San Antonio Spurs

[tackielarla]

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Season preview: San Antonio Spurs
Paul Forrester


Since Tim Duncan's arrival in 1997, the Spurs have won at least 64 percent of their games each season.
Greg Nelson/SI

Projected 2008-09 lineup

Starters

PG Tony Parker
SG Michael Finley
SF Bruce Bowen
PF Tim Duncan
C Fabricio Oberto

Reserves

F Matt Bonner
SG Manu Ginobili
PG George Hill | Jacque Vaughn
C Ian Mahinmi
SG Roger Mason | Salim Stoudamire
F/C Kurt Thomas
SF Ime Udoka

Spurs at a glance

• Last season: 56-26; lost in Western Conference finals to Lakers

• Notable additions: Roger Mason (FA), Salim Stoudamire (FA), George Hill (R)

• Notable losses: Brent Barry (signed with Rockets), Robert Horry and Damon Stoudamire (unsigned)

• Coach: Gregg Popovich (632-302 in 12 seasons with Spurs)

Reasons for hope

1. They know the drill. The Spurs have played an integral role in shaping the Western Conference race every season of the 11-year Tim Duncan era. They have compiled a 615-255 record (.707 winning percentage) and won four championships during that stretch. This team has confronted every kind of situation, and usually succeeded. San Antonio also understands how to work through the grind of the regular season and turn it up a notch in the playoffs. That type of know-how, coupled with the All-Star abilities of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, is a formidable combination.

2. They're well-coached. Is it possible that a man with four championship rings could be underrated? Despite the postseason success, 632 career victories and the third-best winning percentage in league history, Popovich is rarely mentioned in the same breath with the likes of Phil Jackson and Pat Riley when the subject turns to all-time great coaches. Sure, he's had Duncan the whole time -- just like Jackson had Michael Jordan and then Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, just like Riley had Magic Johnson followed by Patrick Ewing and Shaq and Dwyane Wade. Whether it's allowing Steve Nash to become a scorer while the rest of the Suns flounder on offense, or carefully limiting the minutes of his veterans to keep them fresh for the postseason, Popovich orchestrates his bunch with aplomb.

3. The D is always there. The Spurs' throttling of opposing offenses has been a fact of life for years. In fact, San Antonio has ranked in the top five in field-goal-percentage defense in every season since 1997-98. It's that sort of stinginess that has neutralized everyone from individual talents such as LeBron James to team juggernauts like the run-and-gun Suns.

Reasons for worry

1. They're long in the tooth. While a team can hide a player or two who has slowed because of age, the Spurs have to adjust for almost everyone expected to play meaningful minutes. Duncan is 32 and frontcourt mate Fabricio Oberto is 33. Ginobili and backup swingman Ume Idoka are 31. Reserves Michael Finley (35) and Kurt Thomas (36) are entering their 14th seasons, and defensive ace Bruce Bowen is chasing around the NBA's top scorers at age 37. Veteran guile has its limits.

2. An unhealthy Manu. Ginobili is expected to be sidelined until at least mid-December after ankle surgery. While that won't derail the Spurs' season, it could put a sizable dent in it. San Antonio relies heavily on the backcourt scoring of Ginobili and Parker. Without half that duo for several weeks, the Spurs might dig a hole that results in a low playoff seed and a tougher road to winning the West.

3. Best-laid plans spoiled. The Spurs had hoped that 2007 first-round pick Tiago Splitter would join with 2005 first-rounder Ian Mahinmi, who starred in the D-League last season, to bolster the aging front line this season. But Splitter, a 23-year-old Brazilian power forward, decided to re-sign with Spain's Tau Ceramica. Meanwhile, Popovich wanted to use the 6-foot-10 Mahinmi frequently in exhibition games, but the Frenchman has not played because of a sprained ankle. Mahinmi will be playing catch-up once the regular season starts, never an easy task for a young player who is trying to establish himself in the rotation.

Keep an eye on ...

Mason. The fifth-year shooting guard, who was the Spurs' biggest offseason acquisition, is expected to be tested immediately because of Ginobili's absence. Mason received consistent minutes for the first time in his career last season, averaging 9.1 points in 21.4 minutes while shooting 39.8 percent from three-point range for the Wizards. He obviously can't replace Ginobili's production, but every little bit will help as the Spurs search for scoring options beyond Parker and Duncan.

Go figure

LeBron, Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki were the only players who scored more points per 48 minutes of clutch time (five-point game in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime) than Ginobili last season.

