MySA: Hearing from Manu Ginobili, Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, Roger Mason and Bruce Bowen

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/spursworld/2008/09/hearing_from_manu_ginobili_gre.html

Joe Alexander
MySanAntonio.com

The Spurs opened training camp Monday in San Antonio with their annual media day - a gathering primarily for interviews and photos.

Gregg Popovich was sporting a beard and Manu Ginobili was smiling and walking without a limp.

It was also the first chance for many members of the San Antonio media to meet Roger Mason Jr. and some of the other new Spurs.

Listen to what they have to say and share your thoughts:

Audio: Manu Ginobili

Audio: Manu Ginobili in Spanish

Audio: Bruce Bowen

Audio: Tim Duncan

Audio: Roger Mason Jr.

Audio: Gregg Popovich

Express News: Pop says Manu will miss first month of regular season

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/

Jeff McDonald: Pop says Manu will miss first month of regular season

For the first time, the Spurs have been able to quantify the cost of Manu Ginobili's offseason ankle surgery.

The star guard has been ruled out for all of November, and could miss as many as 25 games to start the regular season, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

"Manu will be out 20 to 25 games -- until mid-December at the latest," Popovich said Monday, the day before the Spurs open training camp.

As for the earliest Ginobili might suit up?

"It won't be in November," Popovich said.

Ginobili, 31, initially injured a ligament in his left ankle during the playoffs last season, and re-aggravated the malady while playing for Argentina in last month's Olympic Games. He underwent arthroscopic surgery Sept. 3 to correct a posterior impingement in the ankle, and at the time gave a timetable of eight-to-12 weeks for recovery.

The optimistic end of that timetable would have had Ginobili ready in time to start the regular season. For now, it appears the Spurs will approach Ginobili's return even more cautiously than that.

However long Ginobili is out, the loss is sure to have a noticeable effect on the Spurs. Ginobili averaged a team-high and career-best 19.5 points per game last season, en route to earning NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors.

Still, Ginobili arrived at Spurs headquarters Monday in high spirits. He joked to reporters that he now knows more about ankle surgery than he ever wanted to know.

"I feel good," said Ginobili, who wore no brace or any other support on his repaired left ankle. "I'm not playing or doing anything to put it at risk. But walking around, it just feels great."

Even Popovich was in a good mood Monday, despite the prospect of missing his leading scorer for perhaps the first quarter of the season. He called the timing of Ginobili's injury and subsequent surgery a blessing in disguise.

"Had he not hurt it in the Olympics, he probably would have done it 15, 25, 35 games into the season," Popovich said. "It could be a blessing that he's gotten operated on. They've gone in there and cleaned things out. His ankle will be in better shape than it's been in years, I would imagine."

As much as it sucks for Manu to miss a quarter of the season, I'd have to echo Pop's sentiments.

If Manu hadn't played in China, then nobody knows if he would've addressed the ankle in the offseason more than simply keeping off of it. Then he probably starts hitting the gym in October, takes the fall in December, and is out for the heart of the season. We all witnessed last season how well the Spurs stand to survive the playoffs without a healthy Ginobili.

It's not a best case scenario by any means, but at least the ankle has now been addressed. The Spurs will need to survive through the part of the season they are typically known for keeping pace anyways, and they will now have a chance to test out some much needed youth in Udoka, Mason, Hill, and possibly Stoudemire. And in true 6th man fashion, Manu coming back late may help revitalize the team in a time where they have historically lost focus.

Express News: Spurs' Mahinmi to miss part of camp

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

Spurs' Mahinmi to miss part of camp
Mike Monroe

Spurs center Ian Mahinmi will miss at least the first several days of training camp, which begins Tuesday, as he continues recovery from a sprained right ankle he suffered recently in informal workouts at the team's practice facility.

Mahinmi, a 6-foot-11, 230-pound big man from France who is entering his second season with the Spurs, spent the bulk of the 2007-08 season with the Spurs' Development League team, the Austin Toros. He played only six regular-season games with the Spurs, averaging 3.5 points and 0.8 rebounds.

