Express News: Hill and Mason find rhythm in Spurs' backcourt

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/gen/ap/BKN_Spurs_No_Name_Backcourt.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=0

By Colin Fly

MILWAUKEE — San Antonio's new starting backcourt of George Hill and Roger Mason Jr. sounds more like a pair of architects or investment bankers.

Actually, that's half true.

Mason is an avid reader of Architectural Digest magazine, and studied the subject while at the University of Virginia.

He even used to sneak into homes in Washington, D.C. with his brother, Frank, when he was younger.

"We probably weren't supposed to," Mason said.

Now Frank is the investment banker, and Mason is building a new future as a scorer with the Spurs missing superstars Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili due to injuries.

"My career has been windy," Mason said Wednesday night before San Antonio's 82-78 loss at Milwaukee. "Last year was really my first opportunity. I'd been in the league for three years, but I never averaged more than 8 minutes a game."

Then Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas got hurt, and Mason, who also spent time playing in Europe and Israel while rehabbing from major shoulder surgery, stepped in and averaged 9.1 points per game for Washington before signing with the Spurs in the offseason.

"It's one thing to get an opportunity, it's another thing to make the most of it," Mason said.

He's getting a bigger chance now. Parker will miss about a month due to a moderate left ankle sprain, and Ginobili hasn't played this season and isn't scheduled to be back from left ankle surgery until December.

"I was just getting used to Tony, and he gets so much attention, so it's pretty easy to play off him," Mason said. "Now he's out, so I've got to get used to playing with George a little bit more."

San Antonio used the 26th pick in this year's draft to take Hill, and while he's learning on the fly, he's also got a style all his own. He jams to Weezer's "Say It Ain't So" with his cousins to the video game "Rock Band" — not "Guitar Hero: World Tour" like Kobe Bryant has appeared in commercials for — and he's almost always the drummer.

"I like to play Rock Band — a lot," Hill said.

He's finding his rhythm on the court, too, after three seasons at IUPUI.

"Any time you come in and you have a player like Tony go down, it's always different, you can't be a Tony Parker, but I think it's just staying focused and doing what got me here," Hill said. "The only thing I think I want to accomplish is giving my team the best chance to win games, and I think that's what I'm doing right now."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Hill is taking advantage of his opportunity and that Mason is even more vital than his current average of 15.2 points per game.

"He's been of paramount importance to us because he's really been a scorer for us," Popovich said. "I think when we get healthy, his real value will show. It'll make us a pretty deep team I think. But at this point, he's saving us in certain situations — even games we lost — we would have been in worse shape without his contributions."

Popovich also said he's having fun teaching the younger players on his roster who have been forced to play important roles.

"It's like coaching Tony all over again to coach George Hill," Popovich said. "It always is fun because you get to go back and teach things that maybe you haven't had to teach in a while because that happened years ago. So starting at the beginning with some guys is a lot of fun."

Mason said Hill won't be another Parker, who gets his share of headlines off the court for his marriage to actress Eva Longoria.

"The one before him got the movie star girlfriend, then wife," Mason said. "Hopefully he's not too concerned about that."

The thing is Hill — who has a girlfriend — doesn't have to be like Parker, because in San Antonio's system, it's all about playing an assigned role and feeding Tim Duncan.

"They've been built around the Big Three — Tony, Manu and Tim," Mason said. "They get guys that not only can play basketball, but are high character guys, too."

Express News: Spurs fall short again

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_fall_short_again.html

MILWAUKEE — If Gregg Popovich had been awarded one wish walking into the Bradley Center on Wednesday night, it would have been this:

For the Spurs to play defense as well and as hard as they had the night before against New York.

If Popovich had been awarded a second wish upon leaving the Bradley Center some hours later, it would have been this: Eighty-three points.

That's all it would have taken.

One wish granted, one wish denied, the Spurs left Milwaukee on the wrong end of an 82-78 tally against the Bucks, their bid for the season's first winning streak rebuffed by one clank-filled stretch of the fourth quarter.

“If we can hold a team to 82 points, I'm thrilled, I'm jumping up and down,” Popovich said. “We ought to be able to win that basketball game.”

Richard Jefferson scored 19 points to lead a balanced list of five players in double figures for the Bucks, who overcame a nearly game-long deficit to break their three-game losing streak.

The Bucks outscored the Spurs 14-2 to start the fourth quarter, transforming what had once been a 13-point Spurs lead into a narrow Milwaukee victory.

The Spurs had a chance to tie with five seconds left, but Tim Duncan's short hook missed.

