Spurs of the Moment

It’s certainly great to have Basketball back in SA. After the billionaires and millionaires finished dividing the spoils (Or lack thereof they claim) we get to see the big three in action again. Let’s take a look see at this first week where the Spurs went 3-1, and let me tell you there are some bizarre numbers that pop out.

Starting Unit

DeJuan Blair (16 pts/7 rbs) is having a very good start to the season. Although the jumpshot isn’t there and the free throw shooting is a work in progress, he has played solid. Blair on offense is finishing better around the rim and is figuring out how to use his body in the post more. He also has added the “floater” to his offensive arsenal. On defense he is doing a little better job of moving his feet and taking charges, but there is still work to be done in that area. Rebounding has steadily gone up as well.
Richard Jefferson (11 pts/47% 3pt fg) is hitting his jumper like he did last season, but if there is something I really like about Jefferson it’s that he is taking shots with guys in his face. Confidence has always been an issue since RJ has been wearing the silver and black, but so far this season he has been more aggressive taking jumpshots and has had less mental lapses during games.

Tim Duncan (9 pts/6 rbs) has gotten his butt kicked by father time it seems. He is kind of slow on defense and is not the leading shot-blocker for the Spurs thus far (a role he’s had since ……………?????? yeah, that long). In all seriousness though, Duncan has played more of a supporting role, allowing Blair and Splitter to do the heavy lifting for now, which is probably fine with him since the Spurs are winning by comfortable margins. He’ll definitely come around when he is needed.

Tony Parker (13 pts/6 ast) has been solid. His assist numbers are the same as always, but how he is getting them is what impresses me. In years past, the floor would be spread and he would do a lot of dribbling in an effort to get to the paint for a score or an assist for a spot up 3. This year he has been allowing the motion of the offense to develop while he waits for the perfect opportunity to pass to an open player all while he is standing at the top of arc. With Parker this opening week it has been to play smarter not harder.
Manu Ginobili (19 pts/54% 3pt fg) has come out firing and putting teams in the torture chamber (as Sean Elliott likes to say). His shot is on, he’s driving well and his play making is still great, just ask Dejuan Blair. As Manu goes so do the Spurs. His inspiring play fuels the team, as we have seen in game 1 and early in game 2 as he lead the charge in delivering a stunning blow to the heavily favored Clippers. Unlike Duncan, who will pick up the slack as the season goes on, Ginobili will eventually get tired and will need someone from the likes of Anderson or Neal to step up during this fast paced season. That way he’ll have legs left for the playoffs.

THE BENCH: The good, the bad and the ugly

Center, Tiago Splitter is undoubtedly the good (7 pts/6 rbs) finally getting meaningful minutes. Impressive about Splitter is his footwork on defense and his ability to stay in front of his man. Last season Splitter showed his ability to take charges, and that trend has continued this season. What nobody expected was for Tiago to be the teams leading shot-blocker at any point in a season where Tim Duncan is on the team. Splitter has averaged almost 2 blocks a game. Let’s see how long this continues.
Forward, Kawhi Leonard has been a good acquisition for the Spurs. For two seasons the Spurs haven’t had a backup for the sometimes lackluster Richard Jefferson. Kawhi has averaged 6 pts/6 rbs playing behind RJ. The great thing about Leonard is that he is athletic and a good rebounder, which at times allows Coach Pop to play him at PF and not get burned.

Guards, TJ Ford and James Anderson we can say are the bad (or fair). Ford has shown that he has a much easier time being a setup point guard than Parker. However, while he does a good job passing the ball, he also tends to pass up shots and turn the ball over by jumping in the air to pass. James Anderson has played with confidence, but his shot hasn’t fallen as much as he’d like and at times it seems that defense isn’t a priority to him.

Forward, Matt Bonner is obviously the ugly. We know he is a poor rebounder, but averaging 20 minutes a game, being third tallest player on the team, and being next to last in average rebounds at a whopping 1 per game is beyond bad. Bonner’s three point shooting, his and Pop’s usual alibi for his poor rebounding and defense, is fading so far. He has shot only 38% from deep. While that may seem high, it doesn’t look very impressive when you factor in last season where he led the Spurs and the league in 3 Pt FG% and grabbed a few more rebounds (3 per game). This year he already has 2 guys on his team ahead of him.