Mahinmi showed up Friday at the team's preseason benefit golf tournament sporting a walking boot on his right leg. Spurs general manager R.C. Buford acknowledged the ankle sprain.

“Everybody wishes he were fit and ready to go,” Buford said, “but he's not ready right now. We're trying to be preventive, as we always are. It's an ankle sprain and a boot, so it's something we're being careful with.”

The Spurs selected Mahinmi in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft (28th overall). He spent the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons in the French professional league before signing a rookie scale contract with the Spurs last summer.

Mahinmi played 45 games with the Toros, averaging 17.1 points and 9.2 rebounds, leading the Toros to the D-League Finals.

Mahinmi was a member of the Spurs' entry in both the Las Vegas Summer Pro League and the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league and had been expected to get significant playing time in preseason games before suffering the ankle sprain. Now his development as a potential backup to both All-Star power forward Tim Duncan and starting center Fabricio Oberto has suffered a temporary setback.

NBA Fanhouse: Current Top 50 - #25 Tony Parker

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2008/09/15/nba-top-50-tony-parker-no-25/

Once a spectacle of speed and decisiveness, San Antonio's mousy Tony Parker has turned himself into a bit of a "complete" point guard, degrading his dominance in certain skills to offer a varied arsenal. The shift hasn't exactly worked as planned -- Parker is less efficient this days -- but it has been necessary as the supporting cast of the Spurs weakens due to age (Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley) and free agent losses (Brent Barry).

For two seasons, '05-06 and '06-07, Parker actually had a claim as the king of the league's point guards. And while he's regressed over the past year, he's still among the invisible elite at the position.

What Parker did in '06 and '07: gave up the long jumper in large part, and focused on getting to the rim, where he finishes as well as any shortie. Prior to '05-06, one of every seven Parker FGAs was a three. For a poor outside shooter, that's too much. Over the two top seasons, Parker cut his threes to one every 30 shots. He barely took any threes at all. That's good.

But last season, he returned to the well: one out of 16 shots went for trois. It's low for the league's gunnerific point guards, but twice as frequent as Parker's apparent sweet spot. There was no individualistic reason for this: Parker shot an awful 25% on these, below even his awful 31% career mark. But at the team level, it makes sense that the injury to and brief trade of Barry had an impact: Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili create open threes, and someone needs to take them. Bowen continued to get (and hit) open shots, but he's taking less initiative from the corner than expected. By personnel, it seems Parker was forced into a little bit extra shooting work, and that didn't pay off for anybody.

The real problem with these threes: Parker is way too good under the rim to waste shooting possessions from inefficient spots. No PG in the league finishes in the paint like Parker, and almost no PG gets into the paint with such ease. Duncan's part of the Spurs' eternal "points in the paint" lead, but Parker's the difference-maker there. He shoots over 60% from inside, and has every season of his NBA maturity. 60% on a two-pointer, or 25% on a three? There's no question.

Parker does have to be careful not to become too predictable, though: his turnovers fluctuate, and that's one potential weakness in his driving game. He's not careless with the ball, but you're bound to offer up some easy steals when you put the head down every trip. No one cares about turnovers -- no one has seemingly noticed Jason Kidd has turned into the human "fast break the other way," and Steve Nash rarely gets chided for his carelessness with the ball. And Parker is much more protective than those two. But a turnover, if you can believe it, is worse than a missed longball.

When it seemed Parker had found his outside shot at age 24, I figured we could pencil him in as the third chipmunk in the coming Chris Paul-Deron Williams Wars. That outside shot didn't stay long. As such, while Parker is an unassailable talent and a remarkable floor leader, he's about the fifth best point guard in the NBA, instead of a challenger for the #1 spot. And again, he's only 26. Lots of wins left in this fellow.