At 2-5, this is the Spurs' worst start since going 2-13 to open the 1996-97 campaign. Wednesday's loss marked their third of the season by five points or fewer.

“The whole thing is frustrating now matter how you look at it,” said Duncan, who led the Spurs with 24 points.

Less than 24 hours removed from a hard-earned 92-80 victory over New York, accomplished with injured guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili inactive, the Spurs ran headlong into a reality check in Milwaukee.

For the second game in a row, the Spurs held an opponent to a season scoring low. This time, they couldn't score enough for it to matter.

“We're a little challenged offensively right now,” Popovich said.

This is what life will look like for the Spurs with two of their three top scorers sidelined. They will have to fight and claw and scratch and defend, defend, defend just to stay in games.

And sometimes, perhaps often, it won't be enough.

Up until the fourth quarter, Wednesday appeared to be one of those nights when it would be enough.

The defensive energy the Spurs used to suffocate the Knicks the night before carried over, as the Bucks — playing their fifth game without leading scorer Michael Redd — shot below 38.6 percent for the first three quarters.

The Spurs did not trail from the 10:23 mark of the first quarter until the 8:25 mark of the fourth, when Jefferson swished a 19-footer to put Milwaukee ahead 63-61.

“San Antonio isn't at full strength, but they're a very disciplined team,” Jefferson said. “They're going to win a lot of games at half strength.”

No matter how hard the Spurs might have wished it, this wasn't destined to be one of them.

Ahead by 12 points at the half, and by six entering the fourth quarter, the Spurs suddenly went cold from the field. And the Bucks suddenly couldn't miss.

Milwaukee's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, a rookie from UCLA making his first career start, had eight points in the fourth quarter, while Ramon Sessions had nine.

When Andrew Bogut dunked home Sessions' lone fourth-quarter miss with 5:24 to go, it gave Milwaukee a 69-61 lead.

That cued Duncan, who totaled 14 of his points in the game's final 41/2 minutes to help keep the Spurs in wishing distance. Michael Finley, who finished with a season-high 19 points, hit a 3-pointer with 12.3 seconds left to pull the Spurs within one.

Sessions missed the second of two free throws at the other end, giving Spurs a shot to tie. But Duncan's hook was short, and Jefferson hit two clinching foul shots at the other end.

“The bottom line is we made enough plays to win the game,” Duncan said. “We just didn't do it in time.”

Yet another case of too little, too late. It was, however, encouraging to see the Spurs come out strong for once.

For the first time this season, the Spurs found a comfort zone, then they let themselves fall asleep in it. This is one of those lessons that seems to be learned every season.

Still, every win without Parker and Ginobili is crucial, and the Spurs should've had that one in their back pocket.

Express News: Spurs' life Without Parker

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_life_without_Parker.html

The Spurs played their first game without Tony Parker on Tuesday, but it won’t be their last. Here’s a look at the Spurs’ schedule the next four weeks, the length of time Parker is expected to miss with a left ankle injury.

Today at Bucks: Tough turnaround after facing running team night before.

Friday vs. Rockets: Unlike Spurs’ Big Three, Rockets’ Big Three are all healthy.

Sunday at Kings: Catching them at right time — Kevin Martin just got hurt.

Monday at Clippers: No time to rest — Clippers now have Baron Davis and Marcus Camby.

Nov. 19 vs. Nuggets: Spurs don’t have Parker, but Denver has Chauncey Billups.

Nov. 21 vs. Jazz: Utah went 5-1 without Deron Williams, who made debut Tuesday.

Nov. 24 at Grizzlies: Memphis boasts Rudy Gay and a perfect record at home.

Nov. 26 vs. Bulls: Fans miss out on chance to see top pick Derrick Rose face Parker.

Nov. 28 vs. Grizzlies: Memphis is only 1-5 on road this season.

Nov. 29 at Rockets: No time to rest before facing Ron Artest, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady.

Dec. 2 at Warriors: Golden State’s Monta Ellis out at least another month.

Dec. 3 at Nuggets: Altitude won’t be fun after playing previous night.

Express News: Coach Tim Making Presence Felt

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Coach_Tim_making_presence_felt.html

By Mike Finger

In a few years, Jacque Vaughn will be looking for work as an NBA coach. The competition among cerebral, well-liked former players will be fierce and the openings will be in short supply, but Vaughn already is pretty sure he won't have to worry about beating out one potential applicant.

“Timmy (Duncan) has no chance,” Vaughn said. “He doesn't have nearly enough patience for it.”