Last night I had the good fortune to get a last minute invite to the Spurs season opener against the Memphis Grizzlies. Beaten down by a long week of work and illness, followed by a long weekend of good times in my hometown, tied up with previous plans in place and faced with a daunting, late-night drive back to Austin ahead of me, I naturally jumped at the chance. The people of San Antonio were more than ready for the return of their Spurs, and, needless to say, the stadium was rocking from the tip. The Spurs rode the home crowd through an offensively offensive first quarter to a one point halftime deficit, before completely locking down the Grizz in the third, building a big lead, and finishing the night with a 95-82 victory and a 1-0 start to the season. Rather than further recap the game in length, this article will focus on a few individual Spurs of interest, and what we can take away from their performances on opening night.

Manu Ginobili (by far a team high +17 when on the floor) – What can be said about San Antonio’s fearless Argentine that hasn’t been already? A classic performance from Manu, as, once again, he did it all last night. I remember one point, very early on in the game, I looked up at the score board to check Manu’s stats. So amazed was I with his heart and hustle, I simply had to check, and what did I see? 0 points, 0 fouls, 2 assists, and 1 rebound. Not the type of line that most players would be satisfied with, even in the first quarter, but, at that point, Manu had to have already taken two charges, drawn at least three offensive fouls of some kind in total, and gotten at least one of his three steals. Manu was the heart and soul of the team last night, and if he has many more games like this 24 point, 5 rebound, 4 assist, 3 steal, 1 block performance, the Spurs should be in for one heck of a season.

Kawhi Leonard – Leonard made his NBA debut last night, and the nerves were obvious. In his first trip to the line Leonard missed two free throws, and, later on, got his “Welcome to the NBA” moment via a Rudy Gay strip and steal that led to a monster dunk from the Memphis forward. Leonard simply couldn’t get anything going offensively at first, and yet his impact was impossible to miss. Unable to hit a shot from the field, Leonard helped his team with a flurry of hard-nosed rebounds and steals, using those legendary massive hands to wreak havoc on defense and poke away the ball time and again. Leaving the game I honestly thought Leonard had more steals than the two in the box score, but such is the disruptive force of Leonard’s style of play. An offensive rebound and put back led to one of Leonard’s two field goals, but it was the other that truly impressed. In the Spurs highlight of the night, Leonard drained a corner three after a behind the back dish from Ginobili following the veteran’s sick crossover and split of two defenders. There was an audible “ooo,” from the crowd, and the pressure was definitely on the rookie to make the shot, and after he once again rose to the occasion  for the Spurs (preseason game winner, anyone?) the stadium rewarded him with perhaps its biggest roar of the night. When it was all said and done, Leonard finished with 6 points on a disappointing 2 of 9 shooting, 6 rebounds (4 offensive), 2 steals, and an assist in just 14 minutes.

Tiago Splitter – With Tim Duncan in foul trouble all night, Splitter played 33 minutes, tied with Tony Parker for the most on the team, and was a really big part of the Spurs’ victory. Offensively, Splitter left a lot to be desired, shooting 2 of 7 from the field with both buckets coming off of nice assists. Defensively, Splitter was a force. Splitter was a huge part of a Spurs defense that forced Memphis into committing 24 turnovers, and held Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph to a combined 23 points and 12 boards. The Brazilian big man finished the night with 2 steals and 2 blocks to go along with his 5 points and a solid 8 boards.

Richard Jefferson – The embattled RJ did exactly what the Spurs needed him to on opening night. After an offseason which saw him narrowly escape the amnesty axe, Jefferson came out last night like a professional and dropped 14 points on a solid 5 of 11 effort from the field, including 3 of 7 from behind the arc. Most impressively, with the big three on the bench for a stretch in the second quarter, Jefferson scored two or three buckets while he and the Spurs reserves regained the lead.

James Anderson – A lot of people in the Spurs fan base are expecting a lot of things from the second year Anderson after his rookie campaign was cut short by injury. Anderson got 21 minutes in the opener, getting a nice 9 points on 4 of 9 shooting, though he went a disappointing 1 of 5 from three point range. What impressed me most about Anderson wasn’t apparent in the box score. From the minute he stepped on the court until the end of the game, Anderson was ready to shoot. The former Big 12 scoring champ was fearlessly looking for his shot all night long, yet he played within himself throughout the game and very rarely forced it.