Sportsline: Young Point Guards Conducting Sweet Symphonies

http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/10993373

By Tim Povtak

Point guards are like orchestra conductors. Even the great ones can't fully shine without the right people around them, but they sure make things run a lot more smoothly.

There may have been two average point guards starting in the NBA Finals last summer, but the best ones still led their teams to outstanding seasons.

Four of the top five points orchestrated their teams to at least 54 victories during the regular season. The only one who didn't win big was the enigmatic and often-injured Gilbert Arenas.

If you were starting an expansion team today, most general managers would make young center Dwight Howard, 22, their first pick. The second, though, would be young Chris Paul, 23, the No. 1 point guard in the league.

Here are the top 20 point guards in the NBA:

1. Chris Paul, New Orleans: Because he is on the short side, there was criticism originally when the Hornets took the 6-foot Paul with the fourth pick of the 2005 draft. How foolish that was. Remember Isiah Thomas? There is only praise now for the best point in the league. More than anyone, Paul is the reason the Hornets have gone from a mediocre team to a contending team.

2. Steve Nash, Phoenix: The two-time MVP may just be starting his downside, but there still is no other point guard in the league who can set up his teammates like he does. Despite the bad hair and weak defense, he makes up for it in leadership and the ability to run an offense.

3. Gilbert Arenas, Washington: Yes, he's an oddball at times, but he sure is fun to be around. His unpredictability is endearing, unless you are trying to coach him or play with him, and your future is tied to him. Another knee surgery this summer has everyone concerned, but if he returns healthy, he can lead the league in scoring because no one really can slow him.

4. Deron Williams, Utah: Taken one spot ahead of Paul in that 2005 draft, mainly because he was bigger. Although he may never score as much as Paul, he is a better defender and also distributes the ball well. Both were excellent picks, and both have potential to be point guards with great teams.

5. Tony Parker, San Antonio: It sure is easier to be a great point guard if you have a dominating player like Tim Duncan in the frontcourt. It makes Parker look even quicker than he is and more able to get where he wants on the floor. He is cool under pressure, which helped to make him so appealing to his high-profile wife.

6. Baron Davis, Los Angeles Clippers: Took the money and scooted out of Golden State so fast that his own head was spinning. The move assured that he'll finish as one of those big-number players who never was on a serious contender. Thought he would have been smart enough to talk with Elton Brand before he made the move.

7. Chauncey Billups, Detroit: Some of the luster he once had is eroding. His contract makes him untradeable, or the Pistons might have dealt him this summer. He peaked during those back-to-back trips to the Finals and just doesn't seem to have the hunger he once did.

8. Monta Ellis, Golden State: The departure of Baron Davis means this is Ellis' team now. Without Davis beside him, his statistics either will soar, or he will be exposed for his weaknesses, which is a possibility, too. Great opportunity for Ellis, but it's hard to see the Warriors winning -- especially now that he's going to miss the first two months of the season because of a severe ankle injury.

9. Jason Kidd, Dallas: For the starting point guard on the USA Olympic team, he is fading, long having passed his best years. Dallas gave up its future to get him last season, which is looking like a big mistake even though he is one of the all-time greats. Kidd still can deliver the ball, but he doesn't scare the defenses anymore. Never did learn to shoot.

10. Kirk Hinrich, Chicago: Watch for a comeback season after he struggled throughout the year of turmoil in Chicago. A happier team around him should make him shine because he didn't forget how to deliver the ball. He can be a really good point guard if he has productive people around him.

11. Jose Calderon, Toronto: He is looking for a big year now that often-sour T.J. Ford is in Indiana, clearing the way for Calderon to get more playing time with the Raptors. The addition of Jermaine O'Neal also will help him. If Calderon has a big year, the Raptors could be the surprise team in the East.

12. Mo Williams, Cleveland: Had a nice season when he averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 assists for Milwaukee. Is looked to as the guard who can finally help LeBron James.

13. Andre Miller, Philadelphia: Always a high-assist guy but has never had any playoff success. The addition of Brand really gives Miller someone who can score off his passes. Miller, 32, is slowing, but he might be one of those point guards who can adjust his game and continue to show his leadership.