If he ever had the patience to begin with, nights like Tuesday ensure it won't last long. As the Spurs and their guests spent much of the evening trying to prove that a sexual harassment trial wasn't necessarily the ugliest chapter in New York Knicks history, Duncan watched a patched-together crew of no-name rookies and creaky-kneed old-timers make the wrong cuts, miss the open man and fumble away entry passes.

And then?

Coach Tim made a few adjustments.

Gregg Popovich did his share of tinkering, too, but even he admitted he can't do as much with his words as Duncan can. Popovich said Duncan is “the biggest reason we've got a comfort level out there,” and the fact that the Spurs have any kind of a comfort level at all without Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili is a story in itself.

But the other news is that as the Spurs have limped to their worst start in the Duncan era — a 1-4 skid they finally ended with a 92-80 victory at the AT&T Center on Tuesday — Duncan has reeled off one of his best stretches as an on-court member of Popovich's staff.

He's taken George Hill aside and reminded him about the importance of moving without the ball. He's been in the ear of Anthony Tolliver and barking orders on defense. He's pointed at Roger Mason Jr. and waved him in the right direction. He's taken control of timeouts, and, on at least one occasion against the Knicks, gathered his teammates around him for extra instruction after Popovich was finished with them.

This is no longer the lead-by-example MVP. This is now the lead-by-telling-you-you'd-better-dang-well-hedge-on-that-next-screen-or-you're-going-to-be-running-extra-wind-sprints Popovich-in-training.

“Five years ago, I don't know if Timmy would have felt comfortable doing that kind of stuff,” said Vaughn, the 11th-year backup point guard who's doing his own share of mentoring in the locker room these days. “Now, with this team, it's kind of a necessity.”

And it's not as though Duncan's teammates are the only ones who are noticing. Before Tuesday's game, when someone asked Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni about the Spurs' early-season struggles, D'Antoni responded by saying, “You know Popovich and Duncan will eventually figure it out,” as if the power forward was as much responsible for coming up with a solution as the head coach.

This seemed perfectly reasonable when talking about the Spurs, but it's still unique. That quote wouldn't have made as much sense, for instance, if another coach had subbed the words “Popovich and Duncan” with “D'Antoni and Marbury.”

Duncan has as much influence on his organization as any player in the league, and while that's not a recent development, the way he's exerted it has evolved. In the preseason, Duncan was a regular fixture in the coaches' huddles at the start of timeouts, and an hour before Tuesday's tipoff, he was conducting an impromptu film session with Mason and Hill in the locker room.

Popovich said it's Duncan's empathy, more than anything else that makes him an effective leader.

“He allows people to feel comfortable,” Popovich said. “He doesn't make them feel foolish.”

Sometimes he toes the line, though. After Hill didn't complete a move to the basket early in Tuesday's game, Duncan scowled and snapped at him. Repeatedly this season, Duncan has told Hill to fake high before cutting low.

Later, after Hill made a cut in the second half, Duncan walked over to him again. And this time, he congratulated his rookie point guard on following instructions.

Hill, who was expecting another lecture, couldn't believe it.

“I didn't even realize I did it,” Hill said. “It just kind of soaked in, I guess.”

Coach Tim would take some satisfaction in that comment, which has implications for Vaughn and his job search, too.

He might end up with some competition yet.

Express News: Spurs break through at home

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_break_through_at_home.html

Mike D’Antoni walked into the AT&T Center for the first time as coach of the New York Knicks on Tuesday morning, and the memories came flooding back.

“Right there,” D’Antoni said, pointing to a spot on the arena floor. “That’s the scene of the disaster.”

Let the record show he was referring to Robert Horry’s infamous hip check of Steve Nash in the 2007 playoffs, back when D’Antoni was coaching the Phoenix Suns. He was not referring to the injury-plagued mess that had become of the Spurs’ November.

For one night, at least, the Spurs were able to remove the caution tape from around their home court. With injured stars Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in street clothes — and with their team’s best hope for victory supposedly resting with them — the Spurs dug deep to beat the mercurial Knicks 92-80.

Tim Duncan scored 23 points while a pair of former starters — Michael Finley and Bruce Bowen — combined for 27 off the bench, as the Spurs won at home for the first time this season.

The Spurs (2-4) came in reeling from their worst five-game start in 12 seasons and facing up to four more weeks without their high-scoring guards.

They responded as they often have over the past several seasons, winding up their defense and setting it loose on the unsuspecting Knicks.

The Spurs held the Knicks — pinball wizards averaging 102.5 points per game — to their lowest scoring output of the season. New York (4-3) managed to shoot just 38 percent from the floor.

