San Antonio Spurs

[tackielarla]

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hahahahaha younger version ni ben wallace...

...but with an offensive game. Big Ben's offense is non-existent.

[fish]

hahahahaha younger version ni ben wallace...

but with a bum knee... mao bitaw na ni-drop na siya to 37, kay GMs were afraid to gamble sa iyang rehabilitated knee. but for a backup player... he is indeed a steal for the san antonio spurs.

[tackielarla]

but with a bum knee... mao bitaw na ni-drop na siya to 37, kay GMs were afraid to gamble sa iyang rehabilitated knee. but for a backup player... he is indeed a steal for the san antonio spurs.

Well, at least not yet.

[aykiman]

NBA.com Spurs rookie DeJuan Blair aims to eat up space

[tackielarla]

Vegas: A New George Hill
By: Yannis Koutroupis

When Tim Duncan played in his first summer league he was far from impressive, getting outplayed by Greg Ostertag and thoroughly dominated by Jermaine O'Neal. That was 12 years ago and since then all Duncan has done is win four championships and establish himself as the best power forward to ever play the game. Tim's summer league struggles prove that while the experience players gain during the time is invaluable, it's not a true indicator as to how successful they're going to be as professionals.

Duncan's teammate George Hill had a forgetful summer league debut as well. Last year in Las Vegas there were already a lot of questions surrounding the selection of Hill, who played his college basketball at IUPUI in a mediocre conference. Hill did very little to prove that he belongs, showing major issues with handling point guard duties and hitting open shots.

While Hill looked out of place then, he didn't during the regular season and now in his second go-around in Las Vegas he's looking like one of the best players in attendance.

"I think it's more confidence and experience," said Hill about his improved play. "Last year I was coming into summer league trying to get my feet wet, learn the point guard position, and be perfect. I didn't play me, I wasn't me. This year my coaches and teammates told me to just play my game and that's what I did."

Hill's 25 points, four rebounds, and three assists helped the Spurs get off to a 1-0 start with a 92-86 defeat of the New Orleans Hornets. Last year Hill had a lot of trouble dwelling on his mistakes and worrying about the previous play more than the next one. It's still something that Hill battles today, although his teammates have helped him improve drastically in that aspect.

"I think sometimes that just comes with being a player that's so competitive," explained Hill. "You get mad at yourself when you know you should have made the great play or the great pass. Things like that kill you sometimes if you start thinking of the other things but I think today I took it the right way. If I made a mistake I made a mistake, I didn't worry about it I just tried to make up for it on the next play. My teammates did a great job of telling me 'it's ok, we'll get them on the next one'."

Only recently have the Spurs made habit of sending their actual coaching staff to summer league to watch their young players. In the past there was very little incentive to do so because they had a veteran-laden squad that didn't present much of an opportunity for young players to play. However, youth is no longer absent in San Antonio and they are now well represented because the development of Hill is vital to the team's future success. They've laid out what they want to see from Hill very clearly and so far he has delivered.

"Just leadership," revealed Hill. "There are a couple of guys who played on our team last year that got drafted last year and we're all back. We just try to help young people learn the ropes like we just did. They also want me telling people where to go and being an overall point guard."

Hill's strong play fits perfectly with the offseason the Spurs have had so far. They had a spectacular draft and signed an ideal fit to play alongside Duncan in Antonio McDyess. Their best move by far though was acquiring Richard Jefferson in exchange for Bruce Bowen, Fabricio Oberto, and Kurt Thomas. Hill was sad to see three of his teammates go but he's excited about playing with Jefferson, who he has some familiarity with.

"You're always sad to see some of your teammates leave especially the ones who you were close to on the court," admitted Hill."At the same time though you're bringing in a great player in Richard Jefferson. It's funny, he was my coach at the Jordan Camp in 8th grade. I don't want to tell him that because I don't want him to feel old. Just bringing him in though is going to be a great addition to our team."

Jefferson may be old in comparison to Hill, but by Spurs' standards he's actually young. The Spurs will certainly miss the contributions of Bowen, Thomas, and Oberto. However, they were eliminated in the first round last year and changes had to be made. They are now right back in contention status with the team they've assembled and it has Hill already anxious to get the season underway.

"I think we're going to be up there (in the West)," said Hill. "The team we had last year was great, we won our division but we got put out in the first round and I think that's something that's unacceptable. We're always in the championship game. The moves we made are great moves. They help us out on both ends of the floor. We've got athleticism, some more youth, and I'm just ready to get started."

[koontz_circle]

excited nako for the next season..

