Are we looking at the Spurs parting ways with both of these guys?? I have pretty much figured that Anderson was going bye bye when the Spurs didn't re-sign him this last year and since you are seeing his usage be relegated like tonight as the "Designated Fouler" at the end of the 1st half. Blair on the other hand had been starting until Diaw was signed (I sure do like that pick up :-) ) and so far in the playoffs he hasn't seen anything that even resembles significant minutes in either quantity or quality. I have also noticed that Bonner has seemed to have fallen out of favor and that doesn't bother me at all. It's going to be an interesting off season for the Spurs.

Since the Spurs traded away their first round draft choice in the RJ/Jack trade, who do you think the Spurs will convince to come over from Europe to play here next year. Will it be RIchards, Lorbek, Bertans, Hanga or..........?? My guess it will be at least one of them or the Spurs will have to depend on FA to add to the team. Three of them are PF or at least forwards. It's the area where we need the most help now that SF is apparently taken care of by Leonard. What a nice surprise he has been.

The New Orleans Hornets are shopping Chris Kaman and are not going anywhere this season. The San Antonio Spurs should be shopping Richard Jefferson. We should send R J to the Hornets for Kaman and keep James Anderson. Trading Richard Jefferson is even better than amnestying him next year. Even though it would be a trade in our division I don't think it would hurt the Spurs. I think keeping James Anderson and giving him a decent shot at developing would be better than letting him go and having to amnesty RJ.

Do either Lorbek or Richards factor into the Spurs this year?? I know months ago that Lorbek was saying he wanted to play for the Spurs this year. How is Richards doing?? I am constantly amazed by everyone's always looking for help "outside the organization" rather than developing it from within. Leonard is such an example - doesn't he play SF??? I sure thought he did and when he was drafted all the Pundits seemed to think that the Spurs got the steal of the draft. There are several other players who also can play SF. At some time, some day, we are going to depend on these players - why not now - we might just be surprised. OH and BTW - get RJ put of dodge - soon.

There have been several scenarios where ESPN and others have looked at  Draft picks from 2011 and how the draft would affect 2012 draftees.  Figuring out how it would affect the Spurs is interesting.  Imagine POP having to deal with a minimum of three 1st round draft choices on the team at the same time.  I say 3 because I doubt the Spurs would
trade away their draft pick in what is regarded as the best draft in several years.  That said, NEW inexperienced players would make up a significant portion of the team.

It appears that Slovenian Big Man Erazem Lorbek is serious about playing for the Spurs next season - whenever "Next Season" is.  He has already told the Slovenian National Team that he isn't going to play for them.  I would welcome another true 6'10" big man on the team.  He can even shoot the three at 37+%.

Here is the link:  http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/07/11/lorbek-reportedly-wants-to-join-spurs/

Well, the Heat aren't going to go 82-0.  Looking at the Box score there was 43 minutes of LeBron and not much else!!  LBJ's teams seem to be good at THUD lately - especially in the Boston Garden.  Bosh didn't show up, nor did Wade.  I doubt that LBJ can average 43 minutes a night for the whole season.  It just goes to show that it takes a whole TEAM to win in the NBA with any consistency.  Yup there will be nights when they all are on and they destroy the Cavs, or the Grizzlies, or maybe even the Warriors or the Clippers, but there are going to be a lot of really NORMAL nights too and I suspect the loss total will certainly exceed 12.  Seventy wins - who are they kidding.

My guess is that the Spurs MAY keep 14 even though they are saying 13.  I suspect that they will cut Gee and Cousin and keep Temple and Simmons.  Its really hard to figure out Gee - they made the extra effort to go and sign him quick when he became available from the Wizards.  Temple is supposedly a POP favorite.  Simmons is a veteran whom has been getting some good press about his defense lately.  I suspect they will cut Cousin, but they obviously have seen something they like and probably wish they could protect him some way.

Its seems Da-Beast has been working on more than just a shot this last off-season.  It appears that although his weight has stayed the same, he has gone from 15% body fat to 8% body fat, becoming much more Beastly in the process.  As far as a shot, the Bleacher-report says he has developed  "A jump hook. A tear drop. A jump shot. It's still early, but — note to Popovich — Blair might actually have some moves now. If Blair has his way, this is all just the beginning.  “It's going to take time in a game,” Blair said. “This was first real game since the last playoff game. I'm taking my time, hoping to work up to that.”  Apparently he just missed going end to end for a dunk when the ball slipped from his hands during the scrimmage on Sunday.  If he keeps working on his game we may see some Charles Barkley type production yet.  Could he compete for most improved??