Bottom line

The Ginobili injury isn't a good start, but the Spurs will stay afloat early behind Duncan, Parker and the defense before Manu returns in time to lead a second-half push. If Popovich is able to manage his key players' minutes again, there's no reason the Spurs shouldn't reach the West's final four. But given the confidence that the younger, talented Hornets have after taking the Spurs to seven games in last season's playoffs, and the knowledge that the younger, talented Lakers have that they can beat San Antonio, Popovich and Co. appear destined to fall short of the NBA Finals again.

Blogger's Take

Matthew Powell of Pounding The Rock offers his thoughts on the Spurs' prospects for the season:

The Spurs' primary offseason goal should have been getting much, much younger. The acquisition of 28-year-old Roger Mason was a decent beginning, but unfortunately the Spurs followed with the re-signing of two pick-your-cliche-veterans: Kurt Thomas and the remains of Michael Finley. The supporting cast around the Big Three just isn't good enough.

[tackielarla]

Jeff McDonald: Hill gets good news

An MRI taken of rookie guard George Hill's sprained left thumb came back negative Monday. As such, Hill and the Spurs are almost positive he will play in at least one of the team's remaining preseason games.

Hill, who is right-handed, has been fitted with a hard plastic splint, similiar to what Manu Ginobili wore on his jammed finger last season. He will test the splint out during practice Tuesday, and if all goes well, might give it a go Wednesday night against Washington.

A more likely scenario would have Hill returning for the Spurs' preseason finale Friday against Miami. He has missed two games since suffering the injury against Detroit last Tuesday.

"Some of it is going to be tolerance," coach Gregg Popovich said. "How he feels when he catches a pass, see how he feels in the splint we give him."

If it comes down to Hill's own tolerance level, expect to see him on the floor sooner, rather than later. After all, he once played on a broken foot in college.

Were he an established veteran, Hill might opt to take it easy until the regular season begins Oct. 29. Being a rookie with much to prove, Hill said he plans to play again as soon as humanly possible.

"I think I've still got to prove I'm supposed to be here," Hill said after Monday's practice. "I don't want to take anything for granted and say, 'Oh, it's only preseason.' "

***

The end of practice Monday offered a rare Ginobili sighting. When the doors opened for the media to enter, Ginobili was still on the floor, shooting around with teammates.

Yes, he actually did take a few jump shots -- empahsis on the word "jump" -- landing on the left ankle he had scoped in the offseason.

***

This should probably go without saying, but don't pay too much attention to the number of 3-pointers the Spurs have been flinging up this preseason.

They are averaging 23 attempts in five preseason games, which, if that pace continued into the regular season, would basically make them Golden State.

The Spurs have been playing extended minutes this preseason without Tim Duncan, in two games playing without him on the floor at all. That tends to make the long ball a bigger part of the Spurs' aresenal than it normally would be.

With Duncan on the sidelines against Indiana, the Spurs shot 35 3-pointers, making 15.

***

Be on the lookout for another Spurs-HEB television commerical coming soon. Production crews were on site following Monday's practice, putting together a makeshift set that included, of all things, a washer/dryer combo. We're interested in seeing where this is leading.

We're also interested in seeing how these popular commericials come together without comic genius Brent Barry, who now (presumably) is doing spots for Randall's in Houston. We have a feeling they might come off like Saturday Night Live after Eddie Murphy left.

[Javaman]

Go Spurs Go!!!

[demonyito]

one more title run for the spurs!

[tackielarla]

The handsome fellow above has led the Spurs to four NBA titles. And Tony Parker ain't bad either.

1. Expert Picks
ANALYST PREDICTION

J.A. Adande ESPN.com
SOUTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 5 They would have had a slow start with or without Manu Ginobili. That's how they do it under Gregg Popovich. But this time, their finishing kick won't be as strong because they'll be a year older.

Jon Barry ESPN.com
SOUTHWEST: 3 | WEST: 6 No Manu for two months will hurt. This team has won from whatever its playoff spot, but with few additions outside of Roger Mason, it's tough. Their lengthy playoff experience means something -- it means they're getting old. And this team is old.

Chris Broussard ESPN Mag
SOUTHWEST: 3 | WEST: 5 I refuse to count them out. Duncan's still as good as anyone. Parker's just 26, and come playoff time, Manu may benefit from the rest his injury forces him to take. The Spurs are far from favorites, but only a fool would stick a fork in them.