“It was out best defensive game of the year,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “and that’s the reason for the win.”

In some ways, Tuesday night was throwback night at the AT&T Center.

Without Parker and Ginobili, the Spurs’ offense looked straight out of 2001: Dump the ball to Duncan and get out the way.

He made 11 of 17 from the field, and dropped in 15 points in the first half.

Finley looked like he was back in Dallas again, finishing with 14 points.

Coming off the bench for the first time in a Spurs’ uniform, Bowen looked like he was back in Miami.

He responded with 13 points and three 3-pointers — including a back-breaker to put the Spurs up 87-75 with 2:50 to play.

Meanwhile, the Spurs’ once-vaunted defense — the foundation of four titles in 11 seasons — made its season debut.

Ahead 67-64 entering the third quarter, the Spurs held New York to just 16 points in the fourth.

“We got stops, and that’s San Antonio basketball,” said Roger Mason Jr., whose team had been giving up more than 105 points per game.

Throwback night, however, only went so far.

With his team playing for the first time since Parker sprained his ankle, Popovich trotted out a lineup he couldn’t have just two seasons ago.

George Hill started in place of Parker, the first Spurs’ rookie to do that since Beno Udrih in 2004-05. Alongside him in the backcourt were a first-year Spur (Mason) and second-year Spur (Ime Udoka).

Hill accomplished his most pressing mission.

He looked like an NBA point guard, finishing with 12 points and infusing the Spurs with some much-needed youthful exuberance.

The Spurs didn’t always play better Tuesday than they had in five previous outings. But, often, they played harder.

Snapshots from the fourth quarter bear that out.

It was Anthony Tolliver skidding across the floor for a loose ball.

It was Bowen sliding in to draw a charge on little Nate Robinson.

It was Finley — never paid for his defense — bodying up Quentin Richardson and forcing him into a traveling violation.

By night’s end, even D’Antoni was having flashbacks.

Some of the Spurs’ faces had changed. But the results looked awfully familiar.

“These guys are just tough,” D’Antoni said. “Been tough. Are tough. Will be tough.”

NYTimes: Knicks Let Spurs Slip Away in the Fourth Quarter

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/sports/basketball/12knicks.html?_r=1&ref=basketball&oref=slogin

By HOWARD BECK
Published: November 11, 2008

SAN ANTONIO — The dictionary does not have an entry or the proper spelling for the word Mike D’Antoni used to describe the horrors he has endured at AT&T Center. When prompted for his memories, he could only muster a nasty shriek: “Auuugghhhh!”

The San Antonio Spurs have that kind of effect on people. They ruined many springs for the Phoenix Suns and were partly responsible for D’Antoni leaving Phoenix for New York.

The Knicks are not the Suns and the Spurs are not exactly the Spurs at the moment, but the outcome Tuesday night was all too familiar — cool efficiency from Tim Duncan, timely shooting from Michael Finley and Bruce Bowen, and a 92-80 victory for San Antonio.

“We just weren’t sharp,” D’Antoni said after the Knicks let a close game slip away in a ghastly fourth quarter. “We had chances.”

This was, in fact, the best chance the Knicks have had in years to beat the Spurs. Their All-Star guards, Manu Ginóbili and Tony Parker, are out until December because of injuries. Their championship core is aging. They had lost four of their first five games.

But the Spurs ran their offense through Duncan, and he dominated the game without even trying. He finished with a near triple-double: 23 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.

“He ain’t getting older, he’s getting better,” Zach Randolph said of Duncan. “He’s a tough player.”

Bowen and Finley, championship veterans who are now coming off the bench, hit critical 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Spurs (2-4) pulled away.

The Knicks (4-3), carrying the momentum of a three-game winning streak, were still high after Sunday’s victory over Utah. A win here would have cemented their progress. Instead, the Spurs gave D’Antoni nasty flashbacks and probably made him a little wistful for his old roster.

The Knicks converted just 38 percent of their field-goal attempts and are now 0-3 when they fail to score 100 points. They had a 4-point lead in the second quarter and a 6-point lead early in the third, but never found a way to break the game open against the Spurs’ still-stingy defense.

“Once you put them in a hole, they could’ve crumbled a little bit,” D’Antoni said. “But we just couldn’t get a lead, and it’s easier to shoot when you’re up than when you’re down.”

The Knicks fell behind by 7 points in the third quarter, tied the score at 64-64, then disintegrated. Bowen hit a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer, igniting a 14-0 burst that put the game away. The Knicks opened the fourth quarter with five missed shots and three turnovers.