Maybe this is why the Spurs didn't try harder to sign Matt Barnes.  It is uncanny how players that the Spurs don't sign somehow come up with Legal Problems.  Admittedly, it is only a charge of Domestic Violence, not proven, but since there is also a charge of tampering with a phone line something is amiss.  I'll accept the Spurs front office's decisions on whether or not to pursue certain players

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=5549456

Brazil lost to Argentina today, and as far as I can tell Tiago Splitter is healthy.  Come on home Big guy and get ready for the season.  You have done your duty to your country, but its now time to get ready for the Spurs Pre-season.  I am very thankful that he made it through the Worlds without injury.  I am just as happy that our other guys chose to stay home this year. 

I know all the knocks on Huertas, his arms are too short, he's too old, etc etc etc.  HOWEVER, against the US team he accorded himself quite well.  Huertas was the Field General for Brazil against the USA and did it playing against some pretty stiff competition.  He has outstanding court vision ala Steve Nash and playing against Billups and Rose he more than held his own.  I would be very happy to have him as our backup point guard.

How does one tell if a foreign player has to be drafted vs just signed??  Why is it we had to Draft Splitter and Nando, where as the big Greek guy Bourosis just wants to able to SIGN with the Spurs??  How can we tell which is which??  There has to be an excellent SF prospect somewhere in Europe that plays excellent defense and can shoot 3's that the Spurs could find and sign.

A really good article that indicates with the influx of foreign players over the last 10 years or so (hats off to the Spurs) and different systems such as the Triangle and the Flex, that traditional positions 1-5 are really not as relevant today as in the past.  An excellent post with far more info than I know. Maybe the Spurs know they don't need a traditional backup for RJ.

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/19365/positions-and-systems

"Austin Burton was on hand at Rucker Park in Harlem last weekend for the World Basketball Festival when Kobe Bryant addressed the media:
Kobe said the influence of international players in the NBA has helped create a “hybrid” culture, where players of all sizes possess skills in all areas and can conceiveably play any position on the floor.

“That’s the one difference I’d like to see us kind of shift to,” Kobe said.

This vision of five basketball players, devoid of traditional positional constraints, passing and cutting and posting and shooting and dribbling with equal aplomb, is near. The concept of players assuming a definite position on the floor and sticking to that role is fading away like one of Kobe’s jumpers, as a new age of hyrbids begin to take over the game." ............

It's interesting to compare RJ's scoring averages to Melo's scoring averages:

Jefferson 2009/10      FG% - .467   3 pt - .316   FT - .735   Rebounds 4.4

Jefferson Career         FG% - .469   3 pt - ..348  FT - ..778  Rebounds 5.1

Melo          2009/10        FG%-  ..458  3pt - .316   FT- ..830   Rebounds 6.6

Melo Career                    FG% - .459   3pt - .308   FT - .801    Rebounds 6.2

Isn't it interesting to see the reputations that each of these players have.  Melo was a star last year - destined for a max contract.  Jefferson was a Donkey, needs to be traded.  Do we ask too much of our players in SA??

In an interview with Espn, Eva says that Tony Parker wants to play in New York.    She made the comment while she and Tony were attending a soccer game at Madison Sq. Garden this past weekend.  I know no one wants to hear this, but I would guess that she has Tony's permission to make statements of this type, even if he is not in a position to make the comment himself.  If that is so, whom might we be amenable to trading Parker for, before he bolts??  

Here is the quote from ESPN - "Longoria was asked if Parker's presence at the game meant he was coming to New York. According to the New York Post, she said, "No, we're just here watching [Henry]."

When asked if her husband wanted to come to New York, she said, "Yes.""

ESPN has a ranking going on again this year in which they rank teams "FUTURES" based on things like Management Quality, Player Quality, Drafting, Team Finances, etc.  As of today, they have ranked numbers 11-30.  There are some surprising teams that appear quite low in the rankings.  For instance, Phoenix ranks number 28, yup that is right 28 out of 30.  Dallas ranks 14.  These are teams that we think of as perennial powerhouses.  So far they haven't ranked the Spurs, OKC, Houston, Lakers, Portland,  Denver, Utah. That only leaves three teams from the East (Miami, Orlando, Chicago) in the top10.   Those rankings should come out tomorrow.  It appears the long term power still resides in the West.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-3-100803