[ManWhore]

Maayo pa mo kay naa na solid lineup for the coming season. Akong Lakers, floating pa tawn. It's like a roller coaster ride as far as LO is concerned.

Good Luck na lang Spurs next season!

[tackielarla]

I'm excited na din to face the Lakers. Basically I'm just pumped up at what our new guys can give to the team (especially Blair and Haislip).

[cxtknight]

depende na lng jud ni sa coaching if wat pace sa game iyang gamiton, or style, para naq ok raman to ila sa una, wala q katan-aw duwa nila cge so i don't have any comment y dali ra cla na out

[tackielarla]

Spurs' big question: What about Mahinmi?
Jeff McDonald

LAS VEGAS — Spurs center Ian Mahinmi walked onto the floor at Cox Pavilion on Sunday afternoon and took in the scene.

A couple hundred people had half-filled the auxiliary gym on the UNLV campus for a matinee NBA summer league game, most of them there only in search of a cheap way to escape the sweltering desert sun.

There were no cheerleaders or replay screens. The door to the makeshift “locker room” was just a hospital curtain strung up in the corner of the gym. The event was so low-key, even the coaches were wearing shorts.

To the uninitiated, the Spurs' summer league opener against New Orleans was little more than an organized pickup game. To Mahinmi, it was the most beautiful sight on Earth.

“I've been waiting for this for a long time,” Mahinmi said. “With all the trouble I had this year, it was a moment I've really been thinking about. I finally get to play.”

After what he'd been through over the past 11 months, Mahinmi would have been jazzed to participate in a pickup game in Timbuktu.

Last season was supposed to be an important one for Mahinmi, the Spurs' first-round draft choice in 2005. The Spurs planned to give him ample opportunity to prove, at last, that he could be a viable NBA big man.

Instead, Mahinmi spent almost the entire season — all but 21 minutes of one Development League game with the Austin Toros — sidelined with a nagging ankle injury that eventually required surgery.

It was a lost year, both for Mahinmi and for the Spurs, who still don't know what they have in the 6-foot-11 Frenchman.

“We wanted to see how he'd respond and what we had,” coach Gregg Popovich lamented. “And we still don't know.”

As such, perhaps no player at this year's Las Vegas summer league has as much to gain — or lose — as Mahinmi. At 22 years old, his career has hit a crossroads.

A former Development League All-Star, Mahinmi is under contract with the Spurs for the upcoming season. His future beyond that is very much in doubt.

The Spurs have until Oct. 31 to decide whether to pick up Mahinmi's fourth-year option or let him become a free agent next summer. His performance in Vegas will weigh heavily on the direction the team decides to take.

Out of D-League eligibility, Mahinmi will have to spend the season in the NBA. It isn't yet clear that he belongs there.

“We want him to show us he can be one of the bigs in this organization,” said Spurs assistant Don Newman, who helms the summer league squad. “The only way he's going to do that is to get out on the floor and prove himself.”

That was the plan for Mahinmi last season. His body just wouldn't allow it.

Mahinmi's injury nightmare began in August, when he stepped on another player's foot during a pickup game.

Initially diagnosed as a high right ankle sprain, the injury didn't improve with rest and treatment. In November, Mahinmi tested the ankle in a Development League game with the Austin Toros and re-aggravated the injury.

Mahinmi didn't know it yet, but his season was finished. He had wasted a year of his life. He had let the organization down.

“I knew they wanted me to play, to show what I can do,” Mahinmi said. “I wanted that so bad, too.”

In January, doctors finally pinpointed the cause of Mahinmi's recurring pain. A small piece of bone had broken off and was floating around inside his ankle. It hadn't appeared on any of his previous MRIs.

Mahinmi would need season-ending surgery to correct the problem. By that point, he was the cheeriest surgery patient imaginable.

“I wish I had surgery from the beginning,” Mahinmi said. “It's usually the last resort, but it made me feel better.”

Now that Mahinmi is healthy again, the real work begins. He hopes to soon reward the Spurs' faith and patience in him.

Mahinmi's first summer league outing didn't go so well. He scored eight points on 1-of-3 shooting, committed seven fouls (there are no disqualifications in summer league) and was generally outplayed by New Orleans' Earl Barron.

Yet Mahinmi couldn't have been happier. For now, just being on the floor was enough.

He has the rest of the summer to worry about the rest of his career.

“I'm still young, still just 22 years old,” Mahinmi said. “There's a long career in front of me, hopefully with the Spurs. All I can do is go out there and work hard, and showcase what I can do.”