-Tim Duncan continues to look good in preseason action. There's obviously nothing wrong with 17 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two steals in 29 minutes. At times, Duncan is step slow making a rotation or going after a loose ball, however that's probably here to stay thanks to Father Time. For this early in the process, Duncan's outside jumper looks really good. Compared to last season, he appears to be stronger and better able to hold his position inside. Playing 29 minutes in a preseason game is somewhat surprising, though it likely means that he won't play against the Cavaliers on Thursday in Pittsburgh.
-Manu Ginobili is patiently waiting for the regular season to begin. He has yet to break a sweat in the preseason. Once again, he was mostly working on his outside shot and his passing. Since he's not going all out, there isn't much reason to be concerned about the fact that he's just 4-for-18 from the field and 1-for-9 on three-pointers in exhibition play. Oh and tip of the hat to Ginobili for drawing up the game-winning three-pointer.
-Tony Parker appeared to hurt his wrist and went to the locker room early. That news obviously is way more important than anything else that transpired during the game. Let's hope he's okay. As far as his play, I wasn't too impressed. Unlike the first two preseason games, Parker didn't look totally engaged. However, like every veteran player, I'm sure he's just looking forward to the games that count.
-It's plain to see that Richard Jefferson has been told to shoot it every time he's open ... or even halfway open. I'm not sure I like it. The Spurs have too many players who need touches to have RJ firing away low percentage shots. Jefferson has been showing a decent amount of energy but other than added aggression, an improvement over last year's level of play has yet to be seen.
-This kid's not bad. For the third straight preseason game, DeJuan Blair led the Spurs in scoring. He scored on post moves, jumpers, fast breaks, hustle plays ... you name it. Even more impressive than his scoring was his passing. Blair has very good court awareness and makes smart, quick passes. Defensively, Blair did well when he was bodied up to the opposition but struggled when he was in space. For the Spurs to become a championship caliber team, his defense still must improve a substantial amount. That said, Blair is brimming with so much confidence that it's difficult to figure out the limit of his potential. He looks really good and is quickly improving.
-George Hill was bad in the first two preseason games. In preseason game No. 3, we finally saw Hill gain some traction. Defensively, he gave contagious effort and his play on that end helped energize the team. On offense, it seems like Hill is struggling to figure out where he fits. Once he settles in and finds his niche, he should be fine. However, I still like the idea of Hill starting next to Parker with Ginobili coming off the bench. We know Ginobili will play well as a starter or off the bench. Hill? We don't know that for sure.
-Matt Bonner played a little bit better. I thought he moved better and jumped better. That said, when Tiago Splitter is healthy and Antonio McDyess plays, I don't see a reason why Bonner should be anything but the fifth bigman.
-James Anderson is getting more and more comfortable. He's also in much better shape compared to how he was moving at the scrimmage. The one aspect of his game I already really like is his shot selection. He has done well tiptoeing the line between being aggressive and being too aggressive so far. Defensively, I see upside. He can move his feet, he has some athleticism and he's already playing with a bit of toughness. All in all, I'm happy with San Antonio's first round pick. He seems like a good fit and seems to understand why he's on the court. For a rookie in preseason, those are two impressive attributes.
-To put it bluntly, Bobby Simmons looks done. He can't move his feet. He can't jump. He's playing a physical brand of basketball but the Spurs can't have another slow small forward on their roster. Right now, he looks like a poor man's Richard Jefferson. I have yet to see anything that illustrates Simmons deserves a spot on the team.
-If the coaching staff awards roster spots based on preseason play, Curtis Jerrells would make the team. At times, he's been better at running the show than anyone on the team. It wasn't a coincidence that the Spurs erased the Clippers 18-point lead with Jerrells at point guard. He's defending with gusto, he's scoring well and he's making the right pass. The strides Jerrells has made converting from a small shooting guard to a point guard have been stunning. If he keeps playing this well, it's going to be difficult for the Spurs to cut him.
-Good thing Gary Neal hit the game-winning three-pointer because he was having a nightmare of a preseason heading into that shot. He's so short, stubby and unathletic that I don't understand how the Spurs envisioned him as a shooting guard when they signed him in the summer. To make things worse, the supposed sharpshooter was just 5-for-16 from the field in preseason play before his clutch shot from downtown. For Neal's sake, let's hope that shot allows him to begin showing why the Spurs felt inclined to give him guaranteed money.
-Marcus Cousin struggled somewhat with the size and strength of the Clippers' frontcourt. He's clumsy, doesn't have good hands and isn't that strong ... but for a D-League bigman prospect, I still like him. His size, athleticism and coordination is enough to give him a season or two in Austin to see if he can continue to blossom.
-Garrett Temple looks nothing like the steady-handed guard who played so well for the Spurs at the end of the regular season last year. He continues to be a disaster on the offensive end to the point of embarrassment. Defensively, he's had his moments but there's nothing to write home about. After Temple's fantastic summer league cameo, I thought he was a virtual lock to make the roster this season. Now, if he doesn't turn it around soon, there's no way the Spurs can justify keeping him around.
-In James Gist's 40 seconds of play, he made a good rotation to draw an offensive foul. Why didn't he play more? I have no idea. He's done enough to earn more than a couple trips up and down the court.
-Pop spent the entire first quarter trying out a zone defense look. Let's just say that Pop should never do that again. If the Spurs run zone for more than just a possession here and there, that's a sign that something has gone terribly wrong. I think Pop should play less of Simmons and Cousin to play more of Gee and Gist. We know what to expect from Simmons (slowness) and Cousin (raw potential) but Gee and Gist are unknowns who could conceivably help the team in the regular season.
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timvp. Can't say there's much, if anything, I don't agree with.