Jamal Crawford led the Knicks with 28 points, but he was held to one field goal by Bowen in the fourth quarter. Randolph was the only other Knicks’ starter to score in double figures, finishing with 15 points and 13 rebounds. But he missed 11 of his 18 field-goal attempts as he tried to match Duncan shot for shot.

So the Knicks wasted a rare chance to beat the Spurs in a rare vulnerable moment and lost to them for the seventh straight time.

At tip-off, the Spurs were nearly unrecognizable, with Roger Mason, Ime Udoka and the rookie George Hill standing alongside Duncan. Coach Gregg Popovich started Udoka over Bowen in attempt to spark the lineup.

Udoka did not make a shot until early in the third quarter, after missing his first eight. Mason hit his first shot in the final minutes of the period. But he finished with 7 points in the fourth.

The Spurs are again looking like a team in its twilight. But then, they are written off nearly every year at this time. D’Antoni knows them too well to believe it.

“If you also look at the banners, every two years they seem to put one up,” he said. “And this is the year that they don’t have one up there. You know that Popovich and Duncan will figure it out. And Parker will eventually get well and so will Ginóbili. And by the end of the year they’ll be there. That’s a sure thing.”

REBOUNDS

Danilo Gallinari’s back troubles have flared up again, casting doubt on his rookie season. Gallinari stayed in New York to have a magnetic resonance imaging test. Results were not immediately available. “His back just flared up again,” Mike D’Antoni said. “He was making progress, and then one morning he said he couldn’t put his pants on.” Team officials are hopeful that Gallinari can avoid surgery, but they cannot rule it out. “I’m worried about it at this point,” D’Antoni said. ... If there were any lingering doubts that Stephon Marbury has no future with the Knicks, D’Antoni dispelled them Tuesday when he activated Eddy Curry, who has a sore knee, rather than Marbury, to take Gallinari’s roster spot. “I just think it’s better that I’m going to play my guys,” D’Antoni said. “So there’s no reason to change course right now.” ... David Lee has a bone spur on his left ankle, a painful injury that might help explain his slow start to the season. Lee said the pain is manageable and that he does not expect to need surgery. But, he added, “I’m sure it’s not going to be real comfortable at times.” ... Although they are out of the rotation, Marbury and Curry were included on the All-Star ballot, which was released Tuesday. Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph are also listed.

MySA: Relatively Good News About Hill's Thumb

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/archives/2008/10/mike_monroe_rel.html

By Mike Monroe

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ordinarily, you would not be happy about a medical report that calls a thumb injury a bad sprain, but the Spurs were moderately relieved on Wednesday to discover that rookie point guard George Hill does not have a torn ligament, nor a broken bone, in the left thumb he injured in Tuesday's pre-season game in Grand Rapids, Mich.

"It's a bad sprain but, no ligament damage or bone damage," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich reported after a morning practice session at Gund Arena here ." He'll probably miss a couple games. That;s better than a cast and out for six weeks."

Hill injured the thumb late in the first half of the Spurs' 86-64 victory over the Pistons at Van Andel Arena, in Grand Rapids, their first victory in three pre-season games. The Spurs' first-round draft pick had scored eight points and handed out four assists in 16 minutes, 48 seconds of first-half play.

Popovich said Tony Parker, who did not suit up for Tuesday's game because of minor soreness in his left Achilles tendon, will start tonight's game at Gund Arena against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Veteran Jacque Vaughn will back him up, with spot help from both Roger Mason, Jr., and Ime Udoka.

Salim Stoudamire, who has yet to go through a full practice because of a right groin strain, said he feels sound enough to consider asking Popovich to give him a few minutes in tonight's game, as well.

"I'll see how I feel in the morning," he said, "but I'm thinking about asking Coach Popovich to give me a little time."

More good bad news.

Express News: Spurs' Parker Sits Out With Sore Achilles Tendon

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_Parker_sits_out_with_sore_Achilles_tendon.html

By Mike Monroe

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Spurs point guard Tony Parker did not suit up for Tuesday’s preseason game at Van Andel Arena because of minor soreness in his left Achilles tendon, but Coach Gregg Popovich called the decision to sit his star point guard strictly precautionary.

“He has a little Achilles thing that is bothering him a little bit,” Popovich said. “Nothing serious, but we’re not taking any chances.

“With (Manu) Ginobili out for a while, we don’t want to lose him, too. If that happened, I wouldn’t even want to go to the games. I’d just go have dinner and check the results in the morning.”

It may also have been Parker’s turn to watch from behind the bench in street clothes. He was the only starter who had played in the first two preseason games.

