Spurs of the Moment

POWER FORWARD – a position once dominated by Tim Duncan. But now with smaller, quicker more athletic players in the league the days of the having a 7-foot power forward and forming twin towers is all but over. Over the last few years the Spurs have made offensive and defensive changes to adjust to a changed NBA.

Antonio McDyess  ht 6-9 | last season 5.3 pts 5.4 rbs in 19 mins a game. PLAYOFFS  5.7 pts and 5 rbs in 24 mins a game.

McDyess is a savvy veteran, decent defender, plus he is still somewhat athletic/mobile and can hit the midrange jumper with consistency. In last season’s playoffs Dice did OK, but not nearly what was expected of him. His defense didn’t look very effective against either Memphis big-man Randolph or Gasol. Did McDyess show his age during that series or were the Spurs asking too much from someone his age? Dice will turn 37 next month.

Matt Bonner ht 6-10 | Last season 7.3 pts and 3.6 rbs (45.7% 3pt fg) in 22 mins a game | PLAYOFFS 6.3 pts and 3.2 rbs (33% 3pt fg) in 21 mins a game.

Matt Bonner, aka the ‘Red Rocket’, was lighting it up from downtown for most of the regular season. However, the playoffs were a different story, and the ‘Red Rocket’ missed his targets (his 3pt percentage dropped 12% from the regular season). Matt Bonner is a solid 3pt shooter, but he is no Robert Horry. Robert Horry could miss 2o shots in a row spanning some games and still have the guts to take and make a clutch basket with no problem. Bonner is the reverse. He is 6-10 and can a make a defense pay with his shooting, but his rebounding and overall defense are poor for a player his size playing his position. His defensive rotations are OK, the problem is when he does rotate it doesn’t really bother the offensive player, usually resulting in a foul or and old fashioned three point play. For Gregg Popovich it seems that Bonner’s one plus outweighs his many minuses. As long as he hits threes and rotates on defense (regardless of the result) then he’ll get minutes.

Dejuan Blair ht 6-7 | Last season 8.3 pts and 7 rbs (1.2 stls) in 21 mins a game | PLAYOFFS  4.3 pts and 3.3 rbs in 13 mins a game

Dejuan Blair, solid energy guy. Sadly, the saying ‘energy guy’ usually means you’re lacking in something. In Blair’s case it’s height. Even though he is only 6-7, he was the Spurs 2nd leading rebounder averaging 7 rpg to Duncan’s 9 rpg. He also had a knack for making up for his height by using his quick hands getting at least one steal a game. Blair isn’t great defensively though, and his gambling to get steals also led to easy baskets for the person he was guarding. He doesn’t have a jumpshot, so you can definitely leave him to go double team someone else.

SMALL FORWARD

Richard Jefferson ht 6-7 | Last season 11 pts (44% 3pt fg) in 30 mins a game | PLAYOFFS  6.5 pts (35% 3pt fg) in 29 mins a game.

In the 2009-10 season, Richard Jefferson seemed to be the whipping boy for everything that went wrong in that season. Jefferson shocked the world a few times; first by opting out of his contract (worth $15 million) then second by resigning long-term with the Spurs. Third, Jefferson worked out tirelessly with Gregg Popovich during the offseason. Fourth, Jefferson like Bonner, hit an unbelievable percent from behind the arc. Jefferson has many different offensive skills and is athletic. With the Spurs he is nothing but a knockdown shooter that can drive (when necessary). He also is not the defender that the old 08-09 Bruce Bowen was. In the playoffs he hit a decent amount of his 3pt shots (35%), but overall his scoring average and field goal percentage was not nearly good enough to overcome the beating that the Spurs interior defense was taking.

Kawhi Leonard ht 6-7 | 2010-11 stats from San Diego st. 15.5 pts and 10.6 rbs (1.4 stls) in 33 mins a game.

The Spurs traded a fan/Pop favorite George Hill to acquire Leonard. Leonard has an athleticism the Spurs haven’t seen since…??? Well, you get the idea. They haven’t!! He is a solid rebounder, a raw defender, and he is young (21). He doesn’t have a consistent jumpshot and tends to gamble on defense. With some work and dedication to the system, Leonard can be a priceless piece on the Spurs roster. He can (hopefully) play/defend the 3/4 position that has given the Spurs problems over the years. He seems athletic enough to guard the hybrid forwards (Gerald Wallace, Josh Smith) that a lot of teams have today.