Matt Bonner – Oh dear. Where to begin? Bonner had one of those incredible absentee performances that, especially upon seeing how many minutes he was out on the floor later, truly boggles the mind. In 28 minutes (fifth most on the squad), Bonner managed to grab exactly ZERO rebounds, while scoring three points on 1 of 6 shooting (1 of 5 from downtown), getting two assists, and posting a donut in every other statistical category. How this line is possible for a 6’10’’ man in 28 minutes of play is entirely beyond comprehension, though one thing that is easy to understand is the soon to be reignited vitriol sputtering forth from many Spurs fans toward the Red Rocket.

To start,  tell me if this simple stat line seems familiar: 30 points and 5 assists. Instead of Magic or Stockton taking  fewer than 10 shots, feeding the post, and handing out somewhere around 14-16 assists a game,  you now have guards scoring 25 points a game while taking 25 shots as well.  It’s a guard driven league like never before, and if there is one thing the Spurs have a lot of, it’s guard firepower.

Tony Parker  ht 6-2 | Last season 17.5 pts  6.6 ast  1.2 stls (52% fg) in 32 mins a game. PLAYOFFS 19.7 pts 5.2 ast in 37 mins a game.

Looking at Parker’s numbers, its pretty apparent he had a solid season. He scored in the high teens while shooting a very good percentage from the field. He also looked to get out in transition more by playing the passing lanes which resulted in him getting over a steal a game. As for the playoffs, overall he had better numbers in scoring and a slight drop in assists. By digging deeper we see some real issues though. Scoring 19 points a game is good, but shooting 46% from the field isn’t, especially if it was significantly higher during the regular season. Five assists a game isn’t bad, but 3.3 turnovers a game is. His opposite (Mike Conley) did a much better job of running the Grizzlies offense with higher assists (6.1) and lower turnovers (2.1). It is important that Parker once again go to work on his midrange jumpshot.

Manu Ginobili ht 6-6 | Last season 17.4 pts 4.9 ast and 1.5 stls in 30 mins a game. PLAYOFFS  20.6 pts 4.2 ast and 2.1 stls in 35 mins a game.

Manu Ginobili – a legend amongst Spurs faithful. Unbelievable as it may seem, Manu Ginobili played with a banged up arm (fractured to be exact) and still led the Spurs in scoring during the playoffs. Ginobili is not the same guy he was in the 2005 playoffs, or even the 2008 regular season. He shoots a lot of 3′s and no longer tries to go one on three during fast breaks. He is still  just as effective though. His assist numbers have climbed, and  he has become a great facilitator. He also still shows brilliance at the end of games. Manu was able to score in the playoffs despite having to deal with a physical, trash-talking defender in Tony Allen and behind him Shane Battier. Unfortunately, one thing that has stayed the same is that he is injury prone at the wrong time. 2011 playoffs (fractured arm), 2010 playoffs (broken nose), 2009 and 2008 playoffs (bad ankle).

Gary Neal ht 6-4 | Last season 9.8 pts (42% 3pt fg) in 21 mins a game. PLAYOFFS 7.7 pts (26% 3pt fg) in 19 mins a game.

Gary Neal – a nobody that the Spurs signed. That nobody turned out to be one of the purest scorers/shooters the Spurs had last season. Neal had no conscience while launching and hitting from everywhere on the court. The playoffs were different though, and he – like many of the Spurs shooters – couldn’t find the bottom of the net. Neal can produce off the bench with no problems, and has no confidence issues like a few other Spurs on the team.

James Anderson ht 6-6 | Last season 3.6 pts (39% 3pt fg) in 11 mins a game.

Anderson was supposed to be the Spurs back up shooting guard, however an injury sidelined him a few games into the season. That, plus the emergence of Neal, put him on the bench most of the time. Anderson has good size, is young, can obviously shoot, and can also play decent defense.