Ric Bucher ESPN Mag
SOUTHWEST: 3 | WEST: 5 A lot of troops have departed, and -- no offense to Roger Mason -- I haven't seen much of a surge. They always will be competitive as long as they have Tim Duncan, but they're only the best of the rest now.

Chad Ford ESPN.com
SOUTHWEST: 3 | WEST: 5 You can never count out a team that has Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Gregg Popovich. But what happened to that youth infusion we heard about this summer?

Jemele Hill ESPN.com
SOUTHWEST: 2 | WEST: 4 Ginobili's early-season absence will sting, but the Spurs typically round into form in the second half anyway. It's an odd-numbered year, so that means the Spurs are back in contention. Very encouraging that Finley came back 20 pounds lighter.

John Hollinger ESPN.com
SOUTHWEST: 3 | WEST: 5 The Spurs were facing some serious age issues even before Manu got hurt, especially on offense, where they imploded late last season. Without their most dynamic offensive player (apologies to Timmy and Tony), expect a slow start before their patented late charge.

Jalen Rose ESPN.com
SOUTHWEST: 3 | WEST: 6 Can't write this team off, especially with their championship core -- Duncan, Ginobili and Parker. Keep the beard, Pop!

Chris Sheridan ESPN.com
SOUTHWEST: 3 | WEST: 5 As bad as it is that they'll spend the first two months without Manu Ginobili, it'll give folks a chance to take a liking to free-agent acquisition Roger Mason, whose combination of shooting and defense will endear him to the silver and black faithful.

Marc Stein ESPN.com
SOUTHWEST: 3 | WEST: 5 The Spurs are a year older. The playoffs, however, fall in an odd-numbered year. The feeling here is that the latter means more than the former, so expect to see these guys in title contention, as usual, once Manu heals.

TOTAL SOUTHWEST: 3.0 | WEST: 5.1 |

2. Hollinger Analysis

Team Strength: Interior scoring

No matter how much they struggle to score, the Spurs have always been able to fall back on the fact that their opponents will struggle just as much. The Spurs have been one of the league's top three defenses every year of the Gregg Popovich-Tim Duncan era, and last season was no exception.

Coach Popovich is one of the game's top teachers and motivators, and he has two outstanding individual defenders to base his system around in Bruce Bowen and Duncan. Bowen shuts down the opponents' top wing player with his quickness and savvy, while Duncan quietly dominates inside with his shot-blocking and rebounding.

Around them are other strong defenders. Ime Udoka is the heir apparent to Bowen as the wing specialist, Kurt Thomas is excellent at defending the post and helping teammates, and even scorers like Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are solid defenders -- as are most of the secondary players. Even with the team getting up in years, it's hard to imagine San Antonio finishing outside the league's elite in defensive efficiency.

John Hollinger's complete Spurs forecast

3. Lineup Breakdown

STARTERS

Tony Parker | Point Guard
6-2 | 180 | Age: 26
Hollinger profile

Michael Finley | Shooting Guard
6-7 | 225 | Age: 35
Hollinger profile

Bruce Bowen | Small Forward
6-7 | 200 | Age: 37
Hollinger profile

Tim Duncan | Power Forward
6-11 | 260 | Age: 32
Hollinger profile

Fabricio Oberto | Center
6-10 | 245 | Age: 33
Hollinger profile

RESERVES

Jacque Vaughn | Guard
6-1 | 190 | Age: 33
Hollinger profile

Manu Ginobili* | Guard
6-6 | 205 | Age: 31
Hollinger profile

Ime Udoka | Forward
6-5 | 220 | Age: 31
Hollinger profile

Matt Bonner | Forward
6-10 | 240 | Age: 28
Hollinger profile

Kurt Thomas | Forward
6-9 | 235 | Age: 36
Hollinger profile

*= Out with injury

4. Fantasy Focus

Sleeper: Roger Mason

Acquired from the Wizards in the offseason to help provide depth and 3-point shooting, Roger Mason figures to be the primary beneficiary of Manu Ginobili's worrisome ankle injury. Mason shot nearly 40 percent from downtown in Washington last season, and with Brent Barry out of town, the Spurs will lean heavily on Mason's sharp-shooting, especially early in the season.

Bust: Manu Ginobili

Given the severity of Manu's ankle injury, Gregg Popovich will be even more careful with his prized possession this season. Those expecting a repeat of last-season's numbers -- 19.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.1 3-pointers -- will be sorely disappointed when Manu returns. It is not surprising that Manu's career-high statistics coincided with a career-high in minutes. When his minutes retreat to his typical 27-28 per game, his statistics will follow suit.