Tim Duncan, Fabricio Oberto, Michael Finley and Bruce Bowen had been held out of one, or the other.

Finley and Roger Mason also were held out of Tuesday’s game so Popovich could get a long look at the three young wing players battling for a roster spot.

The Spurs have carried 20 players since the start of training camp, but Popovich said he likely would make some cuts after the team returns to San Antonio after its game in Cleveland on Thursday.

“I think at the end of these two games we should probably start to trim it down in some way, shape or form,” Popovich said.

Thomas ready: Unless he reinjures the left hamstring that has kept him out of most of the preseason, veteran Kurt Thomas will make his debut for the Spurs in Thursday’s game against the Cavaliers.

“I’m definitely ready to do something besides watch the other guys play,” Thomas said. “I understand a hamstring (strain) is something you just have to be patient with. That’s an injury you really don’t want to rush, but I’m really ready to get away from ‘Brungy.’ That man is serious.”

Strength and conditioning coach Mike ‘Brungy’ Brungardt has been running Thomas and swingman Salim Stoudamire, nursing a right groin strain, through a rigorous conditioning program.

Isn’t it Grand: Popovich so enjoyed his two days in this Western Michigan city he sounded like the president of the local Chamber of Commerce.

“I’d never been to Grand Rapids before,” he said, “but I think it’s a really neat place. It’s beautiful from the hotel, all the hills around, with the colors of the trees.

“It’s just great. Really cool.”

Apparently the injury bug is not content to just leave well enough alone for the Spurs, but at least it doesn't sound like Parker's ailments are too serious. Hopefully this is just the Spurs getting all their bumps outta the way early.

Otherwise, we'll need the Coyote to suit up before too long.

Forum Blue And Gold: Know Your Enemy - The San Antonio Spurs

http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2008/10/13/know-your-enemy-the-san-antonio-spurs/

This is the latest in a series at FB&G that will run through the start of the season, focusing on some of the top teams in the West and maybe a couple from the East. In this installment we’ll touch on one of our biggest rivals over the past decade, the San Antonio Spurs. (Cue the Deathstar music) ~Darius

Last Season Record: 56-26 (tied for 2nd best record in the conference with the Hornets, 3rd seed in the playoffs due to tiebreaker)

Last Playoffs: Lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals in 5 games

Offensive Rating: 107.2 (15th in the NBA)

Defensive Rating: 101.8 (3rd in the NBA)

As Reed pointed out in his epic “Know Your Enemy”: The Phoenix Suns post, the San Antonio Spurs are our most traditional rival in the last decade. They have the combination of Coach, GM, and players that have posed the biggest challenge to us since Phil Jackson first started (not) pacing (and really, just mostly sitting on) the sidelines and leading the Shaq/Kobe teams to post-season glory. They are a model franchise in the NBA, with 4 Championship rings in the Popovich/Duncan Era and contiue to make trips deep into the playoffs every spring. If there is one team (besides the Lakers) that will be remembered from the immediate post Jordan period of the NBA, it would be the San Antonio Spurs.

Last season was the typical effort from the Spurs. They battled their way to over 50 wins for the ninth(!) consecutive season and advanced deep into the post-season. And, just as in every other one of those stellar campaigns, it all started with Tim Duncan. Duncan continues to be the catalyst for the Spurs, and even though some have argued that he’s lost a step, he’s still one of the elite players in this league, combining fundamental play with exceptional basketball IQ to do what is needed to help lead his team to victories. His tremendous defensive instincts (both in one on one play and in the team structure) powered one of the NBA’s best defenses and helped smother opponents to the tune of 90.6 pts. allowed per game and also placed him on the All-Defensive (2nd) team, a feat he’s accomplished every season that he’s been a pro.

But we all know that Duncan is not alone. He’s flanked by two of the premier players at their respective positions in PG Tony Parker and SG Manu Ginobili. Parker continues to grow as a player and his game is now considered the prototype for an NBA PG. Lightning fast off the dribble and a one man fast break, Parker uses his speed and handle to blow by defenders, get in the lane, and finish amongst the trees. He makes his living off the screen and roll with Duncan, where he’s gained enough confidence in his jumper to be a threat when defenders go under the screen, and can turn the corner like the roadrunner and dash into the lane, setting up himself for the easy two or dishing to a teammate when defenders try to chase him over the top. He shot 49.5% on the season (his lowest in 2 seasons shooting 52% and 54.8% the previous two), which is amazing considering his size and the fact that he is not a natural jumpshooter (but, as I stated before is steady enough). Teaming with Parker in the backcourt is Ginobili, one of the best wing players in the game today. Manu is a fearless competitor with one of the most unique games in the league. He brings the soccer pitch to the hardwood every night (both in how he changes direction and embellishes to earn the whistle) and shows a creativity that is a pleasure to watch every single night. Just as dangerous off of the bounce as he is shooting the jumper, he uses his craftiness and shifty left hand to create angles that other players just don’t see and can finish with authority at the rim or with finesse around bigger defenders. The guy has a complete game, and is one of my favorite guys in the league.