ANALYSIS: The Spurs have good shooting and experience at the Power forward position. The height, defense and stability are an issue. To explain, not every team can boast that they have the best 3pt shooting big man in the league. At the same time none of the players the Spurs have can play 30-35 mins a game for a full 82 games+ playoffs. McDyess is too old, Blair is too short, and Bonner – aside from being a very poor rebounder – has a number of issues defensively. At Small Forward the Spurs have two unknowns. Leonard was good in college, but what about the NBA? Jefferson is a slasher and finisher, and not a natural 3pt shooter even though his percentage was high last season, so you can’t expect him to be like Bruce Bowen from the corner all season. If the Spurs are expecting him to produce consistently and maximize his potential, then it is vital that they run a decent number of plays for him on a nightly basis. Him coming off curls, and getting a few post up opportunities a few times every game should do the trick. To solidify the PF position the Spurs have a few free agent and trade options. What the Spurs want is a magical 6-11 big-man who is young, mobile, can rebound, defend, oh and my personal favorite – be able to shoot from a good distance. They’re not gonna get all that in one player. However, they do have a few options in that position to look at acquiring: Carl Landry and Kris Humphries. Either guy can come in and play lengthy minutes at the PF position because of their age and abilites. Next week, we’ll look at the Center position.

With the NBA season less than two weeks away, it’s time to unveil my Top 10 Spurs Fantasy Players. I am going to examine their value from a seasonal league and a keeper league perspective, and I will also name a few players who will be in similar draft positions so that you will get an idea of where to value them. Hopefully this information can help you all draft better teams than you would have otherwise… unless you’re in a league with me.

1. Tim Duncan (PF)
Duncan is the obvious choice here. Well, almost obvious. The concerns with Duncan – mainly injury history and age – are the same for the Spurs’ other two top dogs – Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. That’s why I can’t lower him for anyone else on the team, but it is worth mentioning that last year Duncan averaged his lowest rebounds (10.1 per game), points (17.9 per game), and blocks (1.5 per game) ever. His minutes went down to 31:18 per game, and the plan is to lower his minutes more this season as well as rest him in the second of back-to-back games. When he plays he will be the same double-double machine on most nights, but I wouldn’t recommend drafting him any higher than a 3rd round pick. For Power Forwards, I’d pick Amare, Dirk, Bosh, Pau Gasol, or David Lee before Duncan. However, I would pick Duncan before Zach Randolph, Odom, Millsap, or Jeff Green. In a Keeper League, this might be the last year you can get something for him in a trade, and I would avoid him in Keeper drafts unless he’s lingering there in the 6th or 7th round.

2. Manu Ginobili (SG)
Gino moves ahead of Parker for a couple of reasons. First off, he has seemingly shaken off the injury label – the same one that Parker picked up last season. Also, he had a great season last year and seemed rejuvenated on his way to tying his second-highest scoring average at 16.5 per game. He also averaged 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and a his most ever assists at 4.9 per game. He shoots well enough at 44% from the field and 87% from the charity stripe, plus he knocked down 132 threes last season. In fact, you could make a strong case for drafting him ahead of Duncan. There is one snag though, and that’s that Popovich likes to bring Manu off the bench a lot, so his minutes are usually in the 25-30 per game range. He’s probably about a 5th or 6th round pick, but I wouldn’t laugh at someone for reaching for him late in the 4th round. I wouldn’t pick him before OJ Mayo, Brandon Roy, or Monta Ellis, but I would pick him over Vince Carter, Kevin Martin, or Jason Terry. In a keeper league I would not pick him up earlier than the 6th round.

3. Tony Parker (PG)
Parker’s stats took a nosedive last season as his scoring dropped from 22 points per game to 16 and his assists went from 6.9 to 5.7 per game. For a point guard who is supposed to score and rack up assists, that just won’t do. It’s bad enough that he doesn’t give you much in rebounding or three-pointers, but then there’s the fact that the only stat he went up in was turnovers. I feel like he will bounce back from a rough year that saw him play in only 56 games. Still, I’m cautious when it comes to drafting fantasy teams, so I would not pick him earlier than the 6th round. I’d pick him before Johnny Flynn or Rodney Stuckey, but not before Chauncey Billups or Devin Harris. In keeper leagues, I’d probably leave him alone until the 7th round at the earliest unless all the good point guards are drying up fast.

4. George Hill (G)
Hill started 43 games last year, mostly in place of Tony Parker. However, he also switched to Shooting Guard for several games and even started alongside Parker sometimes. What does that mean? It means that he will get minutes and it means that he showed us that he is capable of putting up at least 12.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. He plays a major role on the Spurs not only because of his ability to fill in at both guard spots in the case of injuries, but also for his defense. This is one the up-and-comers to look for with the Spurs, especially if the Spurs do mess around and trade Tony Parker. In a seasonal league, I’d pick him up no earlier than the 8th round. I’d take him before Richard Hamilton, Jrue Holiday, or Jose Calderon, but I wouldn’t take him before Jameer Nelson, Jason Richardson, or Eric Gordon. In a keeper league, I’d probably reach earlier for him, say in the 7th round.