14. Devin Harris, New Jersey: Came in the trade for Kidd, and the Mavs already regret letting him get away. At age 25, he is just beginning to start his best years. Should develop into one of the best points in the East.

15. Raymond Felton, Charlotte: Was confused about what position he played in the past, but he has shown progress. New coach Larry Brown will drive him nuts, like he does every point guard he coaches. Brown also will make him better. Felton's scoring will dip, and his head might explode.

16. Mike Bibby, Atlanta: Became a stabilizing influence once he joined the Hawks, putting them into the playoffs. The team that passed on taking Paul and Williams in that 2005 draft has a guy good enough to help its young, athletic players succeed. Expectations for this team are rising.

17. Derek Fisher, Los Angeles Lakers: Has seen better days and his numbers don't reflect much, but considering how often he has been to the NBA Finals, he must be doing something right.

18. Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix: Not a true point guard. He doesn't get many minutes there behind Nash, but if Barbosa was a starting point somewhere else people really would enjoy him. So explosive, he can dazzle you. We'd love to see what would happen if he was given the ball for an extended period.

19. Rajon Rondo, Boston: Point guard for the champs has come a long way in his two seasons. He was helped considerably by coach Doc Rivers, a former point guard himself who taught Rondo to stay out of the way of the Big Three. Rivers' confidence in Rondo paid off.

20. Jameer Nelson, Orlando: Smart enough to know that Howard should be his focus, but also is learning his two forwards also want the ball. Nelson's problem will be keeping all three happy as a low-profile point guard.

Fox Sports: Many Teams Still Relying On Old-Timers To Contribute

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8591444/Many-teams-still-relying-on-old-timers-to-contribute

San Antonio

The Spurs are faced with the prospect of a matching pair of wingmen losing their chops in tandem. The continued defensive excellence of Bruce Bowen (37) is a must for the Spurs to seriously challenge for control of the Western Conference. Bowen will undoubtedly be as tough and as on-the-edge of foul play as ever, but his speed and quickness are in question. Last year he showed signs that he can no longer stay in touch with fleet-footed opponents, a failing that should be exacerbated this season. From now on, Bowen's main function will be to hold the fort until Ime Udoka is ready to step up and replace him. It says here that Udoka is still a year away.

Meanwhile, Michael Finley (35) hasn't played adequate defense in many moons. But as long as he can pull-up going left, then fade and shoot with a high degree of success (especially in clutch situations), he can be a valuable part-time performer. However, as his ability to play defense continues to decrease, his shooting percentage must increase in order to justify more than occasional playing time. With only DerMarr Johnson and Roger Mason behind him and with Manu Ginobili recovering from foot surgery, Finley will get more time than he deserves early on.

Finley's relative decrepitude bodes ill for the Spurs.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Charley.

Yahoo: Spurs sign George Hill

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AlcAQhc2akpmTks_.JtW2zm8vLYF?slug=ap-spurs-hill&prov=ap&type=lgns

Spurs sign George Hill
By CLIFF BRUNT, AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—The San Antonio Spurs signed first-round pick George Hill on Tuesday, Hill’s agent said.

The Spurs took Hill out of IUPUI with the 26th selection, but didn’t have to sign him. Michael Whitaker said Hill participated in summer league with the Spurs and had been working out in San Antonio since Aug. 18, despite the fact that he hadn’t officially signed.

“The Spurs are a championship organization,” Whitaker said. “They told us all along they wanted to get the deal done, they just wanted to use the time to sign free agents. We just took them at their word.”

Now that Hill has signed, the first two years of the deal are guaranteed. The rookie scale shows that Hill would make $1.22 million his first year and $1.31 million his second year. The Spurs have team options the next two years.

Hill, a 6-foot-2 guard, averaged 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists last season for the Jaguars. He declared himself eligible for the draft after his junior year, and performed well enough in workouts to put himself in position to get selected.

Whitaker needed to reassure Hill that the deal was going to happen.

“It’s not common for first-rounders to go that long, but I told George, ‘You got drafted by a unique team,”’ Whitaker said.

Took long enough. Talk about waiting until the last minute.

San Antonio Business Journal: Spurs Are Facing Big Hurdles In Hard Times

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/09/22/story1.html?ana=from_rss

Team’s parent looking for ways to expand audience
by W. Scott Bailey
San Antonio Business Journal

The San Antonio Spurs entered the 2007-08 NBA season as defending champions. But the four-time champs failed to sell out all of their home games or to get past the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Now the team’s parent company, Spurs Sports & Entertainment, is working to create a more diverse market-penetration strategy in an effort to connect with a larger potential base of support. Some marketing experts caution, however, that the parent company of the Spurs faces multiple challenges.

In July, Spurs Chairman Peter Holt announced a series of top-level front-office changes within the organization. They included the promotion of Rick Pych to president of SS&E.

Now, with the 2008-09 season only weeks away, Pych says SS&E officials are working to find more Spurs fans.

“The initial mission is to step back and do the research,” Pych explains. “We’ve done a pretty good job of knowing who our customers are. We haven’t done as good a job of knowing who our potential customers are.

“That’s what we want to find out. Who are they? How do we get them to our events?”

SS&E has tapped The Atkins Group, a San Antonio-based advertising agency, to help it reach a larger audience. Atkins replaces Creative Civilization, which resigned the account this summer after working with the organization for more than a decade.

Pych says Atkins will play an especially key role in the research effort.

“We’re going to spend a lot more time figuring out how to reach that 70 percent of the city that probably has not been to AT&T Center,” he says.

Atkins principal Steve Atkins says his agency will also help the Spurs find new places to deliver their messages.

“We hope to bring a lot of interactive and online strategies to the table,” Atkins says.
No piece of cake

The Spurs say the way they need to do business moving forward requires some shift in strategies.

“So much has changed in the last 10 years in how you reach people,” Pych explains. “It used to be that if you put an ad in the local paper and on local TV, you probably covered everyone. But that doesn’t work anymore.”

The plan, he says, is to put more emphasis on new media outlets. Atkins, Pych says, will be key in helping SS&E find those outlets and make the connections.

“The Spurs’ promotional efforts can and should be reaching specific larger audiences — not just with more messages or greater media volume, but rather more targeted messages to more specific lifestyle segments with more relevance,” Atkins explains.

But one veteran marketing executive familiar with the Spurs says Atkins is taking on the Spurs account at a tough time.

“You had four championships in nine years, the economy was in better shape, AT&T was still (based) in San Antonio,” says the marketing executive about the team Creative Civilization worked with in recent years. “But all of that has now changed.”

Earlier this year, AT&T Inc., for which the Spurs’ arena is named, did indeed announce its plan to relocate the company’s headquarters and some 700 top-level personnel to Dallas.

Since then, there have been more concerns raised about the state of the national economy, and about more potential belt tightening among Americans.

“There will be some challenges. This is no piece of cake,” says Al Aguilar, co-founder of Creative Civilization. “But San Antonio has a love affair with this (Spurs) team that dates back to the ’70s.”

Atkins agrees these are more complex times.

“The reality is economic pressures are growing and the discretionary income available for family-based entertainment is going to be more and more stretched by gas prices, food prices and such,” he contends. “Right now, we are also bombarded, involved and distracted by a national election.”

Atkins adds, “I believe all of this creates the need to be very different, relevant and value-oriented in messaging the Spurs game experience. Campaign efforts will need to compete aggressively for those entertainment dollars... .”

Pych acknowledges that there are some hurdles ahead. “People do have more (entertainment) choices and less free time, it seems, than ever before,” he says.

How do the Spurs break through the clutter and address any concerns?

“It starts with the research,” Pych says. “We’ve got to know the market better. But I think we also need to take a look in the mirror, to see if the product that we are offering needs something different to appeal to more people.”

Pych says the SS&E may also have to consider making some “infrastructural changes” at AT&T Center in order to attract more fans.

“The research will hopefully help tell us some of this, how we can reach more people, how we may need to change with the times,” Pych says.

Meanwhile, Pych says SS&E will also be working closely with Atkins to create a new brand for SS&E that should benefit its teams and AT&T Center.

“We’re all excited about the opportunities,” Pych says. “There is a lot of enthusiasm and passion about this.”

Says Atkins about his firm’s opportunity to work with the Spurs: “It represents the big time.”

Spurs.com: Spurs Announce 2008-09 Television Schedule

http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/broadcast_schedule_080917.html

View The Full TV Schedule

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs today announced the television schedule for their 2008-09 NBA season with 71 locally produced broadcasts on KMYS, KENS 5 and Fox Sports Southwest.

This season, Spurs over-the-air partners KMYS (MY-35) and KENS 5 will combine to broadcast 40 games in High Definition, up from 10 last season.

“With such a quality team on the court, the majority of games in HD and an entertaining announce team in place, our broadcasts will definitely be a major event every night,” said Spurs Director of Broadcasting Mike Kickirillo.

Local coverage tips-off Oct. 29 on KMYS when the Spurs host the Phoenix Suns for an opening night match-up. KMYS will carry a total of 30 games in High Definition, including expanded coverage with 23 pre-game and eight post-game shows.

Spurs partner KENS 5 will broadcast a total of 10 games in High Definition, beginning its 2008-09 coverage with the Oct. 31 road game at Portland. In addition to carrying both home and away games, KENS 5 will also host eight Spurs pre-game shows.

Fox Sports Southwest will carry 31 Spurs games, including a match-up against defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics on Mar. 20. Fox Sports Southwest will broadcast all home games and the majority of road games in High Definition, with a complete schedule announced at a later date.

Play-by-play announcer Bill Land and analyst Sean Elliott return to call all locally televised Spurs games, with Silver Stars Head Coach Dan Hughes periodically filling in as an analyst.

All Spurs games can be heard on WOAI, 1200 AM, with play-by-play announcer Bill Schoening returning for his eighth season behind the mic. Paul Casto returns for his 15th season as the Spanish voice of the Spurs, calling games for KCOR, 1350 AM.

Spurs pre-season tickets are on sale now and great season ticket packages are still available for the 2008-09 regular season by visiting spurs.com or calling (210) 444-5050.

NOTE: Viewers must have an HD television or HD converter to view games in High Definition. Depending on cable provider, HD programming may not be available.

Express News: Spurs Commit To More HD

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/What_to_Watch_Spurs_Commit_to_More_HD_in_2008-09.html

Jerry Garcia - Express-News

Anyone who has or is going to plunk down their hard-earned money for a digital TV set can count on watching at least 70 percent of the San Antonio Spurs' 82 games in high-definition this season — with 40 HD games on local TV.

Because 17 games will be shown by two broadcasters at the same time, the Spurs actually have 99 telecasts (60 of them in HD) of their 82 games (scroll down for the breakdown of games)

The Spurs schedule was originally announced in early August with the NBA's national TV partners — ABC/ESPN and TNT — picking the games they wanted first with local telecasts assignments to be determined at a later date.

That later date was Sept. 8 when the Spurs quietly put out the rest of the local TV schedule on their web site. The franchise held up the formal announcement to this week — Wednesday to be precise — so HD plans could be finalized among the local TV partners.

The complete TV schedule can be found at the Spurs web site(click here).

Once again, KENS will get 10 games with all scheduled for telecast in high-definition at 1080i. TNT will also show games in the 1080i HD format but they only have five games.

Fox Sports Net Southwest will telecast the largest bulk of Spurs games this season with 31 with their HD plans yet to be announced. KMYS, a MyNetworkTV affiliate on UHF channel 35 — while UHF still exists — has the rights to 30 over-the-air games. All of KMYS' games will be shown in 720p.

ESPN has nine games and ABC gets six games, also in 720p.

The Spurs have produced a handful of games in HD in the past two seasons but committing to HD broadcasts meant a significant financial investment by the Spurs. The team leases the equipment used to produce the telecasts (production trucks, cameras, etc.) that some TV industry estimates claims add at least $7,500 to production costs.

If they produced all 71 local broadcasts in HD, that means the Spurs would have put up nearly $532,500 to beef up local coverage.

KMYS is ready for HD. The station been airing HD content since 2004 and has fully upgraded its' master control room for digital technology, most recently showing three of the Dallas Cowboys preseason games in high-definition in August.

Nationwide, Fox Sports Net has made a commitment to HD content over the past five years starting with 200 HD telecasts in 2004 and doubling it every year since. FSN plans for all of its' 16 owned-and-operated regional networks to air round-the-clock HD starting in the first quarter of 2009.

It makes sense for the Spurs to increase HD game coverage according to sales experts. Even in tough economic times, sales of HDTVs have remained steady, according to NDP Group, which tracks retail sales trends.

Paul Gagnon, NDP's North American TV researcher, told audiences at a Los Angeles conference this week sales of LCD HDTVs are up 25 percent in 2008 with 30 million shipped to the United States — up by 25 percent compared to 2007.

Gagnon said 30 percent of all TVs sold in North America this year will be HD sets. Sales growth has been spurred both by consumers upgrading to digital TVs before the FCC-mandated digital switch in February 2009 and by lower prices.

Gagnon estimated that the average price for a 32-inch LCD TV could drop to as low as $499 by the holiday shopping season.

KMYS could get one more game, for a total of 31, added to its' scheduled. ABC has the Spurs' noon game on Sunday, March 22 at home against Houston tentatively penciled in their scheduled. That game could be picked up by KMYS if ABC decides to drop it.

Nine of the HD games on ESPN will be separately produced by the Spurs for broadcast on KENS, KMYS and FSN Southwest.

Here's the breakdown:

ABC (in HD): 6 games (2 home, 4 away—subject to change)

ESPN (in HD): 9 games (4 home, 5 away)

FSN Southwest (HD games to be announced): 31 games (15 home, 16 away)

NBA TV: 8 games (4 home, 4 away)

KENS (in HD): 10 games (5 home, 5 away)

KMYS (in HD): 30 or 31 games (18/19 home, 12 away—subject to change)

TNT (in HD): 5 games (1 home, 4 away)

The 17 games broadcast by 2 TV partners:

Oct. 29: vs. Phoenix, 7 p.m. (ESPN, KMYS)

Oct. 31: @Portland, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN, KENS)

Nov. 7: vs. Miami, 7 p.m. (ESPN, KMYS)

Nov. 17: @Los Angeles Clippers, 9:30 p.m. (FSN Southwest, NBA TV)

Dec. 2: vs. Detroit, 7:30 p.m. (KMYS, NBA TV)

Dec. 9: @Dallas, 7:30 p.m. (KMYS, NBA TV)

Dec. 17: @New Orleans, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN, KMYS)

Jan. 2: vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. (FSN Southwest, NBA TV)

Jan. 3: @Miami, 6:30 p.m. (FSN Southwest, NBA TV)

Jan. 14: vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 8 p.m. (ESPN, KENS)

Jan. 27: @Utah, 8 p.m. (FSN Southwest, NBA TV)

Feb. 24: vs. Dallas, 7:30 p.m. (KMYS, NBA TV)

Feb. 27: vs. Cleveland, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN, KENS)

March 1: @Portland, 7 p.m. (ESPN, KMYS)

March 4: @Dallas, 8 p.m. (ESPN, KMYS)

March 20: vs. Boston, 7:30 p.m. (FSN Southwest, NBA TV)

March 29: @New Orleans, 7 p.m. (ESPN, FSN Southwest)