.

F: Some hot stuff coming out right now for sure. Cool man, thanks for your time, good luck with the season and I'm sure we'll be talking again soon.

DD: Yesssir!

FRANCHISE

The Spurs Roster and Front Office - Method? Or Madness?

Wayne Vore (ATS) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:34:21 -0000

Theo Ratliff is a San Antonio Spur!!!! Fire up the outboard on your river float. Another championship is coming our way! What? You don't think Theo is the missing piece of the puzzle?

For your listening pleasure while you read, I present Radio Citizen featuring Bajka doing The Hop. I really like Bajka. I didn't select this for any reason. It is what started playing on Radio Paradise when I started writing this.

Now, About That Roster

With the signing of Theo Ratliff, the Spurs have 15 guys under contract for the 09-10 season. However, the common belief is that Malik Hairston and Marcus Williams have unguaranteed contracts. Odds are, the Spur have the option on these until after training camp. However, that is just speculation on my part. I'm not sure when their contract guarantee dates are. The current roster is:

Why Theo?

Lots of discussion has arisen regarding Theo being our 7th big. I'm not sure it really can be seen as much of anything. I don't think it is an indicator of future moves. I think it was more a case of something that was the best thing to do at the time. Here's why.

I can't speak to Theo Ratliff's skills and whether or not he fits the Spurs system. If the Spurs front office signed him, I have to think they think he will be useful. You know, because that is what they do and it is NOT what I do. I give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to evaluating talent and how it fits their system. I'm benevolent like that. You may bow before me and my magnanimosity (I spelled that correctly without even looking it up. Score).

What I can say, is that he was CHEAP. He signed for the veteran minimum. He's an old vet, which means the league picks up the tab on like half his salary. Maybe it doesn't even count against the luxury tax which makes him that much more of a bargain.

The Spurs System and Balance of Skills

Before bashing the front office for signing a 7th big, I think you have to look at how the Spurs seem to put pieces together. In general, over the last few years, the Spurs have constructed the roster so that we didn't have many duplicate parts. Different people brought different things and nobody was redundant.

In many ways, the Spurs consider their 4's and 5's to be interchangeable so I don't think it is worth breaking down into PF and C. The fact that we call Matt Bonner a center is proof enough.

In the front court, Kurt Thomas was a banger and had a mid-range jumper. Fab was a banger with passing ability and no jumper. Matt Bonner had 3-point range. Francisco was a jumper who could run.

Last year we had: Tim, Matt, Kurt, Fab, Ian, and Drew Gooden

This year, up front, with Tim are Antonio, Matt, Ian, DeJuan, Marcus, and Theo. We have quite the variety of skills and a little more depth. In addition, Haislip can be considered a 3/4. Last year we didn't have a 3/4.

The Spurs also use their 2's and 3's pretty interchangeably. On the wing, Bruce played tenacious D and hit the corner three. Ime was a power defender who could handle the rare powerful small forward that gave Bruce problems. Brent Barry was the 3-point specialist who could pass and was good if the other team didn't have a wing that required a good defender. We were as likely to see Manu and Finley as Manu and Barry or Finley and Bruce.

I think the place we got the extra room for the 7th big is at the point guard. We have always carried three point guards. Three true point guards. Tony, Nick, Beno. Tony, Beno, The JV. Tony, George, The JV. Ok, I'm busted. George isn't quite a true point guard, but I think he is close. NOTE: I use true point guard and not pure point guard. By true point guard, I only mean somebody who adept at getting the ball up the court and the team into their offense. For all the knocks we throw at Tony, you can't pressure him. He would destroy you.

This year, we have Tony and George. In addition, two of our wings are capable of running the point as well. Both Roger Mason and Manu can get the ball up court and the team into their offense. With that flexibility, I think the Spurs front office felt they didn't need to sign the third point guard. NOTE: I know Tim at 48MoH is big on Marcus Williams as a point forward. I'm not hopping on that bus until I see him do it a few times. Even if it is in the preseason. I'll acknowledge that Tim has me intrigued and I would like to see it, but I'm not counting as a yardbird just yet.

I Declare

I think it is method. I think we used the extra point guard spot freed up from the flexibility of our guards to add some flexibility and insurance to our frontcourt.

We have a lot of youth in our frontcourt and we have a lot of age in our frontcourt. I don't think we can expect a lot of production out of Blair, Mahinmi, and Haislip. I'll take it. I just don't think we can count on it. I don't think we can expect a lot of minutes out of Tim, Antonio, and Theo. And, in fact, I won't take it. I don't want them a logging a lot of minutes this season. I want them to be healthy at playoff time.

If you think about it, their isn't a lot of redundancy. Maybe Theo and Ian would be providing similar things. Maybe Haislip and Bonner are providing similar things. If Ian and Marcus end up being good enough to make Theo and Bonner not useful, that's a good thing, right?

I think the 7th big is a very good thing. I don't think it is costing us anything from our squad by doing it.