5. ESPN The Magazine: How Do You Know ...
... The every-other-year title cycle is over?

Can they do over the Luis Scola deal? Will 2007 first-rounder Tiago Splitter renege on his Spanish team? Any chance former D-Leaguer Ian Mahinmi gets one of those growth spurts in the skills department? Ever since TD paired with The Admiral on those first two titles, the Spurs' ring runs have been fueled by the arrival of front-line stoppers -- Nazr Mohammed, Francisco Elson. Miracles aside, no one is up to that task this time.

6.TrueHoop Wants To Know …Spurs down one, 9.2 seconds to play, must-win game. What's the play?

48 Minutes of Hell:

Tim Duncan prepares himself by putting on his robe and wizard hat. Now dressed for the legerdemain, he removes his twenty-sided die, and rolls it across the hardwood. If the numbers one through 10 come up, victory rests upon Manu Ginobili. Eleven through 20 -- Duncan himself will take the shot.

Number Thirteen.

Being that he is a practitioner of the dark arts, it's not Duncan whom luck plans to scorn. For his final trick, the Merlin of south Texas positions himself in the most unexpected of places, beyond the 3-point line, and makes the opponent's tenuous lead disappear.

• TrueHoop, ESPN's NBA blog

7.Multimedia Zone (Can't embed video)
Chad Ford's NBA Dish: '08-09 Preview

8. Photo Synthesis

Brian A. Westerholt/Getty Images

Here are three things San Antonio fans don't want to see in the same photo: Tim Duncan, a motorcycle and an ambulance.

9. Coach's Corner

Gregg Popovich Experience: 12 years
Record: 632-302
Playoffs: 101-59
NBA titles: 4

Coach's profile

As much as it hurt Gregg Popovich to see his team struggle to score without a healthy Manu Ginobili in last season's playoffs, it provided him with a vision of the Spurs' future unless something is changed.

San Antonio relies so heavily on the combination of Tim Duncan inside and Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker scoring off ball screens that a drop-off (or missed games) from any of them can decimate the Spurs' scoring efficiency. But finding strategies and creating points from the other players is a true challenge. Losing Manu to start the season gives Pop an immediate opportunity to figure things out.

• David Thorpe, Scouts Inc.

[tackielarla]

Aging Spurs aren’t surrendering in rising West

By PAUL J. WEBER, Associated Press Writer

SAN ANTONIO (AP)—The San Antonio Spurs are old. Still.


The NBA’s oldest team four seasons running, the Spurs may have finally showed their age in losing to the younger and faster Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals.
Or maybe they’re still Tim Duncan’s reliable near-dynasty that wins championships in odd-numbered years.

In which case, the Spurs are due.

“Isn’t Tony (Parker) still like 19?” quipped the 32-year-old Duncan before training camp. “We’re all right. We’re still old. We’ll stay old.”

By now, the Spurs are used to being labeled as either tested champions with unshakable experience (2005, 2007) or aging All-Stars who broke down before reaching the finals (2006, 200.

But this season—stop if you’ve heard this one before—might be telling for a franchise that has the best regular-season winning percentage (.70 and more championships (four) than anyone since 1999.

Manu Ginobili’s surgically repaired ankle, injured in the playoffs and aggravated in the Olympics, isn’t expected to sideline him past December. That much is a relief for the Spurs, who are coming off their best title defense yet in reaching the conference finals last May.

But it’s a Western Conference getting stronger.

Shaquille O’Neal is starting his first full season in Phoenix. Ron Artest is bringing sorely needed toughness alongside Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady in Houston. New Dallas coach Rick Carlisle may finally solve how to piece the Mavericks’ talented cast into a championship.

The Lakers made the Spurs look tired in advancing to the finals in just five games, and they did it without center Andrew Bynum, who is back from a knee injury.

Before that, New Orleans took the Spurs to seven games, and the Hornets have one of the most dynamic young players in the league in point guard Chris Paul.

The best-of-the-West reputation built by the Spurs spans 11 straight playoff appearances, the longest in the league. But even some in the NBA wonder what the Spurs have left.

In the annual preseason survey of the league’s general managers, San Antonio wasn’t picked as the finals favorite for the first time in five years.

The Spurs instead finished fourth—behind the Lakers, Celtics and Hornets.
“Every year (the conference) seems to get tougher, but I don’t know how it can,” Duncan said. “Teams have gotten better. Teams have changed. … But in the same light, they still got to play the games. They got to figure it out themselves, too.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich dismissed suggestions last year that age doomed third-seeded San
Antonio against Los Angeles. It was a series marked by San Antonio blowing big leads and struggling as Ginobili, its leading scorer, played through the ankle injury.