ANALYSIS: The Spurs have one of the best guard combinations in the league and can score a lot from both guard positions. However, the last team that won a championship with their guards being the main source of offense was the 89′ and 90′ Detroit Pistons (Thomas/Dumars/V Johnson). Is there a difference between them and the Spurs of today? Yes, their big men. Each big man of the Pistons brought either rebounding, defense, athleticism and/or toughness (in the paint especially). We know what Duncan brings, but Blair, McDyess, and Bonner don’t equal Laimbeer, Rodman, and Mahorn. The Spurs do have a nice guard combo, but in order to win the title the Spurs are going to need more balance offensively and not rely on their guards so much. Next week we will look at the Spurs roster/system overall and how they may fare this coming season.

Looking at the evidence of the last two articles, it would seem that if Tony Parker were simply in another system, and also without the creative services of Manu Ginobili, then he would be a top point guard – someone you can build your team around and win with. However, it’s not nearly that simple or true.  Two significant factors separate Tony Parker from guys like Steve Nash and Chris Paul: 1) Decision Making/Court Vision, 2) Perimeter Shooting.                  

Decision Making 

When Nash, or Paul, or anybody for that matter, runs a pick-n-roll, they always have options. What is done with those options usually shows the difference between a true point guard and a scoring point guard. In Dallas, when Nash would run a screen and roll with Nowitzki, a switch in defenders would normally be the result. What would Nash do with his options? He would wait for Dirk to establish good position mid-post (about 15 feet out) and pass him the ball. That would allow Dirk to take uncontested mid-range jumpers, because he was being guarded by the other team’s point guard. For Nash, giving up the ball to Dirk on a switch opens up even more (easy) options for him. If he gets the ball back from Dirk,  he can pass to an open teammate due to the defense shifting because of the mismatch Dirk has. Or he can take the open jumper since his taller, less mobile defender is probably sagging back due to his driving ability. Chris Paul does the same thing with David West. In each situation with Nash or Paul, they make decisions that don’t always get them assists, but give the main scorers on their team (Dirk/West) easier circumstances to operate under.            

Court Vision

We all know Nash and CP3 have court vision, but the point is that you can basically take four other guys in the NBA (at their respective positions) and put them with Nash or CP3 and it’s almost guaranteed they’ll get that team to 100 pts by the end of four quarters. What about Tony Parker? Parker always looks to score off a pick-n-roll, even if there is a switch in defenders. This takes away easy post-up/scoring opportunities for players that are bigger and don’t get plays run for them (Splitter, Blair, and Jefferson). Also, players don’t cut to the basket because Parker either doesn’t see them or is not comfortable making the pass.  In transition, Parker usually gets the ball and looks to take it all the way for the “score” even if there aren’t favorable numbers. Because of that, players that can score in transition (Jefferson, Anderson, and former Spur George Hill) don’t get easy opportunities since the ball-handler is so far ahead of them. (Note)  When Ginobili handles the ball on the break, several players get a chance and have scored (Blair, Hill, and Jefferson especially).                                    

Perimeter Shooting

Point guards that have a consistent midrange jumpshot are generally harder to stop than point guards that are lightning quick. Also, when running the most basic of NBA plays (Pick-n-roll / Isolation for a post player) the other players on the floor don’t have to be big perimeter threats. Example: Jose Calderon from the Toronto Raptors is one of the most underrated point guards in the NBA. Why? He is slow, somewhat skinny and isn’t a great one-on-one player. However, over the last 4 seasons Jose Calderon has averaged 11 points per game ( 40% 3PT FG, 48% FG overall) and 8 assists per game (only 1.8 turnovers per game). Calderon runs a lot of pick-n-rolls, as does every point guard. Because of his shooting ability, however, he has a lot more options than a point guard that is simply quick. In addition to driving for a layup or kicking out to a 3-point shooter, when the defense goes under a screen he can knock down jumpers pretty much all night. If the defense traps him he can make the outside-in pass to the player that set the screen for an easy dunk or 10-foot jumper. All of that is accomplished simply because he a can knock down shots.