But as a team, last season would not be the Spurs’ year. Coming into the season as the defending champs (which is already a strike against them, considering they’ve never repeated as champs in three previous tries), the Spurs had a tough hill to climb as injuries to key players and improvements from other teams made their quest to repeat an extremely difficult task. In the playoffs they easily dispatched of the Phoenix Suns in the first round, but were then pushed to the limit by the upstart Hornets (where only experience and some Game 7 moxie helped them pull out the victory), and ultimately fell to our team in a series that many thought would go longer than the 5 games that it actually took. And although the Spurs were clearly hampered by an obviously not 100% Ginobili in their loss to the Lakers, I think that they would have struggled to beat us even if Manu was healthy considering Kobe’s ability to score at will with his jumpshot and how the Spurs didn’t have the bench to play with our 2nd unit. So, as in seasons past, the Spurs look to retool on the fly and compete in a tough divion, and an even tougher conference, hoping for another chance to win a title.

This upcoming season will be an interesting one for the Spurs. Over the past few seasons, they watched their role players get old and have not been able to find young players capable of stepping in to replace the production that their steady veterans have provided. But this year, they will not have a choice and will need some of their young players to make strong contributions. Gone are Robert Horry and Brent Barry. And while Michael Finley and Kurt Thomas return, they are now just spot players and should not be counted on for major contributions, even if they are feeling younger by practicing some new training techniques. So the Spurs will be looking for solid minutes from younger players that are unproven in this league. Guys like Ian Mahinmi, their 2005 first round pick out of France who’s shown very good improvement over the past year in the D-league and has flashed good athleticism that could help boost the Spurs frontcourt. The Spurs understand that Mahinmi is still raw, but he’s got talent and they’ll be looking for his size, length, and the bounce in his step to add a dimension to their rotation. They’ll also be looking to Salim Stoudamire, the former Hawk whose long distance jumper and ability to handle to ball (some) will hopefully replace some of what Brent Barry has provided recently. Besides them, rookie guard George Hill from IUPUI will get some run and try to help bolster their PG rotation after they traded away Beno Udrih early last season (if Hill’s name sounds familiar, it should. He’s the player that the Lakers brass was supposedly very high on in this past draft, hoping to snag him with our 2nd round pick, instead picking up Joe Crawford). However the one young player that the Spurs were hoping they could rely on will not be available to them this next season. Tiago Splitter is the Brazillian big man with first round talent whose rights are owned by San Antonio. He’s played very well in Europe over the past two seasons and the Spurs were hoping to bring him over this next season to have him bolster their F/C rotation. Splitter’s bruising style on offense and defense combined with his hustle and energy would be valuable to any NBA team, but match what the Spurs need to help Duncan almost exactly. But Splitter decided to stay in Europe instead and signed a contract to remain with Tau Ceramica of the Spanish League. Splitter’s decision was doubly hurtful for the Spurs as many think it was their reliance on a future this upcoming season with Splitter that swayed them to trade Luis Scola to the Rockets before last season.

Can the Spurs make another run? Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili remain. And while Ginobili is still on the mend from surgery, the team (and even more importantly the head coach) has a positive perspective as he can now, finally, heal from the injuries that plauged him during the playoffs and the Olympics. Injuries that sapped him of his trademark explosiveness and ability to play to his full ability. And even though some of the Spurs players are getting older, they are still contributors and continue to fill roles that help win games. Bruce Bowen, though not the all world defender he once was, is still a major irritant to wing scorers and can still hit that corner 3 pointer. Jacque Vaughn is still a decent back up PG that has refined his mid range jumper and avoids mistakes. Fabricio Oberto is still a quality big man that works well in tandem with Duncan, hustles on defense and the glass, and brings a craftyness and savvy that few big men operate with. And Ime Udoka is becoming the new Bowen…making timely jumpers and providing perimeter defense, putting a strong body on the leagues top scorers and playing within the Spurs team defensive concepts. There’s also new addition Roger Mason (from the Wizzards) who is another wing player that can hit the 3 pointer and play a good enough all around game to crack the rotation, helping to replace the departed Brent Barry and be a contingency for a declining Michael Finley.