But the fact remains that Parker, at 26, is still the only player in the starting five younger than 30. Not even losing Robert Horry (3 and Brent Barry (36) kept the Spurs from retaining the distinction as the NBA’s oldest team.

“I don’t think anyone would say age has caught up with him as a player,” forward Bruce Bowen said. “But it is life. It’s something you all will see from here on out. I’ll be 37. I won’t go back the other way to 36.”

The Spurs got younger legs in signing Roger Mason Jr., the fifth-year guard from Washington who San Antonio picked up after failing to lure Corey Maggette, who instead went to Golden State. Rookie guard George Hill, the Spurs’ top draft pick, struggled with his shot this summer but improved in the preseason.

Both will have little time to get the hang of things. The Spurs will need all the help they can get to pick up the slack for Ginobili, who had surgery in September after again hurting his left ankle playing for Argentina in the Olympics.

Popovich had advised the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year not to play in Beijing. But both seem to agree the surgery was better now then a perhaps inevitable operation during the season.

“They told me sooner or later it was going to happen,” said Ginobili, 31, who averaged 19.5 points a game last season. “So, at the end, I guess it’s a win-win situation for everybody.”

The Spurs hoisted their championships in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. Popovich, starting his 13th season as coach, said he puts as much credence in the stock market as he does San Antonio’s every-other-year run.

Still …

“We have a proven system. We have a proven bunch of guys,” Duncan said. “And we like our chances.”

[tackielarla]

Injury puts Spurs rookie's debut in doubt
By Jeff McDonald

Spurs rookie George Hill is eager to begin his NBA career — so eager, in fact, he's tentatively planning on flying his parents in from Indiana for Wednesday's season opener at the AT&T Center.

It will be up to coach Gregg Popovich to determine if that trip will be worth the effort.

Hill, who is nursing a sprained left thumb, practiced Monday and has been medically cleared to play against Phoenix. All that is stopping him is his head coach's own trepidation.

“We're just not sure how confident he'll be, and how confident I'll be that he won't get hurt again,” Popovich said. “He's had a really good preseason and I don't want to put that in jeopardy.”

Hill, a backup point guard taken 26th overall in the June draft, has been forced to wear a plastic splint on his left (non-shooting) hand. Of utmost concern is how the splint prevents Hill from cleanly catching a ball passed to him.

“It's a problem,” Popovich said. “Rather than catch it, he stops it. Stop and control, rather than catch.”

For now, Hill's availability will be a game-time decision. He hasn't played since spraining the thumb in an Oct. 14 preseason game against Detroit.

Popovich had planned to play Hill in Friday's 96-93 loss to Miami in the preseason finale, under instructions that he not gamble for steals or drive to the basket or do anything else to unnecessarily put his bum thumb at risk. The game was so competitive, however, Popovich thought better of playing Hill at all.

In retrospect, that was a wise move. Hill says he probably wouldn't have been able to help himself.

“That's like telling Bruce (Bowen) to go out there and don't take the open corner 3,” Hill said. “That's why coach Pop is such a great coach. He knows what's best for me.”

Simple as that: The Spurs' opening-day roster became finalized Monday. Popovich says journeyman guard Desmon Farmer found his name on it by virtue of three little words.

“Ball. In. Hole,” Popovich said.

Sometimes it really is that simple.

Farmer, the NBA Development League's all-time scoring leader, edged out rookie Malik Hairston for the Spurs' final roster spot mostly because he couldn't miss this preseason. Farmer led the Spurs in 3-pointers made and attempted (13 of 2 in seven games.

“Coach Pop told me to shoot when I had the opportunity,” Farmer said.

If anything, Farmer showed he could follow instructions.

Tolliver grieving: Rookie forward Anthony Tolliver has been granted a leave of absence to deal with the sudden death of his mother.

Donna Lewis, 56, died Thursday of an apparent heart attack in Springfield, Mo.

Tolliver will not be uniform for Wednesday night's season opener against Phoenix, and is not expected to make the trip to Portland for the Spurs' second game Friday night.

[jasonrey]

@tackielarla: thanks kaayo sa updates bro.

odd-year baya ron. time to rise up above the rest of the Western conference!

[tackielarla]

No probs bro. 1st game is vs the Suns. Easy win.

[mab]

yeah! go spurs!