What about Tony Parker? To start, many Spurs fans complain about other players besides Parker; two players in particular - 1) Richard Jefferson 2) Matt Bonner. Why is Richard Jefferson not a very consistent scorer on the Spurs? (a player who averaged 20 points per game before joining the Spurs) or Why does Matt Bonner get heavy minutes? (a frontcourt player who is arguably the worst defender and definitely worst rebounder on the team). The answer is Tony Parker’s shooting ability. Parker, like many point guards in the league, is fast but has a jumpshot that comes and goes. YES, Parker does have the ability to get to the rim and score around 20 points while shooting a high percentage. ONLY WITH THE RIGHT SPACING. That’s why Richard Jefferson, a player who was known to slash, dunk, and get many trips to the free throw line is relegated to shooting 3′s from Bruce Bowen’s corner. Matt Bonner is a one-dimensional player who would normally get minutes only in special situations or when someone is injured. Just look at the minutes that guys like Brian Cardinal and Steve Novak get. Add to that the fact they don’t get big contracts or stay on a team very long. Because of Parker’s need for space to drive, Bonner is essential to helping the offense flow when it’s being run by Parker. What happens to Parker when guys back off, stay home on shooters, and allow him to take jumpshots all game? Look what happened to Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose during the conference finals.

The Truth: Parker is not a top point guard, he is an above average point guard. One San Antonio talk show host referred to Parker as a “20 (points) and 5 (assists) guy”. Tony Parker has above average skills in certain areas. For him to be a top point guard, he has to fill the holes in his game. Namely, his shooting from the perimeter must be a lot more consistent. He also needs to be a more willing passer. Nothing spectacular, but simply giving the ball to players in areas that they can operate. So, while Parker is not a guy you wanna build a championship team around, he is still an important piece for the Spurs if they ever want to win a championship again.

The Spurs dusted off the Indiana Pacers with a 122-109 victory. Tiago Splitter didn’t play since he is still dealing with his foot injury, but the surprise of the night was James Anderson who went for 10 points with an assist and a steal to boot. He played 27 minutes off the bench and was actually pretty decent. We may have something here.

The Good:
-Three Point Shooting: The Spurs shot 9-of-20 from downtown with contributions from Ginobili, Anderson, Hill, and Jefferson. Bobby Simmons tried but was 0-for-2. Let’s not count his shenanigans and say the Spurs were 9-of-18 from downtown.
-Free Throw Shooting: The Spurs shot 81% from the stripe going 29-for-36.

The Bad:
-Defense: The Pacers shot 53% from the field. That will never do. A better defensive team would have made things more difficult for the Spurs in the 4th quarter and maybe pulled off the win. Also just letting Indiana hang around so long was a little annoying. This game almost looked like it was going to be close until the final buzzer. The Spurs managed to pull away in the 4th, but they need to pounce on teams early, especially weaker ones.

Notable Spurs Stat Lines
Tim Duncan: 23 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 4 blocks. Did I mention the 10-of-12 shooting? Why people continue to harp on his age I don’t know, but he looked just fine in this game.
Manu Ginobili: 22 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block. He also went 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Gotta love his all around game.
Tony Parker: 20 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals. Of course he had to throw in his usual 4 turnovers, but otherwise he had a good game.
Richard Jefferson: 16 points, 2 boards, 2 dimes, and a steal. Not bad at all.
George Hill: 16 points, 4 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal. Hill did a great job of getting to the foul line and went 7-of-9.
DeJuan Blair: 9 points, 4 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals. Blair started at center and I honestly expected a little bit more, but I did like seeing him go 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Maybe he will improve on last season’s 55% free throw shooting.

Notable Pacers stat Lines
Danny Granger: 26 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals. 10-of-18 from the field and 3 three-pointers. Not a bad night for their main guy.
Roy Hibbert: 28 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, 4 blocks. 10-of-17 from the field and 8-of-8 from the line. Hibbert looked good and put up better numbers than Granger.
Darren Collison: 19 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds. A solid Pacers debut from D.C.

Coyote Ugly
The Pacers Bench:
They combined for 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting. They went 2-for-9 from downtown and 3-for-6 from the line. The high note was they played some defense with six steals and a block, but they helped shoot Indy out of the game. Outside of TJ Ford they were terrible.

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.

The Spurs slapped around the Miami Dwyane Wades a few days ago. It’s a pre-season game and James and Bosh both sat out most of it, but it still feels good for the Spurs to be the first to beat them.  DeJuan Blair continued to have a solid pre-season with 13 points and seven boards.

In other news, Popovich is beginning to look at a new approach to his backup small forward situation. It’s become obvious that the “Next Bruce Bowen” approach will net little more than another Keith Bogans disaster, so he is now looking more at the offensive firepower side of things.

To find exactly what he’s looking for, Popovich would need to build a time machine.

“If I had my druthers, and it was a perfect world, I want Bruce Bowen to be 28 years old and back on our team,” Popovich said, echoing a persistent preseason theme.

Seeing as the world is imperfect, Popovich doesn’t always have his druthers and Bowen is 39 years old and wears bow ties on ESPN for a living, the search continues.

What Popovich wants most in a backup to Richard Jefferson is a defensive menace who could be, in the coach’s words, “a pain in the ass.” He isn’t certain anybody on Sunday’s charter flight to Mexico City for Tuesday’s game against the Clippers fits that description.

At this point, Popovich will settle for something less.

“If I can get somebody who can at least spell defense and say the word once in a while, then I’ll know they have some interest in it,” he said.

…

Absent the next Bowen, however, Popovich will accept the next Peja Stojakovic.

“The worse they are defensively, the better they’d better be able to shoot,” Popovich said. “Or there’s no reason to have them around.”

Uh oh. That sounds to me like more people will be getting cut than I originally thought.

Here are the ten players we know will be back:
1. Tim Duncan
2. Tony Parker
3. Manu Ginobili
4. George Hill
5. Tiago Splitter
6. DeJuan Blair
7. Richard Jefferson
8. Antonio McDyess
9. James Anderson
10. Matt Bonner

Beyond them, it’s hard to say who we should bother getting too attached to. There are eight other players vying for a spot:
Kirk Penney
Gary Neal
Bobby Simmons
Alonzo Gee
Garrett Temple
Marcus Cousin
Curtis Jerrells
James Gist

If the Spurs keep a maximum of 15 then the three who I think will get cut are Cousin, Gist and Jerrells.
If they cut down to 13, then say goodbye to two of these guys: Temple, Simmons or Gee.

Here we go a-frickin-gain. I’m sure that people will not give this Tony Parker trade talk a rest until he signs a new contract extension (or gets traded). The latest buzz is courtesy of Yahoo! Sports and an article from the San Antonio Express News. In the SAEN article, found here, Tony Parker discusses this being the last year of his (current) contract and possibly the last chance he has at winning a title with Duncan and Ginobili. I think the sentiment is more a testament to Duncan’s age than anything. We know that Duncan is not going anywhere though, and Ginobili signed an extension at the end of last season.

Ginobili, too, went into the season on the last year of his contract. Ginobili, too, didn’t know if he would be back. The Spurs say everything is as fluid with Parker and that an extension is possible.

But everything else is also possible. If the Spurs don’t begin their season well, they will look to deal their most tradeable asset. And, when the season is over, they could lose Parker to free agency, no matter how well he plays.

I just don’t see how they let Parker go. What are they going to get back for him? Certainly not a better point guard, and they have talent everywhere else (although another small forward would be nice). The Spurs are in “Win Now” mode and getting some draft picks isn’t going to help them reach the promised land before Duncan’s knees give out. Then again, a lot does ride on how George Hill progresses again this year, not to mention the looming lockout.

The bottom line, however, is that this is all about Wins and Losses. If the Spurs struggle, then of course all bets are off, but after the injuries mounted, RJ struggled, Blair adjusted, and Mason fizzled out last year – the Spurs still finished well. I believe they’ll play much better this year with the Big Three taking some time off this summer, Blair and RJ more accustomed to the Spurs system, and the addition of Tiago Splitter and perhaps even James Anderson.

I can see the Spurs realistically winning the division, so don’t count on Tony getting traded anytime soon.

When the Spurs picked James Anderson with the 20th overall pick in the draft, my first reaction was something along the lines of, “Huuuhh?” I hadn’t even considered it, so I thought that maybe I needed to go back and look at some highlights on Youtube or something, but there was nothing there that convinced me that I had overlooked something extraordinary. If this was any other team I would be ready to say that this was a bad pick, but with the Spurs you have to realize that there is almost always a method to the apparent madness. I figured that, as usual with the Spurs, the decision was not only based on talent, but also on the player’s disposition. The Spurs are known for not just shying away from any potential head-cases, but bringing in potentially great players who are willing to play team basketball and have a good attitude. That’s why I am hopeful that I did overlook something about James Anderson. Then, of course, this article came out on Sunday from the San Antonio Express News that details the humble roots of our newest Spur. It’s definitely the sort of player story to make any sports fan interested in seeing the player succeed.

Of course, we still have to look at the stats. At least I do. Anderson played three years at Oklahoma State and got better each year. He never averaged less than 30 minutes per game, and from his freshman year to his junior year when his minutes per game jumped from 30.9 to 34.1, his scoring average jumped from 13.3 to 22.3 points per game. So in just over three more minutes per contest his scoring average went up nine points. He shot the ball slightly better in his sophomore season, but he became a better passer by his junior year when he went from 1.4 assists per game to 2.4 per game. He still needs to work on his turnovers, also at 2.4 per game. He seems comfortable shooting the three, but I am not so sure I am comfortable with him shooting it at 34 percent. He may develop a decent three-point shot at the NBA level, but I don’t see it happening right away. He’s a decent rebounder at 5.8 per game in his junior year – up from 3.7 in his freshman year – so I think I’d rather see him play closer to the rim.

So what are we looking at here? It’s hard to say since we didn’t get to see him play in the Summer League, so we’re left waiting until the preseason. For right now, we’re looking at a 6-6, 210 lb.  Shooting Guard/Small Forward who can kinda shoot threes, has the same amount of assists as turnovers, can score about 22 points a game if he gets 15 shots, is an adequate rebounder, and has no special defensive skills to speak of (1.4 steals and .6 blocks in his junior year).  Looking at all of that, I don’t see much to get overly excited about, but as the Spurs have shown us time and time again, there are intangibles that don’t show up in the box score. Here’s hoping that those intangibles are what I overlooked and what James Anderson brings to the table.

I can’t take it anymore. Even with the Fantasy Baseball Playoffs and the fact that football season has finally started and I am once again in an inordinate amount of fantasy football leagues (Eight to be exact – Money, IDPs, Keepers, Expert Leagues… you name it), I am anxious to focus on the upcoming basketball season. Let’s start today with a quick summary of what has happened and is about to happen in Spurs Land.

Last year we started the season with archaic has-beens like Theo Ratliff and Michael Finley, projects like Ian Mahinmi and Malik Hairston, and a deadly three-point shooter in Roger Mason. Oh yeah, and Keith Bogans (blech). None of them are in San Antonio anymore. Ratliff and Finley’s corpses were cast off mid-season, while Roger Mason’s jump shot and hopes for a lucrative off-season deal both died a horrible and unexpected death over an agonizing season of inconsistency.  Mason is now in New York where he will probably have much more opportunity to either find his jumper again or at least jack up tons of errant threes. Mahinmi was not retained and is now the problem of the Dallas Mavericks, and the promising Hairston decided he would rather play in Europe than watch his teammates play in the NBA. Oh, and Keith Bogans was allowed to leave (blech again).

Mid-season acquisitions Alonzo Gee and Garrett Temple are both still around as is Curtis Jerrells who was cut, then brought back later in the year.

The Spurs did mediocre in the draft by picking up James Anderson with the 20th pick and Ryan Richards at #49. I wasn’t a big fan of the picks (I liked Jordan Crawford, Dominique Jones, and maybe even Damion James better), but I am keeping an open mind.

Also added to the mix was Summer League sensation Gary Neal. And of course, the most unheralded major off-season acquisition, Tiago Splitter was finally brought to San Antonio from the Spanish League where he is the reigning MVP.

I’ll do some more analysis of the Spurs newbs in the coming weeks.

The NBA Preseason begins October 3rd, but the Spurs have their first game on October 7th @ Houston. Their first home game is October 9th vs Miami’s Dwyane Wade and Friends. The rest of the Pre-season schedule goes like this:
Oct 12 @ Clippers (in Mexico City)
Oct 14 @ Cleveland (at the U of Pittsburgh)
Oct 16 vs Vitoria (I believe that this is one of the 50 names for Tiago Splitter’s old Spanish League team)
Oct 18 vs Oklahoma City
Oct 21 vs Houston

The season opener is a home game vs the Indiana Pacers on October 27th.