In the end, the Spurs are still a western power. Especially when they have 3 all-star players and a head coach that I’d take over every other coach in the NBA not named Phil Jackson. Can they combine new pieces with their veteran core to make another run? I’m not sure (I wouldn’t bet against it, though). But I do know that, when healthy, they’re as tough an out as any team in the league. Ultimately, I see the Spurs competing hard for their division title with the Hornets and the improved Rockets and still in contention for a top 4 seed. If they can survive the first part of the season when Ginobili is out and have Duncan and Parker stay healthy, they’ll be in the mix. Their time is not over yet, and though there are other teams that are improved and will be strong as well, I see our longtime rival being right there this season…again.

Surprisingly good breakdown from the enemy's perspective. The Spurs vs. Lakers rivalry has never been stronger, and it's unfortunately been tipping to the wrong side lately. Hopefully this year will be our chance to even out the scales.

Express News: Spurs' Win Doesn't Provide Answers

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_win_doesnt_provide_answers.html

By Mike Monroe

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Spurs coach Gregg Popovich likely will make some cuts when his club returns to San Antonio after the two-game road trip that began here last night with an 86-64 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Knowing this, he allotted significant playing time to each of the three young wing players trying to carve out a spot on the regular season roster.

The head coach’s fondest wish: “I’d love for somebody to make it impossible for me to cut him,” he said.

That probably didn’t happen Tuesday.

Nothing Popovich saw Tuesday placed Malik Hairston, Desmon Farmer or Devin Green on the uncuttable list. Each had good moments, and bad, against the Pistons.

But Popovich saw something late in the second half of his team’s first preseason victory that may change the dynamic of his roster evaluations altogether. Rookie point guard George Hill, after another impressive performance in the first half, suffered a sprained left thumb when he got tangled with Pistons big man Antonio McDyess under the Detroit basket.

“We’re not sure,” Popovich said, “but he may have either a bad sprain or a torn ligament. We’ll have to wait for the doctor on that and hope for the best.”

A torn ligament likely would sideline Hill for an extended period. That could present the evaluation process with an unanticipated detour.

The X-ray machine at Van Andel Arena, where Tuesday’s game was played, was inoperative, so the extent of Hill’s injury could not be determined. Hill will be examined today in Cleveland to diagnosis the extent of the injury.

Hill isn’t sure how he injured the thumb, only that it resulted as he tried to box out McDyess, a veteran power forward who is one of the NBA’s stronger post players.

“It got a little physical down there,” Hill said. “I’ll just wait for the exam tomorrow and hope for the best.”

Before suffering the injury, Hill had knocked down 3 of 5 shots, including 2 of 3 3-point attempts.

He scored eight points, with four assists.

“All in all,” Popovich said, “he’s showing more confidence all the time and more awareness of what we’re trying to do.”

All of which makes the wait for today’s examination of Hill’s thumb even more nerve-racking.

With starter Tony Parker sitting out Tuesday’s game with what Popovich called “an Achilles thing” — better described as minor soreness in the All-Star point guard’s left Achilles tendon — Popovich ended up giving big guard-small forward Ime Udoka some time at point guard in the second half.

“I didn’t want to overplay Jacque (Vaughn),” Popovich said, “so Ime got a little time at the point. He enjoys handling the ball. Though he’s not going to blow by anybody, he enjoys it, so we were able to do it for him tonight.”

Udoka scored all seven of his points while playing the point, and did a decent job of running the Spurs’ offense.

“I’ve played a little spot point guard here and there,” he said. “Once George got hurt, Pop told me to be ready to take over for Jacque. I just tried to keep the little fellows off me. It would have been easier if all the other vets had been out there with me, but we managed to maintain the lead, so it worked out all right.”

The Spurs never trailed against the Pistons, who had won their first four preseason games. The Spurs held them scoreless through the first 41/2 minutes of the game, then limiting Detroit to eight points in the third period.

As for the evaluation of the three young wing players trying to make the roster, Popovich said he was no closer to a decision than he had been before Tuesday’s tipoff.

“They’re all competing very well,” he said, “trying to play the best basketball they can and trying to make the basketball team.

“All three of them are making it very difficult on us. They’re all playing very good basketball, each doing different things. It makes it a hard evaluation.”

As if we haven't already had enough bad news, looks like Hill is now making the bench even more crowded this an injured thumb. Hopefully things don't turn out to be too serious, because he was turning out to be a bright spot of this exhibition season, and was making quick strides towards earning the backup point guard spot.