5. DeJuan Blair (F/C)
Blair averaged 7.8 points and 6.4 boards in his rookie campaign while only playing about 18 minutes per game. This year he could start even more than last year’s 23 games. He has reportedly been working on his shooting all summer and has averaged 13.8 points in the first four games of this pre-season. He’s a double-double waiting to happen. I’d pick him up as early as the 8th round in seasonal leagues, but you may be able to catch people sleeping and grab him later in the maybe the 10th round. I’d pick him before Villanueva, Haslem, or even Elton Brand. I wouldn’t pick him before Scola, Rashard Lewis, or Carl Landry. In Keeper leagues, pick him up earlier, maybe as early as the 7th, just like George Hill.

6. Tiago Splitter (F/C)
Possibly the biggest sleeper this year, I would wager that you can get him in the last round of any draft. There are question marks everywhere with Splitter, especially now that he has some foot problems. Still, I think he will be solid and is worth a late round pick in all leagues. He was the MVP of the Spanish league and should be able to help on the boards immediately. I suspect his scoring will pick up mid-season and he will finish the year strong. In Keeper leagues, you may want to reach for him as early as the 10th round. I’d pick him before Jason Maxiell, Matt Barnes, or Drew Gooden. I wouldn’t pick him before Al Thornton, Blake Griffin, or even the injured Carlos Boozer.

7. Richard Jefferson (SF)
I’m not high on Jefferson these days for fantasy purposes. If he isn’t scoring then he isn’t doing much else for you. I’ll give him some credit for stepping up his efforts on the glass last season, but it’s not enough for me to pick him very high. I’d pick him with a late round pick, maybe as early as the 8th or 9th round if I was in a deep league with people who all knew what they were doing, but most likely I’d pick him up in a late round just because no one else wanted him and he was still there in the 10th or something. I’d pick him before Kelenna Azubuike, Omri Casspi, or Brandon Rush, but not before Josh Howard, Ron Artest, or Corey Maggette. I’d pick him way late in a keeper draft.

8. James Anderson (SG/SF)
Anderson won’t be a significant fantasy contributor this season, but I’d take him with a late round pick in a keeper draft, which is the only reason he ranks above the next two players.

9. Antonio McDyess (PF)
Worth a late round flier, but I wouldn’t pick him up in a keeper league unless I needed another Power Forward really bad.

10. Matt Bonner (PF/C)
I wouldn’t even pick him in a Keeper league except as a late rounder to boost three pointers or have an extra player with center eligibility.

Well, it looks like the Spurs are officially out of the hunt for Tyrus Thomas. Apparently, the Bulls are set to trade Thomas to the Bobcats for Acie Law, Flip Murray and a future first-round pick.  Well, alright then.

That leaves one potentially good deal for the Spurs: Amare Stoudemire. Read more »

The Spurs beat the Pacers last night 90-87. It’s the Pacers so I am not gonna pretend that I am oh-so-excited about the win, but it does make them 4-2 so far on the Rodeo Trip. The game shouldn’t have ended as close as it did. Tim Duncan was way off shooting 4-of-23 from the field. You would have thought it was Allen Iverson if not for the 26 rebounds he pulled down. That’s what we like about Tim, when his shot is off he can still affect the game in some other way, unlike some people.   *COdirkUGH*

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It started ugly and ended ugly, and George Hill has the bloody nose to prove it, but the Spurs held on to beat the Houston Rockets for their fourth straight win and their first road win of the season. The Spurs missed 10 of their first 14 shots, but Houston never managed to build a lead bigger than seven points. The Rockets took a 46-44 lead into halftime, but a combination of Spurs defense and Rockets inept shooting all but doomed the Rockets as they went nearly eight minutes without a basket in the 3rd quarter. Meanwhile, the Spurs piled up an extra 14 points during that stretch. The Spurs, kind hearted souls that they are, did give the Rockets one more chance to win by committing six turnovers in the first seven minutes of the 4th quarter, and the Rockets managed to cut  the deficit to two on a Carl Landry put back with less than a minute to go. That’s when Jefferson drove to the basket, was fouled, and get this – he made both free throws for a change. Going back the other way, the Rockets missed and George Hill got his nose bloodied while coming down with the rebound. Thanks Kyle Lowry. Hill stuck around to make his free throws and took a seat. Game Over (practically). 92-84 Spurs. Read more »