San Antonio Spurs

[cxtknight]

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^^^ one shot ra diay? daghan oi hehe

[vcmov_15]

^^^ one shot ra diay? daghan oi hehe

hahahahahahaha amew....

[tackielarla]

Sources: Odom leaning toward signing with Heat - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

[tackielarla]

http://projectspurs.com/2009-article...qualifier.html

Parker suffers mild injury in International Tourney
Written by Michael A. De Leon
Saturday, 25 July 2009 20:53

As if seeing Manu Ginobili getting injured in international play last summer wasn't enough, Spurs guard Tony Parker suffered a right ankle injury against Austria in the first game of an International Tournament in Strasbourg in preparation for EuroBasket 2009.

According to an online report, Parker felt pain in his left thigh 12 minutes into the game. Because of the extent of the thigh pain, Parker never realized he also suffered a mild sprained right ankle.

The sprain is reportedly mild, with no tearing or ligament damage and an MRI done today revealed no major injury, and Parker is expected to return for the game vs. Italy.

We'll be sure to report more as it becomes available.

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Nothing serious; it's just a scratch.

[tackielarla]

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/...art-Two--3296/

George Hill Summer League Review

George Hill, 6-2 Guard, San Antonio Spurs, 1986

Another unsung rookie, Hill made a name for himself with a solid, but inefficient rookie season in San Antonio. After having a hard time impressing with his play last summer at the Las Vegas Summer League and Rocky Mountain Revue last year, Hill looked very solid this week aside from one poor showing against the staunch defense of Jerryd Bayless, Pooh Jeter, and the Portland Trailblazers.

A solid athlete with a ridiculous 6-9 wingspan, Hill primarily functioned as a point guard for the Spurs, but also spent some possessions working off the ball. A dominant scorer at IUPUI, Hill still appears to be adjusting to playing the point. More than quick enough to get to the where he wants to go on the floor against most defenders in this setting, Hill did a very good job creating offensive for himself from the inside and out, but didn’t always look very comfortable distributing the ball, especially at full speed in transition. He made a handful of smart passes in half court sets, mostly when running the pick and roll, but for every good decision Hill made, he seemed to make a poor one shortly after.

Many of Hill’s problems came when he was either making a tough pass at a full sprint of when he was surveying the lane after turning the corner off the dribble. More often than not, these are situations in which Hill would normally look to score, which was likely his biggest issue here. Sometimes driving at the rim from bad angles, Hill seemed to have an especially hard time with his decision-making when he was forced towards the baseline. Stuck in no-man’s land, Hill still has a lot to learn about distributing the ball, but his scoring ability, length, and attitude make him a promising player for the Spurs both this year and down the road.

Much of that promise manifested itself around the rim in a game against the New Orleans Hornets where Hill used an Ian Mahinmi screen to free himself for a back door alley-oop pass that he effortlessly flushed with two hands on his first touch. On a subsequent possession, he was able to clear his defender’s shoulder on the pick and roll before rushing to the rim for an impressive one-handed slam. Though he added to his highlight reel with those plays, the more important development Hill has made lies in his physical assertiveness at the rim. He struggled to finish at the rim last season, and still does at times, but he got to the line at a fantastic rate here in Vegas due to his willingness to take contact at the rim. While he doesn’t make things look as easy as Jerryd Bayless, he’s beginning to complement his smooth finishing ability with some stronger finishes as well.

Though Hill definitely showed some good things when he was in attack mode, his perimeter arsenal is still a work in progress. Able to get to where he wants to go on the court against many players he’s matched up with, Hill’s lack of catch and shoot ability isn’t a major concern, but it will limit him in some ways moving forward. With Tony Parker running the show for the most part and a number of other potential ball handlers to compete with, it would be nice to see Hill develop a more reliable three point stroke to be a better option playing off the ball. If nothing else, it’ll give him a little more room to operate when looking to pass off of his drives and open up more space for the solid midrange jumper he showed here.

Defensively, Hill had a solid week, but had his share of troubles. Often matched up with the opposing team’s point guard, Hill found himself at a disadvantage at times. Darren Collison and Pooh Jeter both gave him some problems, especially Jeter, who kept him perpetually off-balance when the two were matched up one-on-one. In contrast, Hill was the only player able to slow down Marcus Williams (UConn). A competent defender who has some trouble getting around screens, Hill is the type of player that can be successful in a well run system like the one the Spurs implement. He’s going to have problems in certain matchups, but he’s more than capable of playing his many into his help side defender and not taking too many unnecessary risks. His length actually made him look a bit better against opposing shooting guards, since he had an easier time keeping up with them, and gives him the ability to close out shooters more effectively than the average player his size.

Though he finished with an even assist-to-turnover ratio and didn’t blow anyone away with his shooting, this week offered a nice opportunity to see Hill playing out of his NBA role. With clearly defined weaknesses and some nice tools to work with, the IUPUI product is a player to keep an eye on this season. His ability to run the point off the bench for San Antonio may be a point of interest during their probable run deep into the playoffs.

[tackielarla]

I like Roger Mason Jr. to stay, one more season.

Same here bro. It's his contract year, so expect him to go berserk in the 3-pt area.

[tackielarla]

Ratliff hopes quest for ring ends with Spurs
by Jeff McDonald

The newest Spur was in San Antonio on Monday, steeled to endure the typical battery of physical tests that comes with arriving in a new NBA town.

By now, Theo Ratliff is used to the drill. At various other points in his 14-season pro career, he has also done the turn-your-head-and-cough routine in Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Portland, Boston and Minnesota.

The welcome-to-the-team physical has been roughly the same in each locale, as thorough as it is monotonous.

“Lots of checks and balances,” Ratliff said with a chuckle after his latest exam ended late Monday afternoon.

Well-traveled and well-heeled, Ratliff arrives in San Antonio in search of the one significant bauble that has eluded him.

A championship.

Ratliff, the 6-foot-10 center who signed a one-year, veteran-minimum deal with the Spurs last week, did so because he believes the team gives him the best chance of putting an exclamation point on his long and winding career.

“Just to be in a position going into the season where you know you have a chance to be playing in that final game, that's something I haven't had in a long time,” said Ratliff, 36. “That's more important than anything.”

The Spurs could truthfully sell Ratliff on a title shot after an offseason in which they traded for scoring swingman Richard Jefferson, signed veteran forward Antonio McDyess and drafted All-American big man DeJuan Blair out of Pittsburgh.

Tabbed as a backup to Tim Duncan and McDyess in the Spurs' frontcourt, Ratliff — who spent last season on a second tour of duty in Philadelphia — is the final piece of that summer remodeling job. Now, he hopes to be more than just window dressing.

Ratliff has always been regarded as one of the NBA's best shot-blockers. In three consecutive seasons from 2000-04, he led the league in blocks per game.

Though well past the prime of his career, Ratliff still believes he can contribute around the rim. He averaged a block per game while backing up Samuel Dalembert in Philadelphia last season, despite logging fewer than 13 minutes an outing.

For the Spurs, the NBA's fourth-worst shot-blocking team last season, Ratliff represents a low-cost gamble. Just as the Spurs are hopeful Blair might single-handedly help them improve one statistical shortcoming (rebounding), they believe Ratliff might help them upgrade their shot-blocking.

“I think I'll be able to make the team a little better,” said Ratliff, who is on his fifth team since leaving Portland after the 2005-06 season. “What I can produce, in terms of knowing the game, playing defense — that's something a lot of teams aspire to have.”

Ratliff, meanwhile, aspires to have an elusive title.

He has been playing professional basketball since 1995 and has called nearly every NBA time zone home.

The closest Ratliff came to a championship was in 2007-08, his second stint in Detroit. That Pistons team — which also included another future Spurs big man, McDyess — lost to Boston in the Eastern Conference finals.

Adding insult to defeat, Ratliff had played for the previously moribund Celtics the season before.

When Boston went on to beat the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA championship, there were those who joked that perhaps Ratliff deserved a ring as well. After all, his $11.6 million expiring contract was a key component in the preseason trade that brought Kevin Garnett from Minnesota to Boston.

Ratliff doesn't know if this season will represent his last chance at an NBA title. The ultimate call on his retirement, he says, will come from his wife, Kristina, and his six children.

He does, however, realize time is running out.

“Having had that taste, getting so close to a championship, it definitely puts a bad taste in your mouth,” Ratliff said. “It makes you want to get back in a situation like that.”

His latest physical passed, his Spurs contract made official, Ratliff believes that he has.

Notebook: The Spurs on Monday finalized a preseason game against Euroleague power Olympiacos Pireaus. The Greek team, highlighted by former Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Childress, will visit the AT&T Center on Oct. 9 as part of the Euroleague American Tour 2009.

[lunateec22]

I miss Da'Fro from ATL.

[o_bama]

Duncan,Mcdyess and Ratliff great trio for this young players they just need experience to combat the rest of the big man in the west.

[vcmov_15]

Duncan,Mcdyess and Ratliff great trio for this young players they just need experience to combat the rest of the big man in the west.

experience they got